Barrister Profile

Alice Mayhew

Year of Call2001

Profile

Alice’s principal area of practice is Employment including discrimination, contractual disputes and unfair dismissal claims; She acts for a wide range of clients including public companies, local authorities and individuals.

Alice is available to accept instructions in Employment and Commercial.

Alice continues to develop a varied practice in the major areas of employment law, with an increasing focus on complex discrimination cases. Alice's practice encompasses complicated cases in a number of areas: whistleblowing, equal pay, TUPE, all areas of discrimination, injunctions, breach of contract and maternity issues. Alice represents both claimants and respondents. Most recently she has represented a number of high profile Respondents in both interim and substantive hearings.

Recent cases of interest include:

Appeals

  • Butler v Mellons Ltd & Anor (2011) (EAT) - the Claimant challenged the ET's decision dismissing multiple claims of disability discrimination, harassment and victimisation and constructive unfair dismissal. Represented the Respondents. 
  • Richards v Hammersmith and Fulham Homes Ltd (2011) (EAT) - represented the Appellant in challenging the ET decision finding that the Claimant should have been assimilated during the Respondent's reorganisation.
  • Buchanan v The Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis (2010) (EAT) – successfully appealed a finding that step one of the statutory disciplinary procedure had not been complied with.
  • Dansie v The Commission of Police for the Metropolis [2009] All ER (D) 117 (DEC) (EAT) - successfully represented the Respondent in a challenge to its dress code policy on the basis that it discriminated against male police officers by requiring them to have short hair at first instance and on appeal.
  • Osborne v Emcor Rail Ltd (2008/9) (CC – first instance and on appeal) – successfully represented the Respondent in a contractual claim for a bonus at first instance and on appeal in t he County Court.

Employment Tribunal

  • Hollands v Quic Financial Technologies Ltd & Anor (2011) - Acting for the Claimant in a high value discrimination and whistleblowing claim. Settled the claim on days one and two.
  • Butler v Mellons Ltd & Anor (2010) - succesfully represented the Respondents in a complicated 7 day disability discrimination and constructive unfair dismissal claim.
  • Bhardwarj v FDA & Ors (2010) successfully represented three individual named respondents in a complicated four week race discrimination claim. Co-defended with Mohinderpal Sethi.
  • Badaoui v British Midlands (2009) - successfully represented the Respondent in a factually and technically complicated unfair dismissal and race discrimination claim, including allegations of post-termination discrimination, heard over 6 days.
  • Samways v Essex Police (2009) (settled) representing the Respondent in an equal pay claim involving consideration of the genuine material difference defence.
  • McGarry v Department of Works and Pensions (2009) represented the Respondent in a disability discrimination and unfair dismissal claim.
  • Milsom v Rathbone Brothers Ltd (2008) (ET) – represented the Respondent in a claim for unfair dismissal and whistleblowing, the employee not having one year’s service.
  • Marsh v the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences (2008) (ET) - the Respondent successfully argued that introducing a new annualised hours system was a fair dismissal for some other substantial reason. Reported in the Metro newspaper.
  • Zottola v Fiorucci (UK) Limited (2007) & (2008) represented the Respondent in complicated 7 day claim involving allegation of protected disclosure dismissal, fixed term discrimination and unfair dismissal. Working for Italian clients requiring translators.
  • UK Media v Kelshaw & Ors (2005) (HC) successfully enforced restrictive covenants by obtaining injunctions and settling the claim at the start of a five day High Court action.
  • Highman v Santype (2005) (CC) insurance claim for death at work benefit; term within a collective agreement implied into a contract of employment. Successfully represented the Claimant.
  • Oloyede v Badenoch & Clark & Air France (2004) (ET) (triangular claim for automatic unfair dismissal arising from pregnancy involving an agency worker, agency and end user post Dacas. Successfully represented the end user).

Recent advisory work and other work of interest includes:

  • Led by Andrew Burns - advising on the impact of restrictive covenants and contractual issues in relation to two sets of broker moves to a rival company.
  • Advised on potential injunction proceedings regarding an ex-employer's move to a rival company. 
  • Advised on the impact of career breaks on continuity of employment and redundancy for a major police force.
  • Advised on the impact of pay structures and collective agreements on potential equal pay claims for a large police force.
  • Instructed on and advised on a number of multiple party equal pay claims by Respondents. These claims are at various stages of the equal pay process before the ET.
  • Advised on and instructed to represent a Respondent local authority in a multiple equal pay claim.
  • Advising both a large public and a large private organisation on the impact of the age discrimination regulations on various internal policies.
  • Advising on the legality of restrictive covenants and whether to pursue injunction proceedings.

Alice is a contributor to Jordans Employment Law (Wrongful Dismissal section).

Alice has recently given the following seminars:

  • Confidential Information and Restrictive Covenants with Suzanne McKie (2011)
  • Protection from Discrimination on Grounds of Religion and Belief with Dijen Basu (2010)
  • Practice and Policy affecting women in the workplace – who’s walking the talk and what happens when they don’t? with Laura Bell and Vanessa Kingsmill (2010)
  • Harassment before the Employment Tribunal with Laura Bell (2009 and 2010)
  • Using the New Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures to your advantage with Mohinderpal Sethi (2009)
  • Practical Problems and Recent Issues in Employment Law with Joanna Heal, Shaen Catherwood and Sarah Watson. Alice focused on developments in age and religious discrimination law (2009)

Commercial and Company Law:

Alice has advised on a number of complicated commercial contractual disputes, professional negligence and company law matters. She has successfully presented companies in multi-track claims including pre-trial applications and substantive trials. Cases of interest include:

  • Advising on a solicitor's negligence involving the recovery of debts under the Insolvency Act.
  • Advising on a solicitor's negligence involving the interaction of the Merchant Shipping Act 1985 which incorporated the Athens Convention and the Limitation Act, 1980.
  • Representing the Defendant regarding the terms and enforcement of a commercial loan agreement.
  • Advised and prepared pleadings in a successful injunction application in a commercial insurance case.

Co-lectured a seminar "Attribution and the Duty of Disclosure in Insurance Law".

Additional Information

Sep 2004 to Jan 2005 - Pegasus Scholarship from the Inns of Court undertaking a three month internship in Sri Lanka working for the Civil Rights Movement and the Nadesan Centre.

Jan 1999 to Jul 2001 - Commonwealth Law Officer at Interights, The International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights.

Education

Scholarships from Inner Temple
Pegasus Scholarship, working in Sri Lanka
Ede and Ravenscroft Prize for Student of the Year (2001)
Major Scholarship
Duke of Edinburgh Scholarship

Inns of Court School of Law, Bar Vocational Course (Very Competent)

Cambridge University - LLM, First Class
Lauterpacht Prize for International Law. Received awards from the Gooderson Fund and the Alex Jacobson Fund

Exeter University - LLB Class Two Division One
Christina Sachs Memorial Prize for Family Law

Gordonstoun School, Elgin

Professional Membership

ELBA, ELA (member of the Training Committee)