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EXPERIENCE
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Claire has a wide experience of drafting in employment and general civil matters. She has appeared as an advocate in both the Magistrates Court and the Crown Court, as well as appearances in the County Court, High Court and employment tribunals.
Additionally, she has appeared at appellate level in both the EAT and Court of Appeal.
Employment
Having undertaken her pupillage at a specialist employment set, Claire continues to undertake both Claimant and Respondent work in the Employment Tribunal, ranging from small family employers to stock exchange listed bodies, and including political and sporting bodies. Her practice covers all areas of employment law, including unfair and wrongful dismissal, working time regulations, TUPE cases and discrimination. She has particular experience in agency law, having represented a large employment agency a number of times.
Notable cases include:
- Successfully representing a company who engaged a pilot as Chief Captain of a private plane in a 3 day hearing for unfair dismissal, whistleblowing, and breach of contract, including issues of employment status.
- Representing a former finance director of an AIM listed company in a 5 day Tribunal hearing for equal pay, sex discrimination, unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal etc. The case was settled for an undisclosed sum on day 3 after cross-examining the Chief Executive of the Respondents.
- Successfully representing Millwall Football Club in a 2 day hearing involving unfair and wrongful dismissal from a former employee.
Claire has also appeared at full and preliminary hearings in the Employment Appeal Tribunal.
General Civil Matters
Claire also undertakes general civil cases, from small claims to multi-track trials, in particular relating to commercial and general contractual disputes, and general property law. In December 2007, she appeared in the High Court in relation to a six-figure contractual dispute.
She successfully represented a Big Brother contestant in his claim for contact with his dog against his former partner (another former Big Brother contestant). The case was reported in the London press and also the subject matter of a BBC documentary. She has also undertaken a number of possession hearings, and delivered a seminar on the pitfalls of residential possession proceedings.
Criminal
Claire appears regularly as a defence advocate in the Crown Court, in both appeals and trials, for offences of violence, drugs, theft, deception, false instruments, arson, and counterfeit goods. Recent cases include s.18, possession with intent to use a false instrument (passport and 13 credit cards), Trade Marks Act offences.
She has appeared successfully in the Court of Appeal, against a sentence for a charge of conspiracy to defraud, reducing the sentence from a 7 to a 4½ year starting point: Militaru.
Notable cases include:
R v C – junior counsel to first on the indictment for conspiracy to defraud, fraudulent trading, and handling stolen goods arising from a Cash Converters store. The conspiracy to defraud and fraudulent trading charges were successfully defended. This case required considerable input in the form of defence schedules and the marshalling of complex computer records in Microsoft Excel.
R v A – junior counsel in a multi-handed conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, namely a large quantity of heroin. Claire cross-examined one of the undercover officers and made legal submissions during the trial. The Defendant was acquitted.
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