Paula Kathrens

Paula is a partner in the Employment, Pensions, Benefits and Immigration (EPBI) Group, advising key clients in both the public and private sectors including finance services, Welsh Government, further and higher education, housing, health and social care on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law. Paula is the firm's lead on internal disciplinary proceedings involving doctors in NHS Wales and has unparalleled expertise in this area.

Paula has specific experience in advising clients in relation to employment related litigation at all levels on claims for unfair dismissal, sex, race, age, disability and other discrimination and high value whistleblowing claims. Paula also advises clients on restructures and reorganisations, outsourcing and TUPE.

Paula also has in-depth knowledge of the financial services sector and related regulatory issues, and until April 2023 was a non-executive director of Swansea Building Society and as a chair of their remuneration committee held a PRA/FCA regulated role as a Senior Manager of the Society.

Paula has a strong reputation for her work in the higher and further education sectors where she has been involved in a number of complex cases, involving (for example) various grievances and disciplinary investigations at a leading Welsh university. In further education, Paula has advised in particular on complex grievances and disciplinary matters involving allegations of race discrimination.

Paula has also been heavily involved in advising a number of social housing clients on the application of Schedule 1 in the light of a number of regulatory interventions by the housing regulator in Wales. She has also advised on the employment implication of mergers in the sector, including redundancy and settlement agreements.