Emma Burns
Position
Partner,
Head of Employment and HR Services Group
Services
Areas of expertise
- Employment Law
- Discrimination Law and equality duties
- Employment Tribunal Litigation
- Industrial relations and trade union matters
- Data Protection
- Freedom of Information
Profile
Emma joined Hugh James from
Geldards LLP where she was a partner in the employment team. Having
worked as an employment specialist for 12 years, Emma has a wealth
of experience providing employment law advice across the private,
public and third sectors.
As well as having excellent
technical skills, Emma is recognised for her pragmatic approach.
She works in close partnership with clients to deliver innovative,
yet effective solutions to employment issues at minimum cost. She
is an able employment tribunal advocate with experience of handling
complex unfair dismissal, discrimination and whistleblowing
claims.
Some examples of Emma’s specific
experience include:
- Drafting employment contracts,
employee handbooks and policies including providing supplementary
training and guidance for managers.
- Day to day HR advice including all
aspects of disciplinary and grievance processes.
- Negotiation of agreed exit
packages.
- Assisting clients with business
reorganisations and restructures including implementing wholesale
changes to terms and conditions of employment and voluntary and
compulsory redundancy programmes, including consultation and
redeployment obligations.
- Advising on employment aspects of
business sales, including the application of the TUPE
regulations generally and in insolvency situations.
- Contracting out situations
and the employment implications of the development of new service
delivery models, including shared service arrangements.
- Advising on job evaluation and the
development of equality proof pay and grading structures for
various public sector organisations.
- Multimillion pound equal pay
litigation for Welsh local authorities.
- Advising on employee consultation
obligations, including trade union collective agreements, trade
union recognition and employee forums for non-unionised
employers.
Emma also has additional expertise
in the areas of data protection and freedom of information law.
Professional career
Trained: Geldards
Qualified: 1999
Partner at Geldards: 2008
Joined Hugh James as partner and head of employment and HR
services group in August 2011.
Education
Settle High School, North Yorkshire
Cardiff University
- LLB (Hons) First class (1996)
- Legal Practice Course Distinction (1997) – won Law Society Prize
for best performance.
Personal interests
Trustee of Breast Cancer Care (a UK
wide charity providing support and services to people affected by
breast cancer). Chairperson of local breast cancer support group
Breastfriends Cardiff and Vale.
Emma Burns
Partner, Head of Employment and HR Services Group
E emma.burns@hughjames.com
T 029 2039 1075