Stephen Conlan

Partner

“Stephen Conlan is the go-to name for contentious work ….” [Legal 500, 2023]

I qualified in 1997 and am a partner in BPE’s employment team, with over 20+ years’ experience of employment law.

I have advised a diverse range of employer clients ranging from public sector organisations, PLC’s, SME’s and schools. I have experience in many sectors including transport, prisons, outsourcing, biotechnology, hospitality, health care / the NHS, and private equity.

I have a broad and varied practice in all aspects of employment law, including:

• Corporate reorganisations / restructurings and redundancies
• Complex employment tribunal litigation, often involving discrimination career loss claims and whistleblowing dismissal and detriment
• The enforcement of post-termination restrictions in the High Court
• Directors’ service agreements, employment contracts, remuneration schemes and employee incentive plans
• TUPE transfers and the employment aspects of outsourcing arrangements
• Data protection
• Trade union recognition and disputes
• Representing clients in workplace, private and judicial mediations.
• Providing bespoke training in many areas of employment law.
Examples of matters I have dealt with, include:
• Defending a high profile and complex unfair dismissal, race discrimination and whistleblowing claim.
• Bringing a High Court breach of contract claim against three former employees of a national built environment consultancy for injunctions and compensation.
• Representing an international outsourcing company in the successful defence of an interim injunction (interim relief) in the context of a dismissal of an RMT member promoting Industrial Action.
• Acting for the London subsidiary of a US based hedge fund in the design and implementation of various bonus schemes.
• Representing an NHS Trust in the successful defence of an interim injunction (interim relief) following the dismissal of a Consultant in the context of a claim for unfair dismissal and whistleblowing.
• Advising a formula E team on the dismissal of a senior employee in the context of allegations of sexual impropriety.
• The restructure and closure of a significant number of a national retailer’s stores, including advising on collective consultation obligations and redundancy entitlements.
• The successful defence of a claim for discrimination against an NHS trust on the grounds of gender reassignment by a Consultant.

I have also acted as a workplace investigator and undertaken a number of complex investigations into allegations of bullying and harassment.

My reported cases include:

• Dahou v Serco Ltd [2016] EWCA Civ 832
• Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust v Akinwunmi & Ors UKEAT/0345/16/BA