Pioneer Law concentrates solely on employment law and HR.

We have experience in acting for organisations of all sizes and types, and can assist with the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious issues.

Our aim is to find solutions that are right for your organisation and your particular circumstances. We take the time to understand your needs so we can provide you with practical and straightforward commercial advice.

Whilst there are steps you can take to protect your organisation at the outset, we understand that disputes do arise. After all, you are dealing with people, all of whom bring their individual personality and skills to the workplace. We will work with you to minimise the risk of claims being brought and to resolve matters swiftly and efficiently, without the need for costly litigation.

We can offer you general HR support and employment advice, including the following services

contracts of employment for all levels of seniority
consultancy agreements
staff handbooks, policies and procedures
settlement agreements
dealing with grievances and managing staff concerns
dealing with performance management concerns
dealing with misconduct and other disciplinary concerns
dealing with director/shareholder disputes
advising on management of sickness absence and disability-related issues
advising on flexible working requests
advising on maternity, paternity, adoption and parental leave
advising on restructures and redundancies (individual and collective)
advising on the enforcement of post-termination restrictions and confidentiality obligations
advising on the application of TUPE on the sale or purchase of a business, or the outsourcing of services
advising on employment status
advising on employment agencies and employment businesses
defence of employment tribunals

Training

We offer training for your management or any other staff you feel would benefit, including HR staff.

We write and deliver bespoke training on all employment issues, tailored to your requirements and budget. We discuss what you feel would be helpful for staff and design any programme around your needs. We also use your own policies and procedures as we want to ensure any training is going to be useful on a day-to-day basis in the workplace.

Employer Protection Scheme

We know that legal fees can sometimes be an unknown quantity.

We are therefore pleased to offer a fixed fee scheme, which is normally done on an annual retainer basis. We hope this will help you manage your legal costs.

As part of the Scheme, you can also choose to have employment disputes insurance which will provide you with protection in the event a claim is made.

As an integral part of the Scheme we will provide you with an employment health check in respect of your current contracts and employment procedures; access to high quality employment law/HR advice by telephone and/or email, as and when required; and claims representation under the terms of your insurance policy (if applicable).

For any advice required that is not covered by the Scheme, we will be happy to carry out any work at a reduced hourly rate.

Employment Tribunal Fees

Responding to claims at the Employment Tribunal can be a costly matter, and it is always worth considering the commercial basis for settlement thorughout matters.

In general, the cost of us advising and representing companies is usually based on the hourly rate of £225 plus VAT. However, for charitable organisations this will be reduced to the hourly rate of £180 plus VAT.

Although it is difficult to provide exact figures, by way of an estimate, the costs involved could be:

Type of Case	Hours	Cost Estimate
Simple case	20 – 30 hours	£4,500 - £6,750 plus VAT
Medium complexity case	30 – 50 hours	£6,750 - £11,250 plus VAT
High complexity case	50 - 80 hours	£11,250 to £18,000 plus VAT

Please be aware, these are estimates and more specific costings will be provided once we have further information about your personal circumstances.

DISBURSEments

These are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. These may include:

Type of disbursement	Reason	Typical Cost Estimate (subject to quotations)
Counsel’s Opinion	For complex cases, which may include conference with Counsel, if appropriate	£1,000 - £2,500 plus VAT
Counsel’s Fees	For preparation and attendance at any Tribunal hearing, depending on seniority and experience of the barrister	£1,000 - £2,500 plus VAT per day
Expert Report	E.g. Medical report where issue of disability is disputed	£750 - £2,000 plus VAT

Stages of Work

There are various stages to defending an Employment Tribunal claim, and throughout the proceedings there is always the opportunity to negotiate a settlement.

The stages set out below are the minimum stages required in a simple case. Where the case is complex there may be additional stages involved, for example, requiring further preliminary hearings following receipt of any further and better particulars, or any expert reports. This will invariably lengthen the overall timescales involved.

Work

Timescales

Initial Assessment:

Taking instructions

Reviewing documentation

Advice on merits of the risk of a claim being brought (this will be revisited throughout the matter, particularly once documents have been disclosed)

1 – 2 weeks

Early Conciliation (if required):

Assistance with negotiations through ACAS

If settlement is reached, drafting COT3 Agreement

ACAS Early Conciliation process usually takes 1 month, depending on the approach taken by the Employer

Responding to Claim:

Drafting and submission of the ET3 Response Form and Grounds of Resistance (setting out detailed response to the claim)

2 - 3 weeks, complying always with the deadline for submission of the Response as required by the Employment Tribunal

Preliminary Case Management Hearing:

Consideration of issues notified by the Employment Tribunal to be discussed at any Preliminary Case Management Hearing

Attendance at Preliminary Case Management Hearing (usually by telephone for simple cases)

We will be guided by the date set by the Tribunal for any Preliminary Case Management Hearing.

The Tribunal will usually set out a timetable for work required prior to attendance at any final hearing.

Document Disclosure

Preparation of Counter Schedule of Loss

Exchanging documents with the Employee/Employee’s representative

Preparation of an Agreed Bundle of Documents for use at the Tribunal Hearing

This will be set out in the Tribunal Order*

8 - 12 weeks

*This can always be varied by agreement with the Employer/Employer’s representative

Witness Statements

Taking statements for each witness, drafting and agreeing its contents with the witness

Exchanging witness statements with the Employee/Employee’s representative

This will be set out in the Tribunal Order*

Once the Bundle has been finalised, 1 – 2 weeks.

*This can always be varied by agreement with the Employer/Employer’s representative

Final Hearing

Preparation of Instruction to Counsel

Drafting and agreeing a Chronology and List of Issues for the Tribunal’s use

Advising you and your witnesses on the process of the hearing itself

Attendance at hearing (if required)

Simple case hearings will usually be listed for 1 – 2 days

Medium case hearings can be listed for 2 – 3 days

High complexity case hearings could be listed for 5 days and over.

In terms of overall timescales, it depends on the approach taken by the parties, the complexity of the case, and ultimately the Tribunal’s capacity for listing hearings. From the start to attending a final hearing, it could therefore take anywhere between 6 and 18 months.

Get in touch

If you would like more information please call 01823 282 291 or fill out the enquiry form on our contact page.

SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS ➤

Organisations