Lara Small
- Profile
Lara is an Associate in the Employment Team and is based in our Norwich office. She trained at a global top 10 law firm in London, qualifying in September 2019 in Cambridge. She joined Birketts with 5 years’ experience under her belt in November 2022.
Lara provides specialist employment advice to employers and senior executives in all aspects of employment law. She regularly advises on both contentious and non-contentious issues arising out of the employment relationship, including advising clients on grievances, absence and disciplinary issues and the risks and options for termination of employment. Lara has experience in drafting employment contracts and reviewing policies and handbooks for employers. Lara also delivers employment law training on a range of employment issues.
On the contentious side, Lara has managed several complex employment tribunal claims from cradle to grave, including claims for unfair dismissal (ordinary and constructive), whistleblowing, discrimination, breach of contract and unlawful deductions from wages. She has drafted and negotiated settlement agreements and COT3 agreements, and has prepared employers for without prejudice conversations. Lara has regularly advised on breaches of restrictive covenants by ex-employees, including sending pre-action correspondence to prevent further breaches.
In terms of her non-contentious practice, Lara has considerable experience working on cross-border international transactions and managing day-to-day global employment advice for clients operating in multiple jurisdictions. Lara has carried out employment due diligence on companies to support corporate transactions and acquisitions, reviewed and advised on TUPE provisions in contracts and assisted with large-scale global redundancies and restructuring exercises.
Lara acts for a range of clients from all different sectors, but primarily her experience lies in advising clients in the financial services, life sciences and technology sectors. Lara understands the particular challenges that in-house counsel and HR clients face internally, having spent six months on secondment at one of the UK’s largest insurance companies. Lara is a member of Birketts’ specialist Financial Services Employment Team, given her experience in both advising financial services clients and working ‘in-house’ at a financial institution.
