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Abby Walton

Senior Associate
Manchester
About

Abby is a Senior Associate in the Employment Group with numerous years’ experience advising national and international clients on all aspects of employment law across a range of sectors including financial services, retail, life sciences, industrials and the public sector.

Abby advises on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment issues including discrimination, whistleblowing, business protections, trade union relations and data protection.

Abby has significant litigation experience and advises on the full suite of Employment Tribunal claims. Abby has developed particular expertise in defending complex and multi-faceted discrimination claims. Abby has represented a number of high-profile clients in Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and County Court matters. 

Abby also has particular experience advising on employment issues arising from corporate transactions and has worked on a range of mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions including acting for management teams, corporate buyers and investors.

Abby also has specific expertise advising on data issues in the employment context including in respect of GDPR, data breaches and subject access requests. Abby also has significant experience advising publicly funded organisations and the specific employment issues for such bodies.

Areas of FocusConsumer Goods, Food and RetailFinancial ServicesIndustrialsMedia, Sport and EntertainmentEmployment
Professional QualificationsSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales

EXPERIENCE

  • Successfully acted for a Plc publishing company defending a complex claim for sexual harassment and race discrimination, victimisation and whistleblowing brought against the company and a number of its senior employees.
  • Advised a large hospitality client in respect of a number of strategic industrial relations issues, including devising a strategy for dealing with a campaign for global recognition brought by Unite the Union. This involved co-ordinating a cross-border team to deliver effective and strategic advice across jurisdictions.
  • Acted successfully on behalf of a significant public sector non-departmental executive body in getting a multi-claimant complex discrimination and whistleblowing Employment Tribunal claim struck out during the three-week final hearing, representing a fantastic result for the client.
  • Worked seamlessly with colleagues in corporate and IPT groups in the UK and employment colleagues across the world to negotiate and conclude the signing of a major new partnership between our client and a major hotel and leisure provider under which our client acquired 12 of the target group’s 14 customer service centers (and related staff) over 10 jurisdictions across Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas and agreed a contract to supply services back to the target group and its customers.
  • Successfully defended a claim by over 100 employees against a national utilities company for breach of the Working Time Regulations 1998.
  • Co-ordinated a global project for an international client relating to the GDPR implications of a new HR system roll out, including specifically the impact upon types of employee data held, privacy notice requirements and the retention of employee data by HR.
  • Advised on the harmonisation of a global bonus plan and the ability to unilaterally change terms and conditions of employment across jurisdictions.
  • Advised a global payment services provider on the detailed requirements and implementation of the FCA Senior Managers and Certification Regime.

 

Languages
  • English
  • Spanish
Education
  • University of Bristol, LLB Law with Study in Continental Europe (Spain)
  • University of Law, Manchester, LPC (Distinction)
  • University of Law, Manchester, MSc in Law, Business and Management (Distinction)

Publications

Seminars

Abby regularly designs and provides employment law training to a range of clients both in seminars as part of the firm's training programme and client tailored training.

Additional Information

Abby regularly advises on pro bono matters including advising UNICEF.

Abby leads the Head Start / Pathways to Law programme for the Manchester Office, a widening participation scheme which inspires and supports academically-able state school students from backgrounds under-represented at university who are interested in a career in law.

Connect

Phone

+44 (0)161 235 4455
(Work, Manchester)
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