Chris Holme

Practice Areas

Chris is a leading lawyer in the field of employment law; supporting employers with the full range of issues that they face.

He works predominately in the financial services and professional services sectors, supporting a number of law firms, accountancy firms, banks and asset managers. He leads the firm's professional services sector group, and also our Employment team's financial services and professional services groups.

In relation to the work Chris carries out, it includes the most complex and reputationally significant work within the employment area.

In relation to how Chris works, he partners with employers, gets to know their business, and becomes an extension of their in-house team.

This enables him to deliver commercial and pragmatic advice which really works for the businesses he partners with.

Chris has also previously worked in-house as an employment lawyer at two North American investment banks.

Experience

• Advising in relation to a number of #Metoo issues for firms in both the legal and financial services sectors

• Managing and assisting companies and firms in relation to a number of disability discrimination claims and mental health issues

• Advising in relation to team move issues and protection of business interests

• Joining client project teams to review and manage the introduction of new IR35 legislation (and formulating standard approaches in what is a new area)

• Working with financial services firms in relation to the roll-out of the Senior Mangers and Certification Regime to the wider financial services space

• Defending a number of discrimination claims (including race and sex) within the financial services sector

• Advising in relation to the management of industrial disputes within the education and transportation sectors

• Advising an international accountancy firm in relation to a whistleblowing claim

• Working with a network of employment lawyers across Europe to provide a one-stop European-wide employment law advice support service

• Working on a number of high-value High Court matters, including for insurance and financial services sector clients, involving allegations of breach of contract, breach of restrictive covenants, breach of shareholders agreements, and breach of fiduciary obligations

• Advising a financial services sector on the employment aspects of the acquisition of a competitor, and the subsequent re-organisation

• Advising clients in relation to the employment and TUPE aspects surrounding various “losses” and “wins” of business, and the related contract negotiation

• Advising a client in relation to the harmonisation of 4,000 employee contracts, including managing the significant (reputational and financial) risk around collective redundancy consultation

• Advising a client regarding the termination of their compliance officer, relating to an FCA investigation, and with related whistle-blowing allegations