Sarah Austin
Sarah is a Partner in the Employment and Immigration team.
Sarah has extensive experience of advising on TUPE, collective consultation and restructure/redundancy. She also regularly advises on disputes with and exit of senior employees.
Sarah leads the corporate support unit within the Employment team, assisting the firm’s corporate lawyers with the employment aspects of the sale and purchase of businesses. She has particular experience of advising private equity funds on the employment aspects of investments.
Sarah frequently delivers training to clients both in-house and at the employment team’s breakfast briefings. She works with mainly private sector and third sector employers, and has a particular experience and knowledge of the manufacturing, media and tech industries.
Sarah has assisted us on a number of employment matters, ranging from advice concerning individual employment issues to providing support and guidance in managing in depth TUPE programmes.
On all occasions Sarah’s advice has been first class, she is extremely knowledgeable in her field, providing sound advice. I have always found Sarah to be trustworthy and supportive.
Scott Wood, Executive Director Essex and Home Counties, Tindle Newspapers Limited
- Advising a private nursery when they acquired the nursery operated by a South Wales university, supporting the directors to ensure compliance with CSSIW requirements, and customer considerations.
- Acting on the case for a door manufacturer on the termination of a contract with one supplier for the supply of goods and services to Wilko and award of the contract to a new supplier. Due to the provision of services this gave rise to a TUPE transfer of certain employees.
- Advised the HR team at a major global communication firm on the proposed restructure/streamlining of various divisions within the company, involving the removal of 45 roles.
- Acting for a labour outsourcing company to negotiate settlement terms with a departing director alleging constructive dismissal and sex discrimination, avoiding an Employment Tribunal claim.
- Drafting a suite of agreements for use by a client specialising in mobile satellite communications in relation to contingent workers, together with advice on worker classification.
- Advising a government owned organisation on the closure of its defined benefit pension scheme and move back into the Civil Service pension scheme, including advice on the collective consultation process, providing correspondence and timelines and working with pensions consultants giving education sessions to employee and union representatives.
- Collective consultation
- Consultancy agreements
- Corporate support
- Employment law training
- Employment tribunals
- Outsourcing
- Restrictive covenants
- Redundancy
- Restructuring
- Service agreements
- TUPE
- Unfair dismissal claims
Career
- Partner, Capital Law Limited (Nov 2018 – present)
- Senior Associate, Capital Law Limited (Jan 2018 – Nov 2018)
- Associate, Capital Law LLP (2014 – 2018)
- Associate, Foot Anstey LLP (2014)
- Solicitor, Foot Anstey LLP (2006 – 2014)
- Trainee Solicitor, Foot Anstey LLP (2004 – 2006)
Education
- Cardiff University: LPC (2002 – 2003)
- Exeter University: LLB, Law (1999 – 2002)
Memberships / Trustee Positions
- The Law Society of England and Wales
- Employment Lawyers’ Association