Whilst many disputes can and should be settled without recourse to the courts or tribunals, sometimes litigation cannot be avoided. We can advise and represent you at all stages of proceedings and will partner with you every step of the way. We have considerable experience in the Employment Tribunal and in both the County Court and High Court.
What does an employment litigator do?
Litigation is the process of resolving a dispute in the courts or tribunals. Broadly speaking the steps are:
Letter before action
Issue of proceedings
Directions from the court
Discovery of documents
Witness statements
Hearing
An employment litigator advises on and conducts each of these stages for the client.
What is litigation in employment law?
Employment claims are likely to be brought in either the employment tribunal or the courts.
Employment tribunals generally deal with claims relating to statutory rights such as unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, holiday rights and the like. Employment tribunals can also deal with some low value contractual claims following from termination of employment.
The courts generally deal with contractual or tortious (civil wrong) claims such as breach of contract (for instance non payment for notice period), breach of express restrictive covenants (restricting post termination employment) or misuse of confidential information.
The difference between the courts and employment tribunals is that legal costs are generally not recoverable in the employment tribunal and are generally payable by the losing party in the courts.
What are some examples of employment disputes?
In the employment tribunal:
Unfair dismissal - constructive or express dismissal
Discrimination
Holiday pay
Whistleblowing
Health and safety
In the courts:
Breach of contract - non payment of notice or holiday pay for instance
Enforcement of restrictive covenants or return of confidential information
Should I get a solicitor for an employment tribunal?
This is a question each client should consider. The factors to bear in mind are cost and the complexity of the case. We can represent you in tribunal or provide guidance to help you represent yourself.
Advice on appeals
We are often instructed after tribunal proceedings have been concluded with a view to appealing against an employment tribunal decision. The appeal is to the Employment Appeal Tribunal. This is never the best starting point for our involvement as the grounds for appeal are very limited but nevertheless, we have considerable experience in this area.
Here at Julian Taylor HR we're a small but very experienced team of employment law solicitors. What makes us different to other firms is that you're going to be working directly with one of us - we won't pass your case off to a junior, or someone else working behind the scenes.
JULIAN TAYLOR
JAYNE SINCLAIR
Chambers 2025 & 2026 “Julian offers a wealth of knowledge with a practical focus.”
Julian Taylor is a well-regarded employment practitioner recognised for advising his clients on an array of HR-related disputes as well as negotiating senior employee exit terms. He is additionally adept at handling unfair dismissal claims and is noted for his experience of contractual issues and post-termination restrictive covenants.
- He is an expert in his field and we can trust his advice to be considered and with the right amount of detail.
- I cannot recommend Julian Taylor enough for his swift and sound advice, attention to detail and ability to explain matters in plain English to me.
- He was bright and dedicated, and a fantastic litigator. He worked really, really hard and very evidently cared about his client.
- Outstanding knowledge and appropriateness of advice combined with a very pleasant and collaborative approach.
- Julian does an amazing job in a way that's economically realistic for his client base and covers a full range of employment disputes.
- Julian has a very strong understanding of the situation. He gets the point quickly and offers sensible, logical advice.
- Julian was extremely knowledgeable on employment law. He's been very practical on dispute resolution and had a very clear understanding of how to deal with tribunals.
- Julian is very attentive and always makes himself available.
Julian Taylors Solicitors‘ key services include advice on HR issues such as disciplinary, grievance, and whistleblowing matters, as well as the representation of clients in disputes related to discrimination. The team is also well-versed in employee immigration and is headed by Julian Taylor, a port of call for senior executives.
- Punch well above their weight, interesting work and exceptional.
- Julian Taylor - highly experienced, very knowledgeable and great judgment.
- Julian Taylor is a small yet highly knowledgeable employment law solicitor practice that offers exceptional and personalised service to its clients. The team at Julian Taylor is known for their expertise in dealing with complex employment matters while keeping the people involved at the heart of the matter.
- Julian Taylor is a highly experienced professional who leads most of our complex and sophisticated issues. He works closely with us to empower us to make informed decisions confidently. His knowledge of our business and expertise sets him apart from his competitors.
Employment Disputes and Litigation Solicitors in Oxford.
As specialists in employment law, we’ve dealt with many disputes and litigation cases from our offices in Oxford, including cases in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. If you would like to request our assistance with your own dispute please don’t hesitate to contact our team.