Fiona Martin
Solicitor & Director & Head of Employment Law
“I provide expert opinion for the press, advise employers and employees on Settlement Agreements and campaign on important issues such as maternity and disability discrimination.”
Intro
I lead the employment teams in our solicitors’ offices in Brighton & Hove, Croydon, Eastbourne, Gatwick & Crawley, Haywards Heath and Shoreham. As founding Director, I am also responsible for the firm’s marketing. I provide expert opinion for the media, disseminate employment law round-ups through my Employment Law blog and campaign on important issues such as maternity and disability discrimination. I train employers and HR professionals to be best practice managers and I am also a CEDR accredited mediator.
Expertise
I have particular expertise in:
- Pregnancy and maternity discrimination law
- Restructuring and redundancy
- Dismissal procedures
- Post-termination Restrictive Covenants
- Negotiating Settlement Agreements on behalf of employers and employees
- Bringing and defending Employment Tribunal claims.
Clients
My clients range from national and international multi-site employers to start-ups and to individual employees. I also work with the commercial departments of other law firms where they lack specialist employment advisers.
Qualifications
I have a BA Hons History from the University of Sussex and undertook the Law conversion course at the University of Brighton where I met my co-director Cate Searle. I completed the solicitors’ law finals course at Guildford College of Law.
I am a member of the Employment Lawyers Association, Gatwick Diamond Business Association, Sussex Law Society and the Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce.
Other experience
I previously worked for a trade union firm and latterly for a large commercial law firm so I have wide experience of dealing with clients and opponents from all walks of life.
I support a number of community initiatives including Community Works and Wired Sussex.
I train HR managers and run two HR groups, HR Digital Media and a more general group, HR Matters.
I have a life too
I am a party person and regularly go to live music events and festivals. I enjoy a huge range of music. I am an avid reader and a member of a book club and also enjoy travelling. Friends and family are very important to me and I love to entertain, whether it is cooking or mixing a mean cocktail.
