Leanne FrancisManaging Associate

I have extensive experience in employment law, having qualified in 2007, and I specialise in tribunal litigation and workplace investigations. I also advise corporate clients, particularly in the retail sector, and I have led large-scale projects including company-wide reorganisations, changes to terms and conditions and relocations. In addition, I have a data practitioner certificate and I have advised numerous HR teams on the protection of employee data and data subject access requests since the GDPR.

Litigation

I have a lot of experience helping employers to defend employment tribunal litigation, including substantial volumes of tribunal work and bespoke advice on complex, high value claims. I have an in-depth knowledge of discrimination and whistleblowing claims, having helped the senior management teams of large organisations to successfully defend claims lasting several weeks, sometimes proceeding to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. I also have a particular interest in innovation. This includes developing ways of using people, process and technology to deliver tribunal advice to clients in a smarter, more efficient and value-driven way.

Investigations

I am a member of the Investigations and Regulatory group and I have advised clients on some very sensitive and difficult investigations, including serious allegations of sexual harassment against several senior managers working for a public limited company.

Advisory

I have advised clients on a wide-range of complex projects affecting large numbers of employees, including tricky relocation/restructuring exercises, collective grievances. contentious senior exits, significant changes to terms and conditions, collective redundancy and TUPE.

Data Protection