Catherine Johnson

Partner
  • Experience
  • Other Information

Catherine qualified as a Solicitor in 1999. She joined Birketts’ Employment Team from an international City law firm in 2009. Catherine heads up the Ipswich Employment Team and advises high profile clients, many of whom are well known brands and household names, in all areas of contentious and non-contentious employment law.

Collective Information and Consultation Exercises and Large Projects

Catherine specialises in advising and assisting her clients to run large-scale projects (including the information and consultation processes) whether that be a setting up and assisting HR Operations and Shared Service functions (with the assistance of our on-line HR portal (HR Boss), corporate M&A, facilities management, TUPE transfers, harmonisation/ variation of terms and conditions and contracts of employment, restructuring and business relocations all on a national and international scale. 

Bulk Settlement Agreements and Collective Redundancy Exercises

Catherine runs a team who advise and assist organisations in conducting the process of collective redundancy exercises and/or collective / bulk settlement agreements in the most efficient and cost effective manner. Some of this work has been derived out of Covid-19 and the need to restructure, furlough staff or make collective redundancies.

Strategic HR/People advice

Catherine partners with organisations to assist and advise on HR and people strategies including People team design, priorities, implementation and landing large projects within the business, engagement and culture. This work is often with the CPO/HRD, CEO and COO.  

Employment Law and HR for the Tech Sector and Start-ups

Many of Catherine’s clients are in this technology space and she advises them on all aspects of employment law ensuring that the relevant business has the right HR Operations foundations in place often after a rapid period of growth or in preparation for an IPO. Catherine works closely with HR Operations experts on ensuring that appropriate HR policy, principles and practices are in place and with CPO’s on their strategic aims for their People Plans and Senior Executive hires and exits sometimes with a Settlement Agreement.

Employment Law and HR for Hospitality and Leisure

Due to her expertise in relation to the hospitality sector, she leads Birketts’ Hospitality and Leisure sector team.

Multiple Volume Employment Tribunal Services

Catherine runs a team of specialist employment lawyers who run volume/ multiple employment tribunal claims. The team create an efficient, cost effective and streamlined process for claims. They work with a wide range of clients who have multiple ET claims and work alongside these clients to efficiently run each stage of the process effectively and firmly whilst being pragmatic and commercial where appropriate.  

Senior Executives – Hires and Exits

Catherine works with her clients on a wide range of Senior Executive matters (offers of employment, Executive service agreements, directorships and (confidential) senior exits) using Settlement Agreements along with advising on implementing and enforcing restrictive covenants. Catherine adopts a partnering approach whether that is with the CPO, CEO, CFO or Chair to plan Executive matters particularly complex and highly confidential exits where often advice has to be external and subject to NDA’s. 

Catherine is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA).  Catherine is Vice-President of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce. Catherine is also a Board Member of the Ipswich Vision and the Ipswich Town Fund (Government funded) for regeneration of which Suffolk Chamber of Commerce is a partner.

Catherine is recommended by Legal 500 [UK 2021]. Clients in this edition say “Catherine Johnson has helped me on numerous occasions with a whole host of different HR issues. Catherine is knowledgeable, efficient and I trust her advice and judgement implicitly. Catherine will always take the time to talk through her advice in a clear and concise way, and in doing so has enabled me to grow my own knowledge.” Another adds “Catherine Johnson was recommended to me by a colleague whose judgement I trust. I was not disappointed.”

Catherine’s hobbies include:

  • Enthusiastic runner – She has put her marathon days behind her but has set a target of 50 miles a month which is far more manageable!
  • Along with Pure Resourcing, she judges the Suffolk Business Awards Best Employer – it is so rewarding to see how the people agenda is a priority for businesses. 
  • Aperol Spritz connoisseur (it’s as simple as three, two, one ratios Aperol, Prosecco and Sparking Water – delicious!).

Catherine Johnson has an incredible and instantly accessible memory bank of legal knowledge.

Legal 500 [UK 2024]

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