Bayo Randle

• Recommendations

  "He's very bright, very diligent, very hardworking and well prepared for cases." - Employment, Chambers UK 2025

  "Bayo is a great all-rounder who is brilliant with clients and witnesses." - Employment, Chambers UK 2025

  "He is technically astute, commercially focused and pragmatic. He is diligent with his preparation, and has a very natural and persuasive advocacy style. Clients love him." - Employment, Legal 500 2025

  "Bayo is strategic and conscientious. He is very effective at putting witnesses at ease." - Employment, Legal 500 2024

  "Bayo is particularly good with witnesses in the run-up to trial. During a hearing, he can think on his feet, is calm in the face of unexpected developments, and has a great, likeable advocacy manner - extremely helpful to instructing solicitors." - Employment, Legal 500 2023

  An in-demand junior barrister with expertise across the employment law field, demonstrating an in-depth knowledge of contract breaches, discrimination, harassment and whistle-blowing claims. He is also trusted by the government, serving on the Attorney General's C Panel. "He is charming and he is a safe pair of hands." "He is friendly, approachable, and he is good with witnesses." - Employment, Chambers UK Bar 2022.

  “Really puts the effort in to achieve the result for solicitors and lay clients” - Employment, Legal 500 2022.

  ‘A team player, with huge attention to detail and good strategic skills.’ - Employment, Legal 500 2021.

  “Bayo is very precise and considered in his approach, particularly in complex litigation. With a clinical ability to review significant amounts of material and legal arguments, Bayo has demonstrable laser like focus, well able to identify the key issues in dispute.” - Head of Litigation, FTSE 100 Energy Company

Expertise

• Employment

  Bayo Randle is a leading junior barrister specialising in employment law, recognised in both Chambers UK Bar and Legal 500 since 2021 for his incisive advocacy, strategic clarity, and client-friendly manner. He is frequently instructed by major financial institutions, media giants, and technology companies—particularly in high-stakes litigation involving whistleblowing, discrimination, injunctions, and complex industrial relations disputes. His practice also includes specialist work in the crossover area between employment and tax, particularly IR35. Bayo regularly appears in the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT), High Court, and Court of Appeal. 

  He is described in the directories as: 

  “technically astute, commercially focused and pragmatic... a very natural and persuasive advocacy style. Clients love him”. (Legal 500, 2025)

  “brilliant with clients and witnesses” and “very hardworking and well prepared”. (Chambers UK, 2025). 

  Appellate 

  Bayo has appeared in several appellate matters in the EAT and Court of Appeal, often as sole counsel in significant and legally complex cases, including in:  

  • Jones v Secretary of State for Health [2025] ICR 738 (CA) – Acted for the Secretary of State in a race discrimination appeal addressing internal recruitment and the 'just and equitable' time extension test. 
  • Badara v Pulse Healthcare Ltd [2020] ICR 819 (EAT) – Acted for the claimant in a case clarifying that employers cannot rely solely on negative Home Office checks when withholding work.

  Discrimination & Whistleblowing 

  Bayo has extensive experience in multi-strand discrimination and whistleblowing cases, often acting for large employers in lengthy and high-profile proceedings. Recent cases include the following:  

  • G v NHS South Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (2024) – Successfully defended a senior-level claim involving allegations of race discrimination, harassment and victimisation. 
  • S v Serious Fraud Office (2024) – Acted for the SFO in a two-week constructive dismissal and whistleblowing claim brought by its former Head of HR. Successfully defended all claims. 
  • K v BBC (2022) – Acted for the respondent in a high-value and complex multi-strand discrimination claim brought by a senior executive. All claims were dismissed after a 15-day hearing. 

  TUPE 

  Bayo is also highly experienced in TUPE matters and frequently advises on complex transfer scenarios involving outsourcing, insourcing, and business acquisitions. His work covers contractual variation, post-transfer liabilities, and disputes over employee rights within restructured governance frameworks. See for example:  

  Buckley v Greenwood Academies Trust [2018] EWHC 2441 (Comm) – Successfully defended a TUPE-related wrongful dismissal claim brought by a teacher, in which the court rejected arguments that dismissal procedures breached contract or natural justice following academisation. 

  Restrictive Covenants & Injunctions 

  Bayo regularly appears in High Court applications concerning non-compete clauses, team moves, and breaches of confidentiality. Recently he acted in H v W (2024) defending an application for interim relief seeking to enforce post-termination restrictions against a senior tech executive. 

  Industrial Relations 

  Bayo advises and acts in disputes involving trade union recognition, collective consultation and industrial action, with particular experience under TULR(C)A 1992. Recent cases include: 

  Laura Frank & Ors v AGL Realisations Ltd (Arcadia Group) (2024) – Acted for the employer in protective award litigation concerning collective redundancies across the Arcadia retail group. 

  IR35 and Employment Status 

  Bayo is frequently instructed by HMRC and major employers in high-profile IR35 and employment status litigation, particularly involving personal service companies in the media and tech sectors. His cross-disciplinary expertise in employment and tax law allows him to navigate these disputes with authority. 

  S&L Barnes Ltd v HMRC [2024] UKUT 262 (TCC) – Led by Christopher Stone KC (sole counsel in the FTT). Acted for HMRC in a media-sector IR35 appeal involving Sky Sports punditry. The case turned on mutuality of obligation and hypothetical contract construction. 

  Alan Parry Productions Ltd v HMRC [2022] UKFTT 194 (TC) – Acted as sole counsel for HMRC. The tribunal found the broadcaster would have been an employee under the hypothetical contract test.

• Tax

  Bayo has a wide-ranging tax practice, regularly acting for HMRC in complex and high-value litigation before both the First-tier and Upper Tribunals. His expertise includes inheritance tax, business property relief, the remittance basis, carried interest and investment management taxation, employment-related tax disputes such as IR35, and questions of income and capital characterisation. He is frequently led in matters of strategic and legal complexity but also appears unled in technically demanding cases—often against senior silks.

  Inheritance Tax & Business Property Relief 

  • Tanner v HMRC [2025] UKFTT 00328 (TC) – Acted in a BPR case concerning whether a commercial letting operation qualified as a trading business. 
  • Lincoln v HMRC [2024] UKFTT 886 (TC) – Acted alone in a domicile and IHT dispute concerning Maltese properties and their inclusion in the UK estate. 
  • Butler v HMRC [2023] UKFTT 872 (TC) – Successfully defended HMRC in a BPR dispute involving a mixed-use wedding venue business. 

  Income and Capital Gains Tax 

  • Ferguson-Davie v HMRC [2024] UKFTT 350 (TC) – Led by Akash Nawbatt KC. Acted in a lead case on carried interest and base cost shifting. 
  • Millican v HMRC [2024] UKFTT 351 (TC) – Led by Akash Nawbatt KC. Case concerning the scope and operation of the carried interest rules. 
  • Moore v HMRC [2023] UKFTT 399 (TC) – Acted as sole counsel in a significant case on the scope of deductible consideration under s.480 ITEPA, concerning whether RSUs issued post-sale were taxable as employment-related securities or formed part of the share consideration.
  • Mullens v HMRC [2023] UKUT 244 (TCC); [2021] UKFTT 0131 (TC) – Led by Akash Nawbatt KC and Christopher Stone KC. Acted in both the FTT and UT in a high-profile appeal concerning nearly £40 million in payments to a former legal adviser to the Ecclestone family. The case centred on whether the payments were taxable income or exempt gifts. 

  Remittance Basis & Offshore Funds 

  • Sehgal v HMRC [2024] UKUT 74 (TCC) – Led by Christopher Stone KC in the FTT and UT. Acted in a major remittance basis case involving offshore gains and indemnities arising from a prior settlement. 

  Employment Status & IR35  

  • S&L Barnes Ltd v HMRC [2024] UKUT 262 (TCC) – Led by Christopher Stone KC (sole counsel in the FTT). IR35 appeal involving media punditry and construction of the hypothetical contract. 
  • Alan Parry Productions Ltd v HMRC [2022] UKFTT 194 (TC) – Acted alone in a broadcaster IR35 dispute. Tribunal held the hypothetical contract reflected employment. 

  Residence & Jurisdiction 

  • Houldsworth v HMRC [2023] UKFTT 119 (TC) – Acted for HMRC in an application to strike out public law-based residence grounds outside the FTT’s jurisdiction. Successfully argued such claims could only be advanced via judicial review. 

  Construction Industry Scheme 

  • RMF Construction Services Ltd v HMRC [2022] UKUT 67 (TCC) – Represented HMRC in a CIS case concerning the revocation of Gross Payment Status.

• Commercial Litigation and Disputes

  Bayo is regularly instructed in commercial litigation involving contract, tort and fiduciary issues, including disputes with overlapping regulatory, employment, or insolvency angles. He acts in shareholder, partnership, and boardroom disputes, and is adept at managing litigation involving concurrent internal or reputational sensitivities. He frequently appears in the High Court and has advised on appellate strategy in business-critical and multi-party commercial claims. 

  • Smith v McAlpine [2024] EWHC 3408 (KB) – Acted for McAlpine in follow-on litigation arising from the long-running landmark Construction Industry Vetting Group cases (One of The Lawyer Top 20 Cases of 2016, in which he was also instructed). The follow-on litigation related principally to collateral use of evidence from the prior proceedings in a third party TU internal investigation. 
  • Acquisition 395445638 Ltd v Sicovs [2019] EWHC 2320 (QB) – Successfully defended a solicitor's firm in a strike-out and summary judgment appeal involving alleged contractual obligations in a credit hire recovery scheme. The case raised complex issues around referral arrangements and third-party payment instructions. 
  • Energy Company v Associated Entities (2023) – Acted in High Court proceedings concerning complex contractual liability across a network of associated companies. 
  • Confidential Oil & Gas Enforcement Matter (2022) – Advised on cross-border enforcement strategy for a multi-million pound judgment in the energy sector. 

• Administrative and Public Law

  Bayo has a growing public law practice, enhanced by his appointment to the Attorney General’s B Panel in 2024. He regularly appears in judicial review claims, statutory appeals, and proceedings under the Senior Courts Act 1981 involving vexatious litigants and systemic abuse of process. 

  • Attorney General v Hardy [2024] EWHC 3306 (Admin) – Acted as sole counsel for the Attorney General in securing an all-proceedings order under s.42 SCA 1981 against a vexatious litigant. 
  • Attorney General v Gray [2024] EWHC 718 (Admin) – Succesfully represented the Attorney General in s. 42 proceedings concerning systemic abuse of court process.
  • Attorney General v Branch [2021] EWHC 1735 (Admin) – Acted for the Attorney General in a contempt application against a vexatious litigant who repeatedly represented another person in breach of a court order. 

  
   

• Investigations

  Bayo is frequently instructed as an independent investigator in complex internal matters, particularly within the legal, banking, and media sectors. His investigation work includes grievances, bullying and harassment complaints, and disciplinary and appeal processes. He is valued for his discretion, forensic approach, and ability to distil complicated and emotive issues into clear, defensible conclusions. 

  He also advises employers on investigation frameworks and legally robust internal procedures, ensuring procedural fairness and minimising litigation risk. 

Latest from Bayo

• News

  • Upper Tribunal decides that IR35 applies to Stuart Barnes’ work for Sky
  • New Devereux Appointments to the Attorney General’s Panels
  • Ferguson-Davie & Edwards v HMRC: The proper construction of the carried interest provisions
  • The Upper Tribunal confirms the extent of the section 36 (extended time limit) burden on HMRC
  • RMF Ltd v HMRC: Upper Tribunal clarifies the limits of the Tribunal’s jurisdiction when reviewing decisions to withdraw Gross Payment Status

• Articles

  • Black History Month: I wouldn’t have made it to the Bar without my dad
  • Do they have the right to work: a review of Badara v Pulse Healthcare Ltd
  • “Osipov” revisited – confirmation co-workers at personal risk for “whistleblower” dismissals
  • Personal liability: indirect discrimination and Maclay