Alice Mayhew KC

• Recommendations

  “Alice is very easy to work with and carries out investigations into sensitive matters with great care and professionalism.”  “Alice has unrivalled investigation experience at the employment Bar.”  Independent Investigations, Chambers UK 2026

  “Alice Mayhew has an excellent grasp of thorny legal issues but with a practical and commercial approach. Alice is hard-working and on top of all the details of the points” Employment, Chambers UK 2026

  “Alice is authoritative, always prepared, fearless and clever. She is very persuasive advocate with a brain faster than lightening” Employment, Legal 500, 2026

  "Alice has particular strengths in industrial action and provides excellent client service." - Independent Investigations, Chambers UK 2026

  "Alice is very pragmatic and helpful to deal with." - Employment, Chambers UK 2025

  "Alice is extremely impressive. She offers pragmatic solutions, finds a way to cut through noise and is unflappable." - Independent Investigations, Chambers UK 2025

  "Alice has a brain the size of a planet, lashings of common sense and a warmth and charm that she deploys to great effect. She is a fantastic advocate, able to find a solution in the most complex of issues, and is articulate and persuasive on her feet." - Employment, Legal 500 2025

  "Alice is first-class. She is cool, calm and collected." - Employment, Chambers UK Bar 2024

  "Alice is so smart and really intelligent. She translates the law into practical, commercial advice and exudes confidence with clients. She is a superstar and a go-to for anything employment-related." - Employment, Chambers UK Bar 2024

   "A silk with great breadth of experience and intellect, combined with a level-headed approach." - Employment, legal 500 2024

  "Alice is an exceptional barrister who knows when to charm and when to strike, ensuring nothing less than the best results for clients." - Employment, Chambers UK Bar 2023

  "Alice is great to work with: very accommodating and her written work is excellent." - Employment, Chambers UK Bar 2023

  ‘A formidable advocate, has a real fist for the fight, as well as being extremely articulate and very, very clever. Her drafting is a masterclass. Alice is also an absolute joy to work with - she puts clients at ease, is able to explain the most complex issues in layman's terms, and it's clear why clients always want Alice in their corner.’ - Employment, Legal 500 2023

  An experienced courtroom and Employment Tribunal advocate who is highly knowledgeable in matters involving restrictive covenants and contractual rights. She also handles an increasing amount of whistleblowing litigation. "She is an excellent advocate, she is pragmatic, she is intelligent and she can handle the toughest of cases." "It is very hard to get her in the diary as she is such a popular barrister. She is very supportive, she is helpful in her tactical approach and we enjoy working with her." "She knows when to charm and when to strike, and she ensures nothing less than the best result for her clients." - Employment, Chambers UK Bar 2022. 

  "One of the very best senior juniors – she’s clever, commercial, relatable and great on her feet – really just the whole package – Alice is the one you want in your corner." - Employment, Legal 500 2022. 

  "Fiercely intelligent, brilliant and persuasive." "Really superb - a pleasure to work with, responsive and really 'on it'." Acted in Secarma and Others v Denneny and Others, a Court of Appeal case on springboard injunctions. - Employment, Chambers UK Bar 2021

  ‘Has a good understanding of clients' particular characteristics, is good with witnesses and technically sound.’ - Employment, Legal 500 2021

  "Her cross-examination is a masterclass and clients love her. She's so user-friendly while being utterly focused and totally fearless." "She's technically strong and takes a sensible and pragmatic approach to proceedings." Represented Jackson Rowe Dispute & Claims Solutions as defendants in a High Court interim injunction application involving overlapping restrictive covenants. - Employment, Chambers UK Bar 2020

  ‘An exceptional senior junior who knows when to charm and when to strike, ensuring nothing less than the best result for clients.’ - Employment, Legal 500 2020

  "Absolutely great to work with. Responsive, knowledgeable and dedicated." "A very pleasant advocate who engages really well with clients." Successfully represented Mr Nurmohamed in a case concerning the correct approach to the new public interest requirement introduced into section 43B of the Employment Rights Act, 1996. - Employment, Chambers UK Bar 2019

  ‘She is clearly on top of her game.’ - Employment, Legal 500 2019

  Shortlisted for Employment Junior of the Year in the 2018 Chambers Bar Awards.

  “Cuts to the detail like a knife through butter. Very diligent and always prepared. She is also a terrific cross-examiner. Fearless, articulate and lethal. She inspires confidence and has a very winning way with clients.” Represented Dentons in defence of a holiday pay, disability discrimination and Personal Health Insurance Income claim. - Employment, Chambers UK 2018

  "She is responsive, knowledgeable, dedicated and good with clients." - Employment, Legal 500 2017

  An experienced High Court advocate who is highly knowledgeable in matters involving restrictive covenants, contractual rights and whistleblowing. Clients attest that she has a high level of client service and is a confident and impressive advocate.  "She is excellent - she is extremely good with the client and really willing to get stuck in and be a team player." Solicitors note that "her advocacy is great" and that "she is robust when she needs to be." Acted in Chesterton Global Limited and Neal Verman v Nurmohamed, a complex whistleblowing case in which the tribunal sought to ascertain the proper interpretation of the term 'public interest' in the Employment Rights Act 1996. - Employment, Chambers UK 2017

  "She is very responsive and provides excellent legal analysis." - Employment, Legal 500 2016

  Consistently praised for her ability to work effectively as part of a wider team, she is a strong courtroom performer and an experienced tribunal and High Court advocate. "She is very good with clients and excellent to work with as part of a team." "Pragmatic, highly competent and a fierce cross-examiner." Acted successfully for the respondent, the Tullett Prebon Group, in the Employment Tribunal. The case concerned a race discrimination and unfair dismissal claim. - Employment, Chambers UK 2016

  "She gets to grips with the key issues quickly and provides a seamless service to clients." - Employment, Legal 500 2015

  Has a diverse employment practice, and regularly appears in the High Court, at appellate level and before the Employment Tribunal. She regularly works with market-leading private practice firms as well as in-house teams from large companies. "Very good with witnesses, she puts them at ease and speaks to them on their level." Advised the GMB union in relation to proposed changes to terms and conditions by Brighton and Hove City Council and on threatened strike action by cleaning staff. - Employment, Chambers UK 2015

  "Very good with clients, and a fierce cross-examiner" - Employment, Legal 500 2014

  A skilful junior whose practice embraces discrimination and breach of contract disputes. Sources particularly value her incisive cross-examination. "She doesn’t get way-laid by irrelevant points.” “She becomes part of the team and readily offers support to both clients and witnesses.” She was involved in Butler v Mellons & Another, a discrimination case brought before the EAT. - Employment, Chambers UK 2014

Expertise

• Employment

  Alice has extensive experience of complex, multi-day litigation which is often factually and legally complex and high value. Alice also regularly appears in appellate courts. She has in-depth experience of cases involving whistleblowing, discrimination, employment rights and complex contractual issues. Her High Court practice includes interim applications (particularly injunctions) and full hearings involving contractual disputes often involving restrictive covenants, fiduciary duties, duties of fidelity and confidence.

  Alice works for both Respondents and Claimants. She has particular expertise acting for clients within the financial services, technology, aviation, insurance and pharmaceutical sectors.

• Equality

  Alice has extensive experience of equality claims in all areas of discrimination. She has represented both respondents and claimants in the Employment Tribunal, County Court and Employment Appeal Tribunal in complex discrimination claims, and is regularly instructed in multi-day discrimination claims before the Employment Tribunal.

• Dismissals & Employment Rights

  Alice has extensive experience of dismissal claims and related employment rights, regularly appearing in complicated claims before the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal. Many of Alice’s claims involve redundancy or some other substantial reason dismissals and/or whistleblowing.

• Restrictive Covenants & Injunctions

  Alice regularly advises clients on the enforcement of restrictive covenants and implied contractual terms providing early advice aimed at reducing the likelihood of costly injunctive or other proceedings. She has also advised on the impact of garden leave provisions on restrictive covenants, the duty of fidelity, trust and confidence and fiduciary duties.

  Recent cases include:

  • Ongoing advice before and during litigation commonly in the context of restrictive covenants being contained within commercial and employment agreements. Representing clients in court where required.
  • Defending corporate and individual clients in relation to springboard and other injunctive relief all the way to fully contested hearings. By way of example; in 2025 Alice represented the employer claimant, obtained an injunctive order enforcing a non-compete covenant and was heavily involved in preparation for a speedy trial. Alice represented the claimant in 5-day high court hearing. 

  More recently, Alice: 

  • Advised a client in the energy sector about a high level defection to a competitor that was also a client;
  • Was instructed to represent a financial services company – the day before the interim hearing in which Alice was to make an application for an interim injunction the matter settled; successfully defended an application for an injunction against two ex-employees in the beauty industry at the interim stage – the matter is being listed for a speedy trial. 
  • Worked with solicitors to negotiate a positive outcome for her insurance employer claimant having issued proceedings and an interim application seeing interim injunctions. 

• Investigations

  Alice is ranked as a Leading Silk with Chambers & Partners 2025 and 2026 UK Bar Guide for Independent Investigations, where she's described "as extremely impressive. She offers pragmatic solutions, finds a way to cut through noise and is unflappable." She is in Band 1 in the first year Chambers and Partners included investigations as a separate banded practice area. She is described as “first class" and having “unrivalled investigation experience at the employment Bar.”  

  She is “very easy to work with and carries out investigations into sensitive matters with great care and professionalism.”  

  Alice has conducted numerous investigations for large multinational companies, law firms, financial organisations, insurance firms, media, and other organisations into grievances brought by senior employees, involving serious disciplinary matters such as sexual misconduct, harassment, discrimination, bullying and financial impropriety. 

  Alice is a lead investigator in an investigation scheme that has serviced over 250 investigations within Chambers. In that role Alice has oversight of all investigations and provides guidance and review of all investigators involved in the individual investigations. Alice is uniquely experienced in leading multiple investigation scenarios or complex investigations and is able to bring her knowledge to develop strategy and direction. In addition, Alice has also been brought in to investigate highly sensitive and/or historic allegations (including serious sexual assault, rape and harassment) and handles such matters sensitively and appropriately.   

  Recent investigations have featured allegations of bullying and harassment (for a world leading research company), concerns regarding potential gross misconduct by a CF-30 FCA registered employee and multiple investigations into serious sexual misconduct or harassment in law firms. 

• Commercial Litigation and Disputes

  Alice regularly advises and represents both employees and employers on commercial aspects of employment work including:

  • Alice represented claimants in a contractual claim seeking to enforce Permanent Health Insurance rights in a ten day High Court Claim leading Matthew Sellwood. Alice and Matthew represented the claimants at the Court of Appeal in 2026 in a two day hearing. 
  • Regularly involved in advising and representing employers and employees regarding the enforcement of restrictive covenants and confidentiality provisions. 
  • In 2025 Alice represented the employer claimant, obtained an injunctive order enforcing a non-compete covenant and was heavily involved in preparation for a speedy trial. Alice represented the claimant in 5-day high court hearing in November 2025. She is currently involved in another restrictive covenant case for the Defendants, having successfully prevented an injunction being ordered, the matter is to be listed for a speedy trial in 2027. 
  • Advised a large utility company on its ability to change the executive bonus scheme part way through it.
  • Drafted a Part 20 Defence on behalf of a Part 20 Defendant in a commercial claim arising from the sale and purchase of a financial services company.
  • Represented the company in proceedings against an ex-employee whom it is believed has taken confidential information in order to compete with the company. Obtained orders for delivery up of devices and instruction of a single joint expert to carry out forensic examination of the devices.

• Industrial Relations

  Alice has represented employers, unions and individuals in relation to industrial relations and collective consultation requirements relating to TUPE and redundancy.

Latest from Alice

• News

  • Alice Mayhew KC appointed Head of Devereux Chambers.
  • International Women’s Day 2025 - An Interview with Diana Cotton KC
  • Unless orders in the EAT
  • Alice Mayhew appointed Queen’s Counsel
  • Devereux members explore COVID-19 employment law concerns

• Articles

  • Whistleblowing in a coronavirus (COVID-19) world
  • Clifford v IBM UK Ltd: Compromising of ‘future’ claims and comparators from the ET.
  • Whistleblowing Beyond your Employer: Coronavirus and the NHS
  • An EAT Review of Whistleblowing: Simpson v Cantor Fitzgerald Europe

• Books

  • Jordans Employment Law (2011)
  • Discrimination Law - Bloomsbury Professional
  • Discrimination Law - Bloomsbury Professional (2016)