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15 March 2013 / Ian Smith
Issue: 7552 / Categories: Features , Employment
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Working it out

Ian Smith studies the stories making employment law headlines

Employment law in one guise or another is rarely out of the news, and one example of that recently has been the controversy over gagging clauses in settlements, with the NHS and the BBC coming in for considerable criticism on this ground. The first case considered this month arose in the different context of whistleblowing but it is suggested that it could also be significant in relation to compromise agreements seeking to prevent future spilling of various beans. The second case contains a reaffirmation by the Court of Appeal of some pretty basic stuff on the use of warnings in a misconduct case, and is also notable for an expression of exasperation by the court at the excessive length and complexity of what should have been a relatively straightforward (not to say old-fashioned) misconduct case.

Whistleblowing

Onyango v Berkeley Solicitors UKEAT/0407/12 (25 January 2013, unreported) is a short but very much to-the-point decision by the EAT under Judge Clark which makes an important

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Nikki Bowker, Devonshires

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Nikki Bowker, head of litigation and dispute resolution at Devonshires, on career resilience, diversity in law and channelling Elle Woods when the pressure is on

Ellisons—Sarah Osborne

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Leasehold enfranchisement specialist joins residential property team

DWF—Chris Air

DWF—Chris Air

Firm strengthens commercial team in Manchester with partner appointment

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
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