Services A-Z     Pricing

Employment

Employment and Partnership Lawyers,
acting for Directors, Executives, Partners, Employers and Firms

We explain the legal implications of employment and partnership issues clearly and concisely. Drawing on many years of experience, and our commercial and strategic expertise, we help our clients to resolve sensitive disputes creatively, and deliver results in line with their commercial or personal objectives.

Find out how our Employment Lawyers can help

"They are focused on creating a seamless experience for the client."

Chambers and Partners, 2025

'They bring a sensitive, client-centric approach to each project.’

The Legal 500, 2025

'I think what makes them unique is the pragmatic, business focused advice we get.'

The Legal 500, 2025

'A trustworthy partner.'

The Legal 500, 2025

'They are easy to do business with.’

The Legal 500, 2025

"The level of care and attention, in addition to the all-important superb knowledge and technical skills, was invaluable."

The Legal 500, 2024

"They are hidden gems."

The Legal 500, 2024

"provide excellent, timely advice that is always on point"

Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2024

"Kingsley Napley work with our business as a true partner"

Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2024

"The client service at Kingsley Napley made me feel that things were under control - the situation was always well managed. Emails and calls were answered promptly and politely and kept me appraised on progress."

A client, Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2023

"Everyone involved was phenomenal, I felt continually assured by the capacity and capabilities of the entire firm."

A client, Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2023

"I've been very happy with the pragmatic and responsive approach they take to complex issues, which helps me to get on and execute the changes I need. They are always very clear and concise in their advice."

A client, Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2023

"All of the solicitors I worked with were able to quickly assimilate the critical information and provide advice that was both comprehensive and pragmatic"

A client, Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2023

"The lawyers have expertly guided me through complex employment law and provided me with prompt advice. It is clear that the employment lawyers work collegiately and collaboratively."

A client, Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2023

"They provided sound advice tactically as well as being a useful sounding board. They provided exceptional service."

Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2023

Our employment lawyers specialise in complex employment and partnership matters with high stakes. We provide support and services to employers, executives and Partnerships & LLPs.

 

Employment law specialists

Our employment solicitors act for a broad range of employers including entrepreneurial start-ups, well established public companies and professional services firms. We also focus our practice on representing senior executives and board directors, partners, entrepreneurs, high profile public figures, and high net worth individuals.

Whilst we are employment specialists, we regularly build cross departmental teams to deliver a seamless client service, for example in matters that require the involvement of Kingsley Napley’s immigration, corporate & commercial, criminal and regulatory teams.  

The work we do

Below are our key services, however,  if you do not find what you are looking for, pick up the phone and give us a call, or email us. We will almost certainly have come across a similar issue to the one you face – and will have learnt from the experience.

Discrimination

 

EXITS AND RESTRUCTURES

 

Investigations

 

LLPS, Partnerships AND REGULATED professions

 

Policies and procedures

 

Further Information

If you have any questions or require employment advice, please email our employment law team.

Our fees

Most of our services are offered on an hourly rate basis and as many of our clients’ matters are complex and often involve multiple parties, there is rarely a typical case. Our clients are given an estimate of costs after our initial meeting or as part of the engagement process. There are some areas where we are able to be more indicative and, as in accordance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) guidance on price transparency, we have published our price and service information where it is possible to be upfront about charges without knowing all the details of the matter.

Fees for employment tribunal claims

The services we provide include both pursuing and defending employment tribunal claims and appeals.  Most of the claims in which we act are complex claims involving not only claims of unfair and wrongful dismissal but also whistleblowing, discrimination, equal pay or other claims.  Whilst we do straightforward claims from time to time it is always necessary to weigh up whether the potential outcome of the matter can justify the costs involved. 

 

KEY STAGES

The key stages of a claim which are covered within our normal fees are as follows:

  1. Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
  2. Entering into Early conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
  3. Preparing claim or response
  4. Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
  5. Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
  6. Preparing or considering a schedule of loss
  7. Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
  8. Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
  9. Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
  10. Preparing bundle of documents
  11. Reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements
  12. Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
  13. Preparation and attendance at trial including any separate hearing to determine compensation, including instructions to Counsel

The key stages set out above are an indication. If some of stages are not required, the fee will be lower. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged in accordance with your individual needs. 

If there are additional stages the costs will be higher.  Additional stages include:

  • Making or responding to additional applications, for example applications for specific disclosure, to strike out a claim, to seek additional time to take a step in the process, to seek an unless order to compel the other side to complete a step in the process.
  • Joining additional parties or dealing with additional parties.
  • Amending pleadings.
  • Dealing with appeals

 

WORK WE DO NOT UNDERTAKE

  • We advise on employment but not on tax or pensions. If you need specific advice on these matters we can arrange for you to receive this from other specialists in these fields. 
  • When advocacy is required we generally instruct counsel save for some preliminary hearings which we conduct ourselves.

THE BASIS OF OUR CHARGES

We generally base our fees on hourly rates although on some work we are able to offer fixed fees. The current members of our team and their hourly rates are as follows:

  • Partner - £600 - £675
  • Consultant - £570
  • Legal Director - £550
  • Senior associate - £430 - £475
  • Associate - £320 - £440
  • Trainee solicitor - £230

These hourly rates do not include VAT (currently at 20%).

Disbursements are payable In addition to these charges. Disbursements are amounts we pay to third parties for expenses such as travel costs and counsel’s fees.

FEES

Every case is different and many of our cases are complex and involve multiple parties and claims and difficult legal issues. There is no such thing as a typical case. However, for convenience we have divided employment tribunal claims into three bands according to complexity.

An employment tribunal claim involving only claims of unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal will normally, but not always be a simple claim.

FACTORS THAT MAKE CASES MORE COMPLEX

  • If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if an employee is dismissed after making a public interest disclosure (blowing the whistle on the employer).
  • If there are allegations of discrimination or other claims which are linked to the dismissal.
  • If there are multiple claimants or respondents to the claim.
  • If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim.
  • Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties) or whether the tribunal is able to hear the claim due to jurisdictional or time limit issues.
  • The number of witnesses and documents.  If there is a large volume of documents it may be necessary to use e-disclosure software to manage the process.
  • Evidence of expert witnesses including experts’ reports.
  • Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person.
  • Making or defending a costs application.

OUR PRICING FOR BRINGING AND DEFENDING CLAIMS FOR UNFAIR OR WRONGFUL DISMISSAL

  • Simple case: £30,000-£60,000 (excluding VAT and disbursements)
  • Medium complexity case: £50,000-£120,000 (excluding VAT and disbursements)
  • High complexity case: £100,000-£250,000 (excluding VAT and disbursements)

These figures are all based on the case continuing through to trial.  In reality most cases are resolved before trial.

Cases of medium or high complexity may include claims of wrongful or unfair dismissal but will usually involve other claims as well.  Typically high complexity cases will involve claims of discrimination or whistleblowing.

Each day of a tribunal hearing will incur a charge based on the time spent and the hourly rate of the lawyer. This will typically be over £2,000 (excluding VAT). These costs are included within the bands of fees outlined above.  In addition counsel’s fees will be incurred each day that the hearing continues (see below).

Generally, we would expect a hearing lasting 1-2 days for a simple case, 2-4 days for a medium complexity case and 5 days or more for a high complexity case.

DISBURSEMENTS

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as counsel’s fees, expert’s fees, travel expenses and court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Counsel's fees vary according to the experience of the individual counsel.  Fees for a hearing are usually based on a brief fee which covers the cost of preparation and the first day of the hearing and “refresher” or a daily rate which is payable for the second and each subsequent day of the hearing. Typical fees for counsel are as follows:

Simple case: 

  • Brief fee £2,000-£4,000 (excluding VAT)
  • Refresher £1,000-£2,000 (excluding VAT)                                                       

Medium complexity case:

  • Brief fee £4,000-£12,000 (excluding VAT)
  • Refresher £1,000-£3,000 (excluding VAT)             

High complexity case:

  • Brief fee £6,000-£75,000 (excluding VAT)
  • Refresher £1,500- £5,000 (excluding VAT)

HOW LONG WILL MY MATTER TAKE?

The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 2-4 weeks. The aim of employment tribunals is to conclude all cases within 26 weeks of the claim starting but in reality it may take longer to conclude, often 40-60 weeks from the claim starting to the final hearing. This is an estimate and we will be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.

 

 

What Clients and directories have said

The team at Kingsley remained calm and supportive through the complex issues, enabling me and my team to feel at ease with the situation."

Chambers and Partners, 2025

They are focused on creating a seamless experience for the client. They are all responsive and helpful."

Chambers and Partners, 2025

It's a very attentive team which accommodates as much as possible."

Chambers and Partners, 2025

A lot of senior level involvement.’

The Legal 500, 2025

The team are clearly knowledgeable in their field, very approachable, and responsive. ’

The Legal 500, 2025

Teams who are thoughtfully put together to bring a complementary skillset and chemistry fit based on client culture.’

The Legal 500, 2025

Lots of legal firms say they bring a personal approach but KN truly deliver on this. They bring a sensitive, client-centric approach to each project.’

The Legal 500, 2025

All members of the team were supportive, understanding and most importantly readily available for all inquiries and questions I had.’

The Legal 500, 2025

They are professional and their attention to detail made them a trustworthy partner in my unique retirement and redundancy package.’

The Legal 500, 2025

Great team to work with.’

The Legal 500, 2025

It really is about the relationship that Corinne and the team build here. They have an ability to do this quickly, keeping conversations to a reasonable length, whilst at the same time creating the influence they need to make me as a client feel ever so supported.' 

The Legal 500, 2025

They understand our culture and give us very sound advice and option. They are easy to do business with.’

The Legal 500, 2025

There is a professional relationship built from respect and alignment with our company culture. They have people who specialise in various areas that we are able to tap into.’

The Legal 500, 2025

I use KN to support me on complex employment issues in the UK. I think what makes them unique is the pragmatic, business focused advice we get.'

The Legal 500, 2025

Kingsley Napley understand our business very well to the extent that their advice is not just about how to solve a specific legal issue, but also how to think about it more broadly so there isn't any additional commercial impact."

Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2024

The firm provide excellent, timely advice that is always on point and commercially relevant."

Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2024

They are empathetic and aware of the challenging nature of the employment issues we deal with and advise us on how to manage the human aspects of these cases as well as the procedural."

Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2024

Kingsley Napley have a wide breadth of knowledge and specialisms including complex disciplinary and regulatory matters. The team provides extremely strong advice on commercial awareness and how to manage this."

Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2024

Kingsley Napley work with our business as a true partner, which has greatly assisted us in considering options when dealing with more complex cases."

Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2024

Top quality private client department and employment lawyers at affordable prices. They are hidden gems."

The Legal 500, 2024

The team is easy to deal with, very accessible and quick to understand the details of the situation/case."

The Legal 500, 2024

A good team spanning employment and partnership disputes. They have good experience of dealing with senior executives and partners."

The Legal 500, 2024

My experience is of the team working well together with a seamless service."

The Legal 500, 2024

The level of care and attention, in addition to the all-important superb knowledge and technical skills, was invaluable."

The Legal 500, 2024

The team’s professionalism and knowledge of the field was very strong."

The Legal 500, 2024

They have many subject matter experts who easily weigh in on various topics: employment law and contracts, policies. They provide great legal and compliance updates needed to keep up with every evolving legislation."

The Legal 500, 2024

They are very easy to work with and accessible. They make the best of efforts and respond to our sense of urgency."

The Legal 500, 2024

The team provides a great service. They work collaboratively with us to ensure the best result for the business. They are always very well prepared with the highest standard of professionalism, managing our expectations at the same time as finding creative solutions to complex issues."

The Legal 500, 2024

The team at Kingsley Napley have a really good grasp of higher education and the challenges we are facing. They have also taken time to really get to know us as an organisation."

The Legal 500, 2024

I have found that all of the team at Kingsley Napley use easy-to-understand language when giving us advice even when this may relate to quite complex legal issues."

The Legal 500, 2024

Very hands-on and pragmatic advice, a good understanding of the clients’ needs, and solution-oriented. Excellent value for money and very responsive."

The Legal 500, 2024

Very high quality and reliable team."

The Legal 500, 2024

I have used Kingsley Napley LLP for my personal employment matters when joining and leaving high profile PLC and Private Equity roles. I have been immensely impressed with their knowledge and service. At these sensitive times I have felt comforted and reassured that they have my best interests at heart. I deal with one partner who has a knowledgeable team around them, and can pull in specialist resources when needed. They have responded to my inevitably short deadlines without delay and have impressed my employers with their professionalism and knowledge."

Legal 500 UK, 2023

In the league in which Kingsley Napley compete, an expert team is a given. To my mind what makes them unique is their common sense and sense of humanity about litigation."

Legal 500 UK, 2023

They were smart, thought outside of the box and were sensitive to what we needed rather than just box-ticking."

Legal 500 UK, 2023

The lawyers offer good, strong and practical advice, with a pragmatic and very responsive approach to their clients."

Chambers and Partners, 2022

They stand out for their sector expertise, pragmatic approach and exceptional client service."

Chambers and Partners, 2022

 

 

Employment Insights

View all

Blogs

Pride in the paths to parenthood

The New Right to Neonatal Care Leave and Pay – What Employers Need to Know

Supporting staff when they need it most

Employment Rights Bill: how it could transform the UK

SRA Guidance – internal investigations and guidance for in-house advisers

Protected Conversations under section 111A of the Employment Rights Act

Named respondents liable even if employer is also found to be liable

Preventing sexual harassment in the workplace – how to prepare for the party season

Extra time

Modern families and their rights at work – how we can help

What Can Employers and Workers Expect From the Labour Government?

100 Years of Employment Law in the UK and France

The investigation blind spot (employee wellbeing)

Engaging and terminating managing directors in Europe

The King’s Speech – roadmap for employment law reform

EHRC consultation: Updated guidance on sexual harassment

AI in Recruitment

Settling future employment claims – it’s all in the drafting

The Labour Party manifesto 2024: Key employment law pledges

Parting ways with LLP partners – top tips on partner exits

Whistleblower protection and proposals for reform

Tackling the snail’s pace progress in addressing sexism in the City

WhatsUp? When instant messaging causes trouble

Changes to holiday pay and entitlements

New EHRC guidance: Supporting menopause in the workplace

Driving change for Race Equality Week 2024

New year, same ethnicity pay gap concerns – still no mandatory reporting

Employment law changes to expect in 2024

Bankers’ bonuses uncapped

Supreme Court confirms the Administrator of Sports Direct subsidiary is not an officer within the meaning of TULRCA

LLPs should review their membership arrangements urgently following recent binding tax decision

Thematic Review on the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements in workplace complaints - SRA reports further room for improvement

How should employers respond to complaints of bullying in the workplace?

Company investigations: Common traps and how to avoid them

The senior managers certification regime (SMCR) – fitness and propriety

Workplace bullying in law firms – a new frontier?

Does the Raab affair provide sufficient clarity on what is meant by “bullying”?

Non-financial misconduct under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime

Allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace: innocent until proven 'guilty'?

The four-day week – will requests be on the rise for Employers?

Alternatives to redundancies – Top 10 tips for employers

One for all: SRA regulation for staff

LLP partner exits: what you need to know

Supporting staff during the menopause

LLP Partners – Secure in the Equity?

How HR should prepare for a workplace investigation

Improving diversity at the top

Proposed changes to the flexible working regime

Is a personality clash in the Boardroom a fair reason for dismissal?

What rights do employees accused of bullying have?

Disciplining an employee for posting racist comments online

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