We are one of the leading Employment and Discrimination sets at the Bar and have been recognised as such by both Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500. Members of our team can be found litigating claims across the entire breadth of employment and employment related disputes across the country for Claimants and Respondents alike. In keeping with Chambers’ civil liberties ethos, many members of the team act exclusively for claimants and their representative bodies and we are frequently instructed in cutting edge litigation designed to promote equality, diversity and inclusion in every workplace sector across the country. Our clients have included employees from all walks of life, including Judges, Senior Executives, Professional Sports Persons and other regulated professionals, as well as major multinational corporations and NGOs. We attract work from some of the highest calibre solicitors working in our field. We have strong links with many trade unions, and appear in cases at all levels from internal disciplinary proceedings, to the Employment Tribunal through to the Supreme Court, and European Court of Human Rights. Our exceptional and highly committed members include highly experienced juniors and senior KCs.

We pride ourselves on providing a personable and accessible approach to the delivery of our legal services and will always go the ‘extra mile’ for our clients. As well as working on the instruction of solicitors, many members of our team also advise workers, companies, NGO’s and other public sector organisations directly via the Bar's public access scheme.

Our Members are regularly instructed to advise on and act in individual and collective claims relating to:

  • Complex discrimination in the workplace of all kinds;
  • Unfair or wrongful dismissal, and redundancy;
  • Bonus and equal pay, and other remuneration or pensions cases;
  • The rights of Unionised workers and industrial action;
  • Confidential information and data protection;
  • Whistleblowing and employee victimisation;
  • Restraint of trade and employee competition.

We have significant experience in providing training in employment and discrimination law, including for the Trades Union Congress, individual unions, the Council of Europe, the Bar Standards Board, and other private organisations. We can also provide independent counsel to assist with internal investigations and audits of disciplinary or grievance procedures. Our employment team contains several qualified mediators and you can click here to find out more about our work in this area.

In keeping with Doughty Street’s multi-disciplinary approach to casework and our market leading reputation across a wide variety of practice areas, we can also offer experts with related expertise in professional discipline and regulatory law, media/privacy claims, commercial law, personal injury, immigration, crime, as well as claims which involve overlap with our highly prominent public law practice.

We have several barristers who act as preferred counsel to the Equality and Human Rights Commission and we regularly act for NGOs, campaigning organisations and other interveners in Supreme Court and Court of Appeal cases.

We have run ground-breaking judicial review cases under both the anti-discrimination provisions of the Equality Act 2010 (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation) and Article 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights, including high-profile challenges to austerity cuts brought on behalf of vulnerable members of society.  We have successfully developed the public-sector equality duty and also brought damages claims on behalf of those who have suffered discrimination by public bodies, commercial organisations and education providers.

For more information on this area, or to speak about the work of our barristers, please contact our practice management team using the details in the column to the right.

What the directories say 

"A go-to set with great strength in its employment counsel, from the very seasoned and experienced, to the more junior but bright." - Legal 500 2023

Barristers "get to the nub of technically complex matters and provide clear guidance." - Chambers and Partners 2023

Doughty Street’s employment, discrimination and equality team’s reputation for excellence is well deserved. It has strength in depth, and all members share a common ethos and commitment to helping individuals challenge discrimination and other injustices. Furthermore their fees are very reasonable and represent excellent value for money." - Legal 500 2023

"Callum Stebbing and Sam Cooper respond extremely quickly when contacted and are always helpful in meeting the needs and requirements of the client." - Chambers and Partners 2023