Katharine Robinson

Practice Areas

Katharine is a Senior Associate in the Employment Team. She assists clients with matters ranging from defending employment tribunal claims to carrying out workplace consultations and has particular expertise in the third sector. Katharine works predominately with education clients.

Katharine regularly supports HR professionals and senior leaders on day-to-day matters including grievance and disciplinary matters, contractual queries, and settlements. Katharine’s expertise within the education sector sees her regularly advising on sector-specific matters such as regulatory compliance with the Academy Trust Handbook and Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Katharine regularly represents education institutions in employment tribunal proceedings, defending various claims, including discrimination, harassment and constructive/unfair dismissal, and has assisted clients in dealing with appeals in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Katharine is experienced in guiding these claims through to the final hearing stage and negotiating settlements for her clients.

Katharine builds strong relationships with her clients, who value her responsiveness and clear advice, which is particularly important in employment law where clients often require urgent support.

Katharine is a regular speaker at the Academies Annual Update, hosted jointly by Stone King and Buzzacott, which provides an update to academy trusts on governance, financial and employment law, and has given talks at conferences hosted by the Institute of School Business Leaders and Optimus Education on employment law updates, safeguarding and how to manage high risk terminations. More recently, Katharine has been presenting on the Employment Rights Bill and the employment aspects of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Katharine volunteers as an employment solicitor for Anglia Ruskin University’s Law Clinic and the Bath Law Clinic. Katharine provides free advice to individuals at these clinics on employment law; these clinics also give law students the opportunity to develop their client relationship and advisory skills.

Career

Katharine trained at Stone King and qualified as a Solicitor in 2019.

Professional Memberships

Katharine is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.

Industry Sector Expertise

Katharine's expertise includes:

- Representing respondents in employment tribunal claims, including claims for unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal, discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

- Advising on regulatory requirements under Keeping Children Safe in Education and the Academy Trust Handbook.

- Advising on disciplinary, capability and grievance matters.

- Supporting clients in settlement negotiations and drafting settlement agreements.

- Advising on the risks of dismissing employees and how to manage this risk.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

England and Wales.

Education