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The New Right to Neonatal Care Leave and Pay – What Employers Need to Know
Nikola Southern
FRENCH VERSION / VERSION FRANÇAISE
Niki combines technical rigour with commercial nous and a pragmatic, strategic approach to place clients in the best possible position to avoid litigation, initiate claims or, for employers, provide a strong defence to any claims and reach favourable resolutions. As a testament to her expertise, Niki is also recognised by Chambers and Partners, UK 2024 and in their 2024 Global Guide.
Niki advises on the full range of contentious and non-contentious employment law. She acts for employers, LLPs, senior executives (including directors), partners and consultants from a broad range of (often regulated) sectors including the legal, professional, financial, higher education, medical, retail, and media sectors.
Working closely with heads of HR, General Counsel and senior leaders, Niki provides advice to support their effective management of what are often sensitive, business-critical issues, which arise throughout the employment relationship including: drafting and negotiating contracts of employment, service agreements and buy-out agreements; managing employee exits; high value severance arrangements; grievance, whistleblowing and disciplinary processes (including under the Maintaining High Professional Standards in the NHS); performance management; sickness absence; discrimination; bullying and harassment; TUPE, redundancy and reorganisations. Advice on business protection is an important aspect of this day-to-day support which includes: drafting of post termination restrictions and confidentiality provisions; enforcement of those provisions (including applications for injunctive relief); advice on team moves; and the use of mediation to resolve disputes.
Niki provides advice to senior executives in all of the above areas with a particular focus on the negotiation of exit terms, often for individuals in the financial services sector, which take into account bonus provision, deferred remuneration arrangements and post-termination restrictions.
Investigations work, including investigations into sexual misconduct, forms a substantial part of Niki’s practice. In conjunction with specialist lawyers from across Kingsley Napley (particularly from our Regulatory, Dispute Resolution, Criminal and Public Law teams), Niki advises (or facilitates advice to) employers and LLPs, senior executives and partners on the conduct of investigations using internal or external investigators and all related matters including: planning and managing the investigation; suspension; management of employment relationships; employee/partner support; legal rights of those involved in the investigation; concurrent criminal and/or regulatory investigations; anonymity; data protection and reputation management.
Niki’s strong litigation practice informs all other areas of her advice. For 20 years, she has successfully pursued and defended numerous hard-fought cases in the High Court, Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal including for breach of contract, wrongful and unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing and equal pay.
Niki co-edits the employment precedents in Thomson Reuter’s Practical Commercial Precedents.
Recent Employer work
- Advising a major London employer on the management of a complex grievance process in relation to disability discrimination and pay.
- Providing TUPE advice to a fashion agency on the closure of its business.
- Acting for a higher education institution on process for managing an employee with serious mental health illness.
- Defending a claim for equal pay (equal value and like work), sex discrimination and unfair dismissal for a publishing company.
- Advising on the reviewing of senior pay to resolve historic inequalities.
- Bespoke drafting of employment contracts, consultancy agreements, privacy notices and handbook for a global employer in the publishing sector.
Recent Senior executive work
- Representing a senior oil broker in his high-value, hard-fought claims in the High Court and Employment Tribunal for breach of contract, unfair dismissal and age discrimination.
- Advising a senior sales executive in a long-running dispute regarding unlawful practices by the employer and discriminatory treatment of her on the grounds of race and sex.
- Negotiating exit packages for lawyers who were put at risk during their maternity leave, were not properly consulted or considered for suitable alternative roles.
- Advising a senior executive with particularly high value deferred remuneration (requiring close review of plans and consequential amendment to the termination documentation) on his exit from a financial services firm.
- Negotiation of the exit of an individual from a key position in a higher education institution following long-running bullying.
What clients and the directories say
Nikola is my go-to lawyer whenever I need commercial advice and a strategic outlook. She is excellent on every level."
Chambers and Partners, 2025
Nikola is always very responsive and quick to address concerns raised."
Chambers and Partners, 2025
Nikola Southern is an absolute pleasure to work with. She is warm, personable and an extremely competent and skilled employment lawyer. She is also incredibly responsive and communicative, which is rare at her level.'
The Legal 500, 2025
Niki Southern. I find that she has a good understanding of my business and its particular context and challenges - this means that the advice and support she gives is immediately helpful.'
The Legal 500, 2025
Niki Southern is extremely commercially minded, articulate, to the point and provides immense confidence to my clients in very tricky situations. I would recommend her to anyone and everyone!’
The Legal 500, 2025
Nikola is always very responsive and quick to address concerns raised."
Chambers and Partners, 2025
She is excellent on every level."
Chambers and Partners, 2025
She is our main contact and is excellent and very responsive. Her advice is always easy to understand even when it relates to complex legal matters.
Chambers and Partners, 2024
She is an incredible adviser and trusted partner."
Chambers and Partners, 2024
I credit Niki Southern for being able to grasp any complex employment issues and deploying the best resources in handling the various levels of work involved efficiently, cost-effectively and to a high standard."
Chambers and Partners, 2024
Nikola is highly knowledgeable and provides amazing support."
Chambers and Partners, 2024
extremely knowledgeable…able to advise of any potential risks and suggest options/solutions to recommend to my client group, minimising potential risks to the University and solving complex cases…first class in the services she provides. I would certainly recommend her.”
HR Adviser at leading London university
Nikola has taken the time to understand how our business works and how we can understand and implement best legal practice. Extremely patient, diligent and on hand to answer the smallest to the largest of questions…I wholly recommend her to others in need of supportive legal advice.”
Co-Founder and Director of a recruitment agency
Memberships & PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
- Association of Partnership Practitioners
- Chambers and Partners, UK 2024 - Band 5: Employment: Employer
- Chambers and Partners, Global Guide 2024 – Band 5: Employment
- Employment Lawyers Association
- European Employment Lawyers Association
- Discrimination Law Association (DLA)
- Industrial Law Society (ILS)
Publications & Press highlights
- Quoted in relation to the number of women employed in the Financial/Insurance sector in IFA Magazine, Professional Adviser, Credit Connect, Insurance Times and International Adviser, August 2023
- World Menopause Day - time to break the taboo! October 2021
- Off-payroll working rules in the private sector – the change is near, March 2021
- Gender Pay Gap reporting – where are we now and what about ethnicity pay gap reporting? October 2020
- Following on from Furlough: the new Job Support Scheme, September 2020
- The post-lockdown return to work: what are the key considerations for employers? September 2020
- Improving racial diversity in the workplace - (co-authored with Clodagh Hogan) article in People Management, August 2020
- BAME Livelihoods Matter – Taking Positive Action, July 2020
- Changing terms and conditions: when furlough is not enough, May 2020
- Fixing the broken rung - action to improve gender balance, 2019
She is extremely approachable and prepared to take time both to understand the needs of the client as well as to explain complex legal issues and options in a clear and accessible way. Her advice is always timely, comprehensive, well-informed and non-judgemental.”
HR consultant
Nikola Southern was amazing. She understood the issues quickly, gave clear advice which was practical and easy to understand. I felt very much that I was in the best pair of hands for the unpleasant situation I was in. I felt that the support and empathy Niki had helped me was very much appreciated."
Legal 500 UK 2023
