Alice Townley Smith

Alice joined Eversheds Sutherland in 2010.

She is a Principal Associate and has gained experience in advising clients on a broad range of matters. Alice Townley Smith is a member of the firm's Education employment team and provides advice to its education sector clients. She is based in the Cambridge office.

Alice's experience includes advising on both contentious and noncontentious employment matters for higher and further education institutions, academies, and independent schools. In particular, Alice advises both higher and further education clients on strategic issues such as collective redundancies, reorganisations, mergers and joint ventures. Alice also has particular experience in advising on TUPE, including outsourcing arrangements and the TUPE implications of conversion to academy status. Further, Alice provides general day-to-day assistance with performance management issues, ill health/capability issues, disciplinary and grievance issues, contractual documentation, and atypical working (including fixed-term and part-time staff, hourly paid staff, and zero-hour contracts).

Alice also has had significant experience defending employment tribunal claims involving unfair dismissal and/or discrimination and harassment, as well as whistleblowing claims and contractual disputes. She is currently the lead advisor on a high-value and complex sexual harassment claim for a higher education institution.

At present, Alice is assisting a number of independent schools address the difficulties they are facing with the significant rise in employer contributions in respect of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. She is also currently the lead advisor on a number of high-value and complex employment tribunal claims for higher education institutions.