James Baker - Head of Employment

James is a partner and head of Lee & Thompson’s Employment team.  He has over 20 years’ experience as an employment lawyer, most recently heading up the Employment team at Teacher Stern which he joined in 2009 and grew the team from a standing start.

His work covers all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law with a particular emphasis on business protection and confidentiality, TUPE, negotiating the beginning and end of employment relationships for employers and senior executives and day-to-day employment advice for businesses and individuals.  James has experience working for clients in the film and TV sector as well as the wider creative industries.

Examples include:

• advised an asset management client on the merger of its different workforces across the UK including collective consultation  and redundancies;
• litigated and settled numerous high value dismissal, discrimination and whistleblowing disputes;
• advised a specialist motor vehicle manufacturer on the closure of its UK operations and disputes over contractual entitlements for departing senior management;
• advised on and structured IR35-compliant relationships for business and service providers;
• assisted numerous employees leaving and joining independent TV production companies in senior/director roles;
• represented the Sales Director of a leading High Street fashion brand on his departure to a rival leading brand involving the alleged theft of confidential information resulting in injunction proceedings;
• advised companies, LLPs and individuals in relation to entitlements under complex bonus and pay arrangements including carried interest, shares and share options;
• handled limited liability partnership disputes in the legal, accounting and financial services sectors;
• provided day to day advice to corporate and individual clients in relation to all aspects of employment relationships.

Legal 500 has described James as ‘a superb player to have on your team’.

Email James
+44 (0) 20 3073 7599