Leigh is a specialist employment lawyer who advises employers and individuals on all UK HR-related matters, both contentious and non-contentious.
“Leigh Edgar is a rare blend of kindness and insight, steadfast support and deep professionalism. Anyone who has cause to employ her services, will find someone who offers fantastic support, legal expertise and patience - exactly what is needed. She was a pleasure to work with and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her.”
Leigh has advised clients around the world in a wide range of sectors, particularly financial services. She is able to advise and represent clients ranging from individual employees, senior executives, directors and LLP partners to start-ups, fast growing SMEs and major corporates.
She has particular experience in advising and supporting clients on both sides of the table on recruitment, changes to terms, restructuring exercises and redundancies, as well as complex exits, and navigating and enforcing post-termination restrictions.
“Leigh offers a great level of service, with considered and well-though-through advice across a complex range of complete people matters and HR issues. She manages to blend empathy, commercial awareness and situational context with her deep employment law knowledge.” – Chambers & Partners 2023
“We've used Bellevue over the past couple of years and [they] remain our "go to" lawyers for all Employment Law matters.
We work with Leigh Edgar who is simply great. Responsive, knowledgeable, empathetic and takes time to understand the specific business situation to which the legal work relates” - Testimonial from Client Survey 2023
Leigh trained, and qualified in 2001, at Gouldens (now Jones Day). Moving to Hong Kong in 2006, she worked for Simmons & Simmons’ award winning employment law practice for over 3 years during which time she qualified as a solicitor in Hong Kong. On returning to the UK, Leigh joined the Human Resources Practice Group at Eversheds LLP (now Eversheds Sutherland International LLP) where she worked for 5 years.
Leigh is recommended in both the Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 directories 2023. In Chambers & Partners 2023, clients described her as: “responsive, flexible, commercial and provides clear advice”. In Chambers & Partner 2022, clients stated: "She is exceptional; she is a very good communicator and kept me apprised of her progress with matters. I felt extremely well supported by her during a very difficult time" and "She is outstanding in developing a unique and personalised approach to dealing with clients."
Leigh is recommended in the Legal 500 2021 as: "a remarkably empathetic and warm individual who combined objective legal opinion with a very welcome degree of empathy and sensitivity at a very stressful time for me. Leigh was easily accessible, readily available and demonstrated to me a strong desire to try to keep me calm, with a good balance of realism and optimism. I could not have wished for better legal support."
The Legal 500 2022 says: "With twenty years of experience, Leigh Edgar advises both employers and employees on the full range of contentious and non-contentious matters." and quotes clients stating: "Leigh Edgar is excellent" and "Leigh Edgar is a pleasure to work with. Very knowledgeable, experienced, pragmatic, and empathetic. Aside from a deep understanding of the employment law that you’d expect, Leigh was also excellent at anticipating potential outcomes/responses, and working them through with us such that we could put forward solutions or offers that had the best chance of working for all parties."
