High Barnet & Potters Bar (EN4, EN5, EN6, AL9)
We are a firm of solicitors with offices at 82 Great North Road, Hatfield, Herts AL9 5BL and also at 212 Regents Park Road, Finchley, London N3 3HP. These offices are conveniently close by to High Barnet and Potters Bar.
Employment law represents a core area of our law firm’s work.
Our fee earners who undertake Employment Settlement Agreement work include Specialist Employment Counsel Kevin Harris (who was called to the Bar in 1999). We also have an experienced HR adviser, Stephen Jarrett,
We sign off a number of settlement agreements every week and provide detailed advice in relation to such Agreements.
We advise our clients as to their strict legal rights including in respect of any claims which they may possess as against their employers. We also discuss alternatives to Settlement Agreements such as fighting to retain their jobs or pursuing employment tribunal claims.
We also run through and explain in detail the draft Agreement and advise upon amendments which should be made to make the Agreement, to make such Agreements commercial acceptable to sign.
Settlement Agreements are usually drafted very favourably towards the employer.
They invariably contain a number of provisions which are commercially unacceptable, and which should be amended, An example is a typical clause that any breach of the agreement, however minor, and however far into the future, will result in an obligation by the Employee to pay back the settlement monies. This will be linked with clauses prohibiting the employee (with no specified duration) saying anything bad about the Employer or any staff members, or telling third parties that the settlement agreement exists
We also advise in relation to the need to request a waiver or partial waiver of any non-compete covenants, to enable our clients to be able to reasonably find work after the termination date.
The Agreement should make provision for a reference,
We also provide detailed separate advice to directors or employees who hold shares in the company. In such situations, we need to look at any Director’s Service Contract in detail and also any Shareholders’ Agreement. These Agreements may also contain separate non-compete covenants which will also need to be waived.
To instruct our firm
All you need to do is to telephone to book an appointment. Please bring with you to the meeting a copy of your employment contract, a recent payslip and also a copy of the Settlement Agreement – if this can be sent to us electronically in Word format this would also be helpful. If you have any shares in the company, then also please bring with you a copy of any relevant Shareholders’ Agreement.
We are able to undertake this work by way of telephone conferences if required. Indeed, we on occasions act for overseas clients in relation to the signing of these Agreements where the work has to be carried out by telephone and by email.
Costs
The Settlement Agreement usually contains a contribution towards costs – the amount of which is usually negotiable. Employers commonly offer in the draft Agreement a fairly low sum towards legal costs, which is necessary for us to endeavour to negotiate an enhanced payment.
When we amend the Agreement approximately 70% of our amendments are usually accepted and we will if necessary, continue to press for the remaining amendments to be agreed.
To contact us, please telephone 01707 830244 or 0208 446 6223 or send an email to enquiries@sr-law.co.uk.
