News & Events
News & Events
We would like to congratulate Patrick Tomison on receiving the Highly Commended award in the ‘Junior Counsel of the Year’ category at the IEL Awards 2025. Outer Temple Chambers attended the International Employment Lawyer Awards on Wednesday, 19 November at the Savoy in London to celebrate the world’s best employment and labour law specialists across 27 team and individual categories. We were delighted to see Patrick collect the Highly Commended award as ‘Junior Counsel of the Year’ after a stellar year both domestically and in the Middle East. His part in defending GSB Capital Limited in a landmark team move case before the DIFC Courts was a particular highlight, and the Judgment in that matter can be seen here. This case was…
News 21 Nov, 2025
Sapan Maini-Thompson successfully represented the Appellant, Ms C O’Brien in the EAT after reconsideration of disability discrimination and unfair dismissal findings. Ms C O’Brien was employed as a ward manager by Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust from 2009 until her dismissal in March 2021 following a disciplinary investigation. The Trust alleged that Ms O’Brien had failed to work her contracted hours and had on one occasion claimed overtime for hours not worked. After a lengthy investigation and disciplinary process, she was dismissed for misconduct. Ms O’Brien, who suffered from PTSD, anxiety, and depression, brought claims of disability discrimination (failure to make reasonable adjustments) and unfair dismissal before the Employment Tribunal (ET). The tribunal rejected most of her claims,…
News 14 Nov, 2025
Employment barrister, Courtney Step-Marsden successfully represented the Appellant in the EAT in Yoosefinejad v East Space Ltd [2025] EAT 150. The Appellant began working for the Respondent in April 2023 as Operations Director, under a written contract that set an eight-week notice period for termination by either party, except in cases of gross misconduct. The company dismissed the Appellant in June 2023, within his three-month probationary period, paying him only until the end of that month, believing that the Appellant was only owed one week’s notice because he was still within his probationary period. Mr Yoosefinejad brought a wrongful dismissal claim, seeking payment for his full contractual notice period of eight weeks. The Employment Tribunal dismissed his claim. Although the…
News 11 Nov, 2025
The Court of Appeal has today handed down judgment in the case of Abel Estate Agent Ltd & Ors v Elizabeth Reynolds [2025] EWCA Civ 1357, clarifying the consequences of failure to comply with ACAS Early Conciliation. Outer Temple Chambers’ Employment Law Team acted on both sides in the Court of Appeal in the case of Abel Estate Agent Ltd & Ors v Reynolds. Gus Baker and Jessica Franklin, instructed by Kilgannon & Partners LLP, represented the appellants/respondents. On the other side were Will Young and Chevan Ilangaratne, who were instructed pro bono through Advocate to represent the respondent/claimant. The Court of Appeal has confirmed that section 18A of the Employment Tribunals Act 1996 sets a strict precondition for the presentation of Employment Tribunal claims.…
News 27 Oct, 2025
Chambers and Partners UK Bar have today launched their 2026 Guide and we are delighted to share the highlights from this year’s rankings, including two new Band 1 awards for Personal Injury: Animal Claims and Cryptocurrency. We are thrilled to share that Outer Temple Chambers has been awarded 12 set rankings in this year’s Chambers & Partners UK Bar Guide, including 4 new set rankings, and over 110 individual rankings. This is our best set of rankings yet, as our individual rankings see 14 new entries and 27 elevations, and 2 new Band 1 set rankings. A huge congratulations to all of our barristers and clerks for another year of excellent results. A particular thank you to all our clients…
News 16 Oct, 2025
We are delighted to announce that Patrick Tomison has been shortlisted in the category of Junior Counsel of the Year at the International Employment Lawyer (IEL) Awards 2025. The awards evening will take place on Wednesday 19 November 2025 at The Savoy, London. The past twelve months have seen a great amount of International Employment work for Patrick, particularly in the Middle East. His part in defending GSB Capital Limited in a landmark Team Move case before the DIFC Courts was a particular highlight, and the Judgment in that matter can be seen here. A huge thank you from Patrick and from Outer Temple Chambers to our clients domestically and internationally for their continued support. The full shortlist of award categories…
News 7 Oct, 2025
The Legal 500 UK 2026 rankings have been announced and Outer Temple Chambers is delighted to share the highlights from this year’s rankings including 2 Top Tier rankings amongst our 10 set recommendations, and over 140 individual rankings. We are proud to share that we have been recognised as a Top Tier Set in Crypto & Blockchain Assets and Pensions once again this year. These coveted Tier 1 badges sit amongst our set rankings for excellence in ten practice areas which includes some of our flagship teams; Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury, Employment and Financial Services Regulation. This is in addition to our Tier 1 Commercial ranking in the Middle East rankings. These set rankings couldn’t have been achieved without the…
News 7 Oct, 2025
14 members of Outer Temple’s Employment Law team attended the Industrial Law Society (ILS) Annual Conference on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th September 2025 at Keble College in Oxford. The Industrial Law Society was founded in 1964 as an organisation where both sides of industry and all those involved in employment law can meet regularly, and informally, to exchange views. It is the leading forum for debate and understanding of employment law and its applications. The two-day conference brought together solicitors, barristers, judges and academics from across the United Kingdom. Our team of silks, juniors and clerks took the opportunity to meet up with peers and colleagues whilst attending talks and workshops on some of the hottest topics in employment…
News 18 Sep, 2025
Outer Temple’s Sarah Crowther KC and Sapan Maini-Thompson successfully acted for the English Blackball Pool Federation in defending the discrimination claim brought against it by the transgender pool player, Harriet Haynes. This is the first judgment to apply the Supreme Court’s decision in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16, which was handed down a few days after the end of the trial. Although the decision in FWS was sufficient to dispose of the claim, having heard expert evidence from Professor Joseph Formaggio and Dr Blair Hamilton for the Claimant, and Dr David Alciatore and Dr Emma Hilton for the Defendants, the court also set out its conclusions in relation to the sport exception under section 195…
News 1 Aug, 2025
We are delighted to announce that Outer Temple Chambers has been shortlisted across 12 areas, including ‘Set of the Year’ for Chancery, Clinical Negligence, Employment, Financial Services, Personal Injury, and Professional Disciplinary & Regulatory at The Legal 500 Bar Awards 2025. The Legal 500 Bar Awards seek to recognise the highest quality chambers as a whole across England and Wales, as well as all people within them. The awards celebrate the finest barristers, chambers, and legal expertise, bringing together some of the brightest minds in the industry. The Legal 500 Bar Awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday 24th September 2025 at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London. Set Awards We are proud to share that we have been shortlisted for…
News 19 Jun, 2025
Gus Baker and Jessica Franklin will today contend with their chambers colleagues Will Young and Chevan Ilangaratne, as members of Outer Temple Chambers’ Employment Law team represent both parties in the Court of Appeal in the EAT case of Abel Estate Agent Ltd & Ors v Elizabeth Reynolds: [2025] EAT 6. This appeal brings into the spotlight a number of questions which, among other things, relate to the correct statutory interpretation of s.18A Employment Tribunals Act 1996. This provision requires, save for limited exceptions, a Claimant to engage in ACAS Early Conciliation before lodging a claim in the Employment Tribunal. The appeal covers an important procedural point given the EAT judgment introduced a significant amount of uncertainty about the effect…
News 12 Jun, 2025
Lydia Seymour and Elizabeth Grace have successfully argued that two Belfast doctors, Dr. Durkan and Dr. O’Neill, are entitled to holiday pay from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, following a long-standing dispute. The case, which was a test case backed by the BMA and heard by the former President of the Northern Irish Industrial Tribunals and Fair Employment Tribunal, is likely to determine the terms of employment for a significant number of sessional Out-of-Hours GPs in the region. The background to the case was that sessional Out-of-Hours GPs had originally been deemed self-employed by the Trust; however, in 2017 HMRC determined that they were employees. The Trust viewed them as workers, and acknowledged they were entitled to holiday…
News 6 Jun, 2025
