Philip Ingram MBE chats with Richard O'Dair, Head of 36 Employment (the 36 Group’s employment law team). He specialises in employment law and Human Rights, representing both employers and employees.  And today we chat about coming out of furlough.

Richard has appeared in a number of important cases including the case of Seldon v CJW in in the Supreme Court [2012] and more recently cases about freedom of religion in the workplace and a case about a whistle-blower in an NHS Trust where the damages claimed were over £1 million.

Richard’s particular strength is his ability and willingness to immerse himself from an early stage in long drawn out litigation giving important advice on matters of evidence and tactics. He is particularly skilled skill in drafting correspondence and pleadings and in advising on witness statements. He relates well clients (both Respondent and Claimant) and to witnesses from differing backgrounds.

Notwithstanding the value he brings outside the Courtroom, Richard remains a skilled Court room lawyer One judge saw the need to direct himself not to accept too easily the arguments of such a persuasive advocate. Mr Justice Langstaff spoke of “advocacy of the highest quality” when Richard appeared in front of him in the EAT in the case of Swansea University v Williams. He has given seminars on advocacy for lawyers in Rwanda and Uganda

As an employment lawyer, Richard has appeared in the Employment Tribunals, the Employment Appeal Tribunal, the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. He has been involved in making an application to the ECHR. His particular interests are discrimination law, whistleblowing and the influence of human rights on the law of unfair dismissal.

Richard can be contacted via:

Telephone: 020 7421 8051 (Commercial)

Email: [email protected]