Expertise

Stephen is a partner in Wedlake Bell’s Employment team. He has a wealth of experience advising clients across the employment law spectrum. His clients value his technical ability and commercial and pragmatic advice when dealing with their most business-critical HR issues, including those arising during recruitment, departure, restructuring, investigations, and disputes.

He has particular expertise navigating clients through complex and sensitive Board, Founder and senior management level disputes and departures, as well as Employment Tribunal and High Court litigation proceedings when an alternative resolution cannot be reached.

He also regularly advises on the Employment law aspects of complex and high-value corporate transactions, including M&A and Private Equity deals, as well as large outsourcing projects involving TUPE.

Working with international and domestic companies, firms and LLPs, and senior executives and investment professionals, Stephen’s clients are active in a range of sectors including banking and finance, natural resources, real estate, media and technology.

• Advised an international asset management firm on a significant internal reorganisation of its senior management structure following a change in principal stakeholders.
• Advised an international investment firm on a confidential internal investigation with critical reputational and regulatory implications.
• Advised a global natural resources company on an internal restructuring of its UK subsidiaries.
• Advised a trustee company of one of the UK’s largest pension schemes on a sensitive and complex outsourcing.
• Advised a private equity owned portfolio company on the removal of a founder shareholder and executive as a condition of new investment to avoid insolvency.
• Advised a global background screening company on various cross-border employment matters across Europe and Asia.
• Advised a senior investment professional on all aspects of their move to one of the world’s largest Private Equity firms, including restrictive covenant risks and replacement of lost equity, carried interest and co-investment benefits

Career History

Stephen qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and was previously a Partner in the Global Employment Compensation & Benefits team at White & Case LLP and most recently a Partner and Head of Employment at Memery Crystal.

He holds a hold a post-graduate diploma in Sports Law, and is a former professional rugby player, having played for both Saracens & England.