Zelda Garbett’s practice focuses on employment law. She covers all areas of contentious and non-contentious employment law advising UK based and multi-national businesses on day to day issues (such as disciplinary and grievance issues, absence/performance management, discrimination and compromise agreements) and strategic matters. Zelda also advises on and drafts employment documentation including service agreements/employment contracts, consultancy agreements and secondment agreements.

Zelda regularly provides in-house training to clients and speaks at client seminars.

Zelda is described as an “Associate to Watch” in Chambers 2010 and 2011 and was “applauded for her diligent advice on both day-to-day issues and highly contentious matters“.

Zelda is listed in the 2012 edition of Chambers and Partners' Chambers UK as a leading individual for employment law.

Representative Experience

• Advising on complex issues surrounding the termination of senior executives. Zelda has advised a listed company in relation to the removal of its Chief Executive involving the interpretation of a liquidated damages clause; deflecting the threat of a winding up petition made by the ex-director; undertaking mediation to progress resolution; strongly defending an unfair dismissal claim on the basis of third party pressure; and providing strategic advice throughout to maximise the company’s negotiating position. Zelda has also advised on a highly-charged partnership dispute which was satisfactorily resolved.
• Representing clients in Tribunal proceedings. Zelda has successfully defended a multiple-Claimant Tribunal claim in relation to rolled-up holiday pay and obtained a costs order against all Claimants. She has also successfully defended a multi party TUPE claim on behalf of the transferee and obtained the withdrawal of numerous Tribunal claims by running a robust defence.
• Advising on organisation change. Zelda has advised on a successful 90 day collective consultation process from start to finish for a chemicals client involving over 400 redundancies with an aggressive trade union involved. She has also advised on implementation of new terms and conditions following collective consultation and on complex strategic change related to acquisitions. She has also advised on the employment aspects of changes to pension schemes working alongside our Pensions team.