Karen Bates

Karen is a member of the Firm’s Management Board and is responsible for the leadership of a team of over 45 lawyers within the Firm’s commercial and employment teams.

Karen has been particularly involved in developing the firm’s employment, pensions and business immigration team as a team of advisory specialists within the business group. Karen’s approach is to think about the bigger picture and advise clients on the best way to achieve their goals. Her main experience lies in complex people strategy and HR risk management as well as bespoke advice on the full range of people issues arising in business. This ranges from large scale restructuring and redundancy, TUPE, transactions and workforce integration and high value employment litigation. Karen also often advises clients’ boards on a broad spectrum of business issues.

Outside work, Karen is a school governor and enjoys spending time singing in a community choir, walking on the beach or simply catching up on her avid interest in politics and current affairs.