Supreme moment being party to a potential law change

The Legal Services Act will have huge ramifications for the sector moving forward and is certainly the biggest development so far in my career. The Act will see new entrants into the legal market and it is likely that we will see new ways of offering legal services. Irwin Mitchell was one of the first firms to have applied for ABS status.

What law would you like to see changed?

The laws which require lengthy consultation periods in cases of mass redundancies where there is little or no prospect of changing the outcome. In my experience, employees prefer to know as soon as possible, and employers should be encouraged to work with them to help them deal with the consequences, rather than being forced to prolong a difficult period.

What is the most exciting work you’ve ever done?

I’m fortunate to have been involved with some very interesting cases but perhaps the most significant was the ‘Seldon’ age discrimination age which was recently heard by the Supreme Court, in which I acted on behalf of Age UK, who intervened in the case and in support of Mr Seldon. The opportunity to work at the Supreme Court, and to be a part of a potential change in the law, was incredible.

The case itself focuses on whether a particular law firm was justified in operating its own default retirement age and forcing one of its partners to leave at the age of 65. It is perhaps one of the most far-reaching age discrimination cases to date.

Who in the legal world do you most admire?

My late grandfather: a magistrate who wasn’t afraid to put someone in prison for 24 hours for swearing at him in court.

What advice would you give someone starting out in the profession?

Know the difference between the pure legal answer and a commercial answer to a question.