Josie Beal

Josie joined Birketts upon qualification in September 2016. She is a Legal Director in our Employment Team.

Josie has considerable experience providing specialist employment advice on a wide range of matters, including complex employee relations issues; redundancies, restructures and change projects; TUPE transfers; employee exits; restrictive covenant matters and more. Josie prides herself on her personable and pragmatic approach, and on taking the time to build relationships with her clients to fully understand their business and help them achieve their objectives.

Josie is also experienced in assisting employers with complex and multi-day claims in the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeals Tribunal, including unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, breach of contract and unlawful deductions from wages.

Josie has particular experience within the education sector and regularly acts for independent schools, multi-academy trusts, universities and other education institutions, in addition to acting as legal adviser to professional conduct panels of the Teaching Regulation Agency. Josie also frequently works with clients in the technology, hospitality, leisure and retail sectors has particular experience in providing employment assistance to hospitality and leisure sector clients in relation to share sales, business acquisitions, restructures and sales.

Recent work highlights

Advising an independent school on the successful defence of a complex unfair dismissal and whistleblowing claim in the Employment Tribunal.

Advising a client in the technology sector on a large-scale redundancy exercise which was completed without any unfair dismissal claims arising.

Advising a client in the hospitality sector in respect of multiple acquisitions, including requirements under TUPE.

Advising aAdvising a large hospitality client on the successful defence of a disability discrimination claim in the Employment Tribunal and in subsequent Employment Appeal Tribunal proceedings.

Advising on the acquisition of a leading digital healthcare solutions provider including consultation requirements under TUPE.

Advising clients in respect of holiday pay arrangements following recent legal developments in this regard.