
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations
UK Guide 2026 : London (Firms)
Rankings

Ranked Individuals
Ranked Individuals
About
Provided by Lewis Silkin
We help you to navigate the world of work nationally and internationally.
Our team of over 200 lawyers across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ireland and Hong Kong offers unrivalled expertise and scale in all employment law matters, backed up by 1,500 experts across the world through our global alliance. We’ve been ranked Band 1 in the legal directories for over 15 years.
We partner with you to plan ahead and develop workforce strategies tailored to your organisation. We’re equally at home helping multinationals navigate workforce strategy across jurisdictions or providing agile advice to fast growth startups. Our approach is holistic, addressing the full spectrum of workplace needs through proactive prevention, responsive solutions, comprehensive audits, insightful training, and forward-looking horizon scanning, among other tailored services. We ensure your people are supported, and your business can thrive now and in the future.
Alongside our colleagues in Ius Laboris, the world’s leading international HR practice (of which we are the UK, Irish and Hong Kong member), we cut through the complexity of managing a global workforce, providing clients with the best local employment lawyers in one global team.
We also support clients through our low cost, fixed fee helpline and Employment Tribunal service rockhopper, our flexible resourcing service LS In-house and through WORKSPHERE, our people solutions service providing training, HR consultancy, pay and reward services.
Chambers Review
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Work Highlights
Provided by Chambers
Lewis Silkin represented Aon in connection with a substantial conspiracy claim seeking injunctive relief and damages, arising from alleged unlawful poaching raids conducted across different jurisdictions, including the UK and South America.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
Their knowledge is of course exceptional, however their patience in explaining reasons as well as suggesting alternatives is phenomenal.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKLewis Silkin's advice is unique in that it balances expertise with pragmatism and sensitivity.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKThe firm offers clear practical advice based on superior subject matter knowledge of labour relations. Their service levels and responsiveness are also first rate.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Notable Practitioners
Provided by Chambers
Senior Statespeople 
Senior Statespeople 
James Davies
James Davies draws praise for his experience acting on high-level employment matters. Clients turn to Davies for advice on both domestic and international employment matters. James provides good advice to clients and is incredibly experienced.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Eminent Practitioners 
Eminent Practitioners 
Richard Miskella
Richard Miskella receives acclaim for his work on behalf of major employers and senior executives. He is particularly noted for his expertise advising clients on investigations and workplace culture change. Miskella has been the joint managing partner of Lewis Silkin since 2019. Richard is an exceptional lawyer whose curiosity and drive for social change combined with his expertise and pragmatism makes for an unimprovable combination.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKOver the years Richard has been a helpful and supportive sounding board and I have appreciated his commercial awareness alongside his brilliant legal knowledge.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Band 1 
Band 1 
David Hopper
David Hopper is a partner at Lewis Silkin who is commended for his expertise in collective employment law and is sought out by employers for his expertise in this area. He is a subject matter expert. All things considered, David is one of the best attorneys I have worked with.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKDavid's expertise is unparalleled.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKHe has always been an incredible support with the required expertise and understanding of our business.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Band 1 
Band 1 
Michael Anderson
Michael Anderson co-leads the High Court employment litigation practice group at Lewis Silkin. He is valued for his High Court experience, particularly in team move litigation, and is noted for his work with financial services clients. Michael Anderson is great. He knows his stuff and is effective.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKMichael Anderson is smart, results-oriented and extremely responsive.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKMichael Anderson has extraordinary experience.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Band 1 
Band 1 
Michael Burd
Michael Burd is a partner in Lewis Silkin's employment offering. He has extensive experience of advising employers on high-level employment disputes and is noted for his work on cross-border matters. Band 1 
Band 1 
Nicholas Hadaway
Nicholas Hadaway is a partner at Lewis Silkin who is well known for his work for senior-level employees working in the City of London. He advises clients on high-value disputes and is regularly called upon to handle cases involving discrimination and whistle-blowing. Nicholas was a pleasure to work with and very user-friendly. He was extremely responsive, supportive and quick to provide commercial guidance, when necessary, because of his wealth of experience.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKNicholas Hadaway is an outstanding advocate, solicitor and commercial intellect.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKHe was very professional, thorough and detail-oriented.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKNicholas in an excellent solicitor. He gets right to the heart of a dispute and tries to bring in the client's desired outcome at proportionate cost. He is a pleasure to work with.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Band 2 
Band 2 
Toni Lorenzo
Co-lead of the High Court employment litigation practice at Lewis Silkin, Toni Lorenzo is highly experienced in handling High Court disputes and is lauded as an expert on restrictive covenants and team moves. He is recognised for his work with both employers and employees. Toni is totally committed, great on the law and on the cases. He is great to work with and very impressive.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKToni is without doubt one of the most talented and dedicated partners in the market.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKHe is an excellent, first rate employment lawyer.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Band 2 
Band 2 
David Samuels
David Samuels is a partner in the employment litigation team at Lewis Silkin. He is recommended by clients for his proficiency in handling team move and whistleblowing claims.
Band 3 
Band 3 
Colin Leckey
Colin Leckey is distinguished for his expertise in employment cases relating to worker status and equal pay. His clients include technology and financial services firms. Colin Leckey is an incredible lawyer.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKColin is fantastic. He is unbelievably bright, but commercially sharp and a pleasure to work with.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKColin is particularly skilled at dealing with complex client management issues and conducting high court and tribunal litigation, in which he's highly experienced.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Band 4 
Band 4 
Karen Baxter
Karen Baxter is head of the investigations and regulatory practice at Lewis Silkin. She is particularly sought after for her workplace investigations expertise, as well as her experience with discrimination and harassment claims before the Employment Tribunal. Her advice is commercial, practical and creative, ensuring we have solutions that work for the business. Even in the most complex of situations, she's very credible in front of senior stakeholders.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKKaren is very knowledgeable, provides strong, commercial and practical advice and is a delight to work with.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKKaren is excellent at investigations.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Band 4 
Band 4 
Sean Dempsey
Sean Dempsey is a partner at Lewis Silkin who is recognised for his work advising household-name clients on sensitive employment matters. He regularly advises clients in the technology sector. Dempsey is well placed to provide cross-jurisdictional employment advice across the UK and Ireland as he is triple-qualified. He's one of the best, most responsive and commercial partners I've ever worked with.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKHe has excellent technical knowledge and an ability to apply that commercially.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKSean has been great managing and always helps us find innovative solutions to our problems.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Band 4 
Band 4 
Tarun Tawakley
Lewis Silkin partner Tarun Tawakley draws on his experience as the former head of employment law and commercial litigation at Deliveroo to provide expert advice to clients that operate in the 'gig economy'. He regularly advises clients on compliance and worker status issues. He is an extremely good strategic thinker and very imaginative.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Band 6 
Band 6 
Lee Nair
Lee Nair is a partner at Lewis Silkin and specialises in international employment matters. She co-leads the firm's TUPE and contingent worker specialist groups and regularly advises on M&A, restructurings and outsourcings.
Lee Nair is excellent and very pragmatic. She provides excellent communication, both written and verbal, and is always willing to think outside the box with creative solutions.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKShe is a phenomenal individual to work with, with incredible knowledge and patience in approaching issues.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKShe's done great work in the employment space.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Band 6 
Band 6 
Shalina Crossley
Shalina Crossley expertly conducts investigations into workplace discrimination and misuse of confidential information allegations. Her recent work includes advising on sexual and financial misconduct. She will always prioritise her client. You feel wholly supported and deeply empowered by her ability to cut through to the heart of an issue and devise a strategic and powerful response.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKShalina is exceptional. She provides clear, commercial advice imbued with care. She quickly understands a problem and addresses it with clarity and pragmatism.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Up and Coming 
Up and Coming 
Carla Watling
Carla Watling is a managing associate at Lewis Silkin. She is called upon by employers to handle team move litigation and transactional support. Watling has particular expertise in handling matters pertaining to recruitment law and employment status. Carla is an excellent lawyer who is very commercially savy and superb for employee competition disputes.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKCarla Watling is really excellent.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKShe has first class knowledge in this space.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKCarla is very experienced.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKShe's a responsive, pragmatic professional and approachable.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Up and Coming 
Up and Coming 
Laetitia Cooke
Laetitia Cooke is a managing associate at Lewis Silkin. Her practice sees her handle a broad range of matters for senior individuals, with recent cases involving whistle-blowing, harassment and discrimination. Laetitia has a superb eye for what matters in a particular case and how to achieve the relevant commercial outcome.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Associates to watch 
Associates to watch 
Anna Bond
Anna Bond is a managing associate at Lewis Silkin with expertise on DE&I issues, discrimination and investigations.
Anna provides sound, commercial and practical advice in a calm and measured way.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKAnna provides an exceptional client service, working as an extension of our team to deliver commercial and pragmatic advice. She is personable, credible and an expert on many complex matters.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUKAnna is always very on top of everything. She has really thought ahead about the issues and what will be engaged in a case.
Employment: Employer: Industrial Relations respondentUK
Ranked Individuals at Lewis Silkin (22)
Members
Provided by Lewis Silkin

David Hopper
View profile of David Hopper
David Samuels
View profile of David Samuels
Michael Burd
View profile of Michael Burd
Toni Lorenzo
View profile of Toni Lorenzo
Michael Anderson
View profile of Michael Anderson
Carla Watling
View profile of Carla Watling
James Davies
View profile of James Davies
Colin Leckey
View profile of Colin Leckey
Richard Miskella
View profile of Richard Miskella
Karen Baxter
View profile of Karen Baxter
Sean Dempsey
View profile of Sean Dempsey
Shalina Crossley
View profile of Shalina Crossley
Tarun Tawakley
View profile of Tarun Tawakley
Nicholas Hadaway
View profile of Nicholas Hadaway
Lee Nair
View profile of Lee Nair
Anna Bond
View profile of Anna Bond
Laetitia Cooke
View profile of Laetitia Cooke
Lewis Silkin has rankings in the following guides
Band 3 Global 2026
Practice area: Employment
Location: Global: Multi-Jurisdictional
View department profile for Global 2026
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