Working with Employers: How Bellevue Law Can Help

by Bellevue Law / Thursday, 03 October 2019 / Published in Business Advice

Extensive experience representing some of the world’s biggest employers, coupled with a human approach.

Bellevue Law’s expert practitioners combine years of experience at international firms with a highly personal, cost-effective service. Founder Florence Brocklesby and colleagues Pauline McArdle, Leigh Edgar, and Victoria Misselbrook talk about the firm’s unique business model, and how their experience in acting for both employers and employees helps them provide well-rounded, relevant advice.

Though we work for a wide range of employers – from large start-ups to international firms and family businesses – generally they have one thing in common: they’re looking for a firm that is equipped to handle legal matters with the same care and attention to detail as would be found at a City firm, but require a more cost-effective, personal approach. The fact that we also act for employees – and have recently been ranked by the Legal 500 for the quality of our work for senior executives – means we can bring something new to the mix.

Recent work has included guiding clients in the technology sector through major redundancy processes and preparing a number of complex employment contracts for senior employees of a financial services start-up. We’ve also negotiated many successful exits of team members (ranging from junior employees to longstanding director-shareholders) for a number of clients.

We’re proud that so much of our work comes from referrals. When recommending us, former clients often comment on our ability to provide practical and commercial advice.

“Florence demonstrated a real sense of judgement in identifying issues and dealing with them pragmatically so that most of her focus was on the real deal killers. Superb articulation and summary to me of the risk factors.”

How we can help employers

Thanks to a wealth of experience gained at international and magic circle law firms, we’re trusted by clients in a variety of industries: from fellow law firms to technology companies and challengers, start-ups and long-established businesses, as well as private clients and overseas businesses with UK operations.

We can assist with a number of matters, including (but not limited to) the following:

Overseeing the negotiated exits of individual team members – however complex. We have extensive experience in this field, having helped clients to navigate the exits of senior executives (including founder directors and shareholders, equity partners and members of senior management).
Guiding clients through restructuring and redundancy processes: we have particular expertise in advising start-ups going through this challenging experience for the first time, to whom we offer pragmatic commercial advice combined with practical guidance through the process.
Overseas employers. We have numerous clients based abroad, whom we assist with employment law issues arising in the UK operations. We are often able to offer practical guidance on cultural (as well as legal) factors relevant to resolving employment issues.
Contracts. We regularly prepare letters of appointment and service agreements for directors, employment contracts for team members, and agreements for contractors and consultants.
Advising on employment status issues – for example, whether (and how) senior individuals should be engaged on a self-employed basis, or as employees.
Reviewing and advising on policies and procedures: from consulting on standard employment policies to guiding clients through disciplinary, performance and grievance processes.
Advising on employment law issues with relation to mergers and acquisitions (including TUPE).
Representing clients in enforcement proceedings (for example, in respect of alleged breaches of post-termination restrictions and obligations of confidentiality). Bellevue Law has an experienced litigation team and, as such, is able to represent clients in High Court proceedings to obtain injunctions and damages.

A cost-effective, hands-on service

Bellevue Law was established with an unswerving commitment to best-practice standards and systems – in all aspects of our work. This has meant recruiting lawyers of the highest calibre (indeed, every member of our team is highly experienced and practised at international and magic circle firms before joining Bellevue Law), and creating a business model that champions agile, flexible working whilst eliminating unnecessary overheads. In addition, we have a well-established network of providers which allows us to operate at a high level and scale up as necessary: from sophisticated IT management systems to legal copying services and the ability to draw on specialist resources where appropriate.

These elements combine to ensure that we can manage matters with the same dexterity as a much larger firm – but with a personal touch.

What our clients say

“The team is small but perfectly formed.”

“All lawyers are senior and highly experienced. They all have a stake in the success of the firm.”

“I have used other “boutique” city firms whose service and advice does not come close to what I received with Bellevue Law.”

“I have already recommended to several colleagues and friends.”