header-logo header-logo

07 August 2025
Categories: Movers & Shakers , Profession
printer mail-detail

Watershed—Rachel Richardson

Northern Ireland footprint grows with senior employment law hire in Belfast

Employment law firm Watershed has appointed Rachel Richardson as an employment lawyer, furthering its expansion across Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Based in Belfast, Rachel brings over 20 years’ post-qualification experience and joins from DWF, where she led the employment team in Northern Ireland.

Dual-qualified in Northern Ireland and Great Britain, Rachel has built a reputation for handling complex, multi-jurisdictional employment matters. ‘It’s refreshing to join a firm where senior lawyers are empowered to deliver high-quality work without the politics of partnership structures,’ she said. Her expertise spans TUPE, senior executive exits, and discrimination and whistleblowing claims.

Rachel has represented clients from family-run businesses to PLCs, and her advocacy includes multi-day hearings in both the Industrial and Fair Employment Tribunal in Northern Ireland and Employment Tribunals in England. Her appointment supports Watershed’s strategy to attract senior lawyers seeking high-impact work in a non-hierarchical environment.

Victoria Young, head of firm, commented: ‘Rachel’s reputation speaks for itself… she brings outstanding technical ability, real-world pragmatism, and a strong track record of leading teams and complex cases.’ Watershed, part of Collinson Grant, continues to advise major employers on legal matters tied to business transformation, including union negotiations and C-suite investigations.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Haynes Boone—Jeremy Cross

Haynes Boone—Jeremy Cross

Firm strengthens global fund finance practice with London partner hire.

DWF—Stephen Webb

DWF—Stephen Webb

Partner and head of national planning team appointed

mfg Solicitors—Nick Little

mfg Solicitors—Nick Little

Corporate team expands in Birmingham with partner hire

NEWS
Contract damages are usually assessed at the date of breach—but not always. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Gascoigne, knowledge lawyer at LexisNexis, examines the growing body of cases where courts have allowed later events to reshape compensation
The Supreme Court has restored ‘doctrinal coherence’ to unfair prejudice litigation, writes Natalie Quinlivan, partner at Fieldfisher LLP, in this week' NLJ
The High Court’s refusal to recognise a prolific sperm donor as a child’s legal parent has highlighted the risks of informal conception arrangements, according to Liam Hurren, associate at Kingsley Napley, in NLJ this week
The Court of Appeal’s decision in Mazur may have settled questions around litigation supervision, but the profession should not simply ‘move on’, argues Jennifer Coupland, CEO of CILEX, in this week's NLJ
A simple phrase like ‘subject to references’ may not protect employers as much as they think. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, analyses recent employment cases showing how conditional job offers can still create binding contracts
back-to-top-scroll