Liam Varnam

Advocate

Experience

Liam’s practice covers every major area of employment law, including unfair dismissal, race, sex, disability, age, and part-time worker discrimination, sexual harassment, TUPE, and breach of contract claims. He has extensive experience of representing both employers and employees before employment tribunals across England, and has also conducted cases in the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

Liam enjoys a high success rate in tribunal. In addition, he has frequently been able to secure the favourable resolution of matters without the need to go to tribunal, either through negotiating an advantageous settlement, or by having the other side’s case struck out without progressing to a full hearing. He is able to conduct a case at every stage of proceedings, from drafting the initial pleadings, through gathering evidence and drafting witness statements, to conducting the hearing and, if necessary, the appeal.

Liam is able to explain complex legal points with clarity and accuracy. However, he also understands the importance of other commercial or personal factors, and is able to give advice which takes as much account of practical realities as of legal principles. This has enabled Liam to work effectively with a wide variety of clients, from recently dismissed employees to the owners of small businesses and the directors of large companies.

Recent/Notable Cases

  • Pewter v Selfora Ltd – UKEAT/0245/09/SM – successful appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal on the meaning of ‘employee’
  • McMullen v PS Photay & Associates, Equal Opportunities Review (EOR No. 192 (September 2009)) – unfair dismissal and sex discrimination
  • Successfully represented two employees in an unfair dismissal (redundancy) claim, heard over four days and resulting in a total award of over £45,000
  • Successfully represented a cleaning company in a three-day unfair dismissal and race discrimination claim brought by a former manager
  • Represented a charity in an unfair dismissal, race discrimination, and disability discrimination claim, securing the striking out of the claim without progressing to the full hearing
  • Recently defended a care home in a three-day sex discrimination (pregnancy) case, involving allegations of harassment, discriminatory dismissal, and discrimination by way of a failure to provide an adequate risk assessment (judgment awaited)
  • Currently representing a Respondent before the Employment Appeal Tribunal, in a case where the Employment Tribunal’s findings at the original hearing are alleged to have been perverse
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Professional Memberships

Professional Background
and Education

  • Inns of Court School of Law, Bar Vocational Course, Very Competent
  • University of Reading, LLM (Th)
  • King's College London, LLB (Hons)