Louise Brenlund

Practice Areas

Louise advises on all aspects of English employment law and related human resource issues, mainly acting for employers but also taking on complex, high-value employee claims work. Louise prides herself on being client-focused, providing clear, pragmatic and strategic commercial advice, and working together to find solutions.

Career

Louise qualified as a Solicitor in 2005. Prior to joining Warners, Louise worked for a large regional firm for almost 13 years and, before that, with a niche practice in London. She has worked with specialist sectors, including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, education, veterinary and healthcare, with clients in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

Louise has represented clients in court since 1996 as a court clerk, then qualifying as a Legal Executive specialising in personal injury claims and appearing on behalf of clients in the Small Claims Court. Her litigation work now involves a variety of employment law cases from half-day to multi-day actions as well as multi-party cases.

Louise regularly presents webinars and speaks at business conferences. Louise also enjoys providing workforce and management training on a range of employment law topics and bespoke training packages.

Louise has spent time on secondment to a large public sector organisation and a large international engineering and construction company. This has given Louise invaluable insight into legal issues from a client’s perspective and enabled her to gain a thorough understanding of the challenges that companies face on a daily basis.

Professional Memberships

The Law Society

The Employment Lawyers Association

National Governance Association

Rochester Cathedral Business Guild

Recognised in Legal 500 2022- Recommended lawyer

Winner of the KCFA Deal of the Year Awards 2023

Publications

Independent School Management Plus

Academy Trust Leadership Today

Kent Director

Personal

Louise has a keen interest in the education sector and has worked with maintained, independent and faith schools as well as single and multi-academy trusts. She regularly has articles published in the Independent Schools Magazine and Trust Leadership Today. Louise volunteered as a governor at a UTC and is currently a Director and Trustee at the Rivermead Inclusive Trust. She is also an active member of the local business community and contributes through her work as Vice-Chair of the Steering Group of the Rochester Cathedral Business Guild and works closely with Mid-Kent CIPD to provide employment law seminars and webinars.

In her spare time Louise will be found on the netball court.

Work Highlights

The complex exit of a CEO from an Academy Trust, with allegations of misconduct being raised against the CEO and the CEO going sick and raising his own grievance.

Working with a limited company on various contentious and non-contentious complex issues. Including advising and working with the client to deal with various allegations raised by a consultant of racial and religious discrimination by another, breach of contract and threats of disclosure of confidential information. In response we raised claims of libel, unlawfully downloading confidential information, data breach and blackmail and it was necessary to consider and advise on potential action including an injunction. Advising on a data subject access requests, made more complex by the need to consider controller and processor requirements and obligations. Advising concerning two employees setting up a rival company and poaching clients. Following suspension each employee raised grievances as well as substantial and concerning whistleblowing allegations against the company and a director/owner.

Representing a veterinary practice in conjunction with their HR providers in relation to an employee/ shareholder and director. Steps taken concerning suspension and potential disciplinary proceedings regarding alleged misuse of drugs and involving the Veterinary Defence Society. Taking appropriate steps to put the client in the best position to negotiate an exit. Once suspended the individual went sick with ‘street at work’, meaning possible issues of mental health and disability had to be taken into account. Solicitors were instructed and we argued legal issues relating to resignation/ heat of the moment, disability, gross misconduct, whistleblowing, and breakdown of trust and confidence.

Advising a school on a parental complaint, including working closely with the Head and making recommendations in working with the LADO and ESFA. Responding to threats by the parent of reports to ESFA and media and requests for documentation, also advising the Head on a potential action against the parent under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

Assisting a multi-national construction company in an unfair dismissal claim that was successfully defended but then appealed to the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Louise advised the client on tactics and compliance with process, as well as working with a barrister to obtain the best outcome for the client.

Acting for freight and distribution specialists in a claim for breach of TUPE involving the Trustee in Bankruptcy acting on behalf of the Claimant. Louise successfully had the claim struck out for being scandalous and/or vexatious in that the proceedings had been conducted in an unreasonable manner. The claim was not actively pursued.

Working with a school in relation to complex disciplinary proceedings, which resulted in the employee being dismissed and referred to the TRA and DBS. This was further complicated by subject access requests being made by the employee and her partner.

Advising a school in relation to an employee accused of sexual offences against a child, which was complicated by separate criminal proceedings and cross multi-agency working and considerations.

Working with an NHS Trust on a claim for constructive unfair dismissal with actions spanning back over a two-year period involving various employees. The claim was successfully defended at the Employment Tribunal.

Supporting the Corporate and Commercial team, acting on behalf of the sale of two limited companies (family businesses) to the UK’s leading home flooring retailer advising on the TUPE aspects of the transfer of staff and service agreements.

Clients

M.I Media Services Limited

The MEP Consultancy Company Limited

Kent Community Foundation

Vincent House London Limited

Millennium Veterinary Practice

Hoganas (Great Britian) Limited

Eurosite Power Limited

Ace Learning Trust

DNA Vetcare Limited

Infinity Group Holdings Limited

Awards