Natalie is a solicitor with over 25 years’ experience in employment law, having qualified at leading international firm Freshfields in 2000 and subsequently founded her own successful boutique employment law practice, Pharos Legal in 2011, attracting high rankings in both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners directories.
She has held senior roles in-house in HR teams, both in financial services and as HR Director at Leeds Beckett University. This blend of HR, legal and regulatory experience positions her strongly to provide pragmatic, commercial advice to her employer clients, particularly in FCA/PRA-regulated contexts. She also advises senior individuals on sensitive matters including discrimination issues, reputational risks and exits, often against the backdrop of the Senior Managers’ and Certification Regime.
Natalie also diagnoses and helps organisations resolve complex people problems. A significant amount of her work focusses on enabling strong organisational performance through enhancements in culture, leadership and behaviours (including psychological safety), implementation of best-in-class policies and processes, introduction of appropriate incentives and effective performance management.
She frequently supports the Boards of her clients, including household names and PLCs, by conducting culture reviews or investigations and the implementation of appropriate actions and initiatives arising as a result of her findings.
Recent investigations include:
- Allegations of gross misconduct against a Managing Director, resulting in a summary dismissal and the successful defence of the subsequent Employment Tribunal case which included Natalie giving evidence as a witness; and
- Reviewing the handling of serious allegations by a client’s employee against a former colleague and recommending targeted enhancements in policy, process, record-keeping and training.
Recent culture reviews have included:
- Carrying out root cause analysis of a client’s retention and sickness absence issues and reporting to Board on the findings as well as developing and overseeing the delivery of appropriate remediation actions; and
- Reporting to Board on the strengths of, and opportunities presented by, its current culture and recommending changes to organisation design, structural reinforcers (including remuneration) and bolstering its capabilities through leadership and management development.
Natalie is an experienced speaker, facilitator and trainer, who designs and delivers leadership and management training on a wide spectrum of people-related topics (including employment law).
