Claire Gilbert

Claire Gilbert is a Legal Director specialising in employment law in our London office.

Claire works with the full range of Weightmans clients, from OMB, tech and transport to pharma and health, and across the private and public sector, including emergency services and local government.

Claire advises employers and employees on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law.

She is a barrister, and has specialised in employment law since the early days of her career, spending the majority of her career in City law firms including nine years at a Magic Circle firm, advising on UK and international employment matters, and several years leading on UK and international employment law matters “in-house”, at two global brands.

Claire enjoys advising clients on the full range of employment law matters, including TUPE and reorganisations, drafting and negotiating employment contracts, disciplinary and grievance procedures, supporting clients with dismissals and redundancy processes, and managing sensitive and high-value disputes, including whistleblowing and discrimination claims.

She has extensive experience in conducting litigation in the Employment Tribunal, in particular under the Equality Act 2010, having been involved in high profile litigation around rights in the workplace relating to sex, gender and religion or belief, and on high-value claims relating to disability.

Claire also has significant experience in non-contentious matters, including advising on senior hires and exits, enforcement of restrictive covenants and confidentiality obligations, supporting clients with disciplinary and grievance procedures, advising on dismissals and redundancy consultations, and advising in relation to transactions.

Claire also works closely with our Tax and Private Client team, providing employment advice to high net worth clients in relation to employment issues, including but not limited to negotiating severance packages.

Claire enjoys running training events, round tables and workshops for legal teams, heads of HR, HR professionals and senior managers, for example on management of reasonable adjustments, tips and insights on management of employment disputes and claims, disciplinary and grievance issues and all equality issues.

Experience and notable cases:

• Hutchison & Others v County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

• Parker v Chief Constable of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Police

• Supporting a global fund manager through a senior team move to a competitor

• Advising a global brand on contentious multi-union pay negotiations and industrial action

• Advising a large hospitality brand on difficulties with its gender pay gap report

• Advising a hotel group on its whistleblowing and compliance procedures

• Advising individual senior staff members from financial services to the public sector on exits, grievances, and conduct issues

• Advising a tech-focused recruiter on its restrictive covenants.

• Conducting investigations for local authorities on standards and conduct concerns

• Supporting a global brand with a multi-jurisdiction anti-corruption investigation

• Advising a third sector organisation with complex international employment claims