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Joanna Chatterton

Partner

Jo is a partner and head of the firm's employment and HRLaw team. Her practice is focused on the financial and insurance sectors and professional practices, particularly advising law firms and barristers chambers. As a member of the firm’s Senior Managers and Certification Regime specialist group she has a particular expertise in the interaction between employment law and regulatory law, frequently working closely with our specialist regulatory lawyers.

Jo’s work for employers encompasses both non-contentious advisory work and managing and resolving disputes. She has extensive experience successfully supporting clients through complex and high value discrimination and whistleblowing claims. She is valued by clients for her expertise in dealing with tricky employee issues involving strategic implications and sensitive reputational and regulatory concerns and ill-health. Jo has experience in management at Fox Williams where her particular focus is on HR strategy, which gives her an in-depth understanding of the strategic and business context to the management of employee relations.

Jo has strong connections with a large number of senior executives and senior lawyers whom she has advised on job moves, handling grievances and contentious exits, bringing tribunal claims, managing the regulatory implications of accusations of misconduct and the potential constraints imposed by restrictive covenants.

Jo qualified as a lawyer specialising in employment law in 1997 and became a partner at Fox Williams in 2006. As an experienced employment lawyer and partner, Jo has considerable experience of defending and bringing claims for unfair and wrongful dismissal in the employment tribunal and of supervising junior lawyers in undertaking this work for employers and employees.

Jo has been quoted in the Financial Times on UK law expectations regarding employer responsibility to ascertain disability of their staff.

"An excellent lawyer who is very responsive, practical and helpful."
(Chambers UK, 2020)

"Very good and practical advice using clear and concise language"
(Chambers UK, 2019)

"It is a pleasure to work with her as she is extremely approachable and demonstrates an excellent understanding of employment law"
(Chambers UK, 2019)

"Incredibly reliable"
(Legal 500, 2019)

"Joanna is extremely professional and never fails to offer measured advice."
(Chambers UK, 2018)

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Addressing hidden LGBT discrimination following new research and cases - Joanna Chatterton and Ed Livingstone write in Employment Law Journal
The Senior Managers and Certification Regime: What senior managers should expect
Law firm urges wealth advisers to be ready for SMCR - Joanna Chatterton and Peter Wright interviewed by Wealth Adviser
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Law firms should now expect the SRA to investigate discrimination claims
Joanna Chatterton writes for Insurance Age: The hidden sting in the SMCR regime
Joanna Chatterton and Chris Finney quoted in Insurance Times: SMCR – the ‘complicated’ regulation that has the potential to change employee culture
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