Some of the areas James specialises in includes:
- grievances and disciplinaries
- performance and sickness absence management
- complex discrimination issues
- whistleblowing, with particular expertise in the Health & Social care, education and charity sectors
- Employment Tribunal claims
- senior executive exits and settlement agreements
- large-scale redundancy and re-organisations
- TUPE transfers
- Employment aspects of business sales, acquisitions and mergers
James also co-heads the firm’s Health & Social Care Team, and has a thorough understanding of the regulatory and statutory obligations of care providers, dental practices, GPs and pharmacies. He also has substantial experience advising charity and education sector clients.
He has many years’ experience advising on sector specific staffing issues, particularly where there are competing employment law and regulatory obligations and helps navigate clients through these complex issues in a practical and straightforward manner.
James often provides HR and employment law training for clients and is regularly asked to speak at regional and national conferences. He also provides commentary for the sector press.
James’ work has been recognised by the Legal 500 (the clients’ guide to the best law firms) as “excellent” and his team has been recognized for providing “an excellent overall service” and for being “very responsive”.
Recent work highlights
- Advising a care provider disciplinary action, a whistleblowing investigation and safeguarding referrals to the local authority.
- Advising on a three phase redundancy and restructuring exercise, without any staff appealing the decisions or pursuing Employment Tribunal claims.
- Acting for a charity on managing a joint grievance by six staff against a senior manager and subsequent disciplinary and dismissal procedures.
- Supporting a large housing association with disciplinary proceedings and whistleblowing issues arising out of an adult safeguarding issue.
- Advising a large number of care providers on sleep-in shift compliance and the Social Care Compliance Scheme
- Defending Employment Tribunal claims for sex, race and disability discrimination
- Advising numerous senior executives on company exits.
James Sage
