Siobhan is an experienced employment lawyer advising and working closely with HR professionals and senior executives. Siobhan recognises the importance of taking the time to fully understand her clients' businesses and needs so she can provide commercial, strategic and tailored solutions to employment issues. Her expertise covers contentious matters such as; unfair dismissal, all discrimination elements and breaches of restrictive covenants. She regularly appears before employment tribunals. Siobhan has extensive experience advising on collective redundancy processes and restructures with advice often being provided at short notice.

Siobhan has particular experience advising on disciplinary and grievance matters; Siobhan's expertise extends to acting in the capacity of independent investigator of internal employee grievances as well as conducting complex disciplinary hearings. . 

As well as acting for the private sector and high net worth individuals, Siobhan has extensive experience of advising public sector clients such as educational establishments, charities and the police.

• acting as an external grievance investigator in respect of a director's multi-issue grievance spanning a number of years as well being the grievance officer in respect of a complex collective grievance;
• acting as an independent disciplinary officer deciding on complex and sensitive discrimination issues;
• advising companies, every step of the way, on how to carry out collective redundancy procedures as well managing individual redundancy consultation;
• advising a company and its new recruit on defending threats of injunctive proceedings for breach of restrictive covenants and negotiating a commercial and workable mutually acceptable solution;
• acting for a university in defending a tribunal claim of associative disability discrimination; 
• advising a training board on defending substantial levy appeals and advising on governance issues;
• advising high net worth individuals in relation to negotiating settlement packages including advice on bonus entitlements; and
• advising on corporate transaction matters and due diligence.

Siobhan provides bespoke training for HR professionals and senior management; recent training includes running an effective grievance investigation. She recently delivered training to Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire CIPD on restructuring. Siobhan is a contributor to Shoosmiths' employment webinars and articles.

• COVID-19 and the Impact on Disabled Employees in the Workplace

  By Siobhan Atkin |May 2021