Joanna Lawson

Joanna is the People Advisory Director in the Firm's Employment department.

Joanna advises employers and employees on both contentious and non-contentious aspects of the law, including: discrimination; restrictive covenants; HR advisory; unfair dismissal; data theft and the misappropriation of confidential information and other contractual issues.

Alongside Joanna's day-to-day advisory work, she regularly advises clients on litigious matters and has experience in the Employment Tribunal, High Court and appellate courts. Recent examples include representing corporate clients in defending unfair dismissal, whistleblowing and discrimination claims and defending injunctive proceedings in the High Court. She also regularly advises individuals and businesses on matters relating to breaches of restrictive covenants, data theft and team moves.

Joanna works across a range of business sectors, with a wealth of experience in the recruitment, fashion and retail sectors.

She is part of the Firm's cross-departmental Recruitment Services Group and a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.

Key Experience

• Acts for a number of fashion, retail and luxury markets clients. This includes providing regular employment advice to a major global luxury goods and fashion group. Joanna also represents a luxury goods department store in relation to all litigious and non-litigious employment law matters, including advising on a number of employment tribunal claims.
• Acts for a number of recruitment clients. Joanna regularly advises on contentious matters including team moves and matters relating to breach of post-termination restrictions and data misappropriation. This includes advising on the strategy to adopt when bringing a claim, including consideration of the remedies available, including injunctive relief, such as delivery up and forensic IT searches, enforcement of restrictive covenants and onerous springboard relief. Joanna also has experience in acting for recruitment clients in defending such action.
• Acts for senior executives advising on the full life-cycle of the employment relationship, including providing advice on the termination of their employment.
• Assisted in litigation in the High Court and Court of Appeal for an investor in a property development joint venture against well-known UK property developers for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty on the basis of diversion of funds and opportunities belonging to the joint venture.
• Conducted in an in-depth investigation into allegations levelled at a client within the education sector by a whistle blower, which were later picked up by the press. Joanna was part of the team responsible for producing an in-depth report, which was presented to, amongst others, the Department for Education.

Career History

Managing Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Trainee Solicitor, Mishcon de Reya LLP
University of Birmingham, BA (Hons) History and Philosophy