Olivia Toulson

Olivia Toulson is a Partner in Birketts’ Employment Team and Co‑Head of Financial Services. She specialises in advising employers across the financial services, technology and independent healthcare sectors, bringing over 20 years’ experience as a solicitor.

Olivia qualified in 2005 and has since developed a strong reputation for her strategic, pragmatic approach to complex employment matters.

She has extensive experience managing high‑value employment tribunal litigation, including multi‑day hearings involving unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, breach of contract and unlawful deductions from wages. Olivia regularly advises on matters before the Employment Tribunal, the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.

Olivia also supports clients with cross‑border HR and compliance matters, drawing on her background as in‑house Employment Counsel for both a global investment management company and a leading international online payments provider. This experience gives her unique insight into the operational challenges and commercial pressures faced by multinational employers.

Her work further includes advising on transactions with complex employment considerations, including TUPE, SMCR compliance and workforce restructuring. Olivia is known for delivering clear, commercially attuned guidance that helps employers manage risk and maintain strong employee relations across multiple jurisdictions

Recent work highlights

• Successfully securing strike out of a whistleblowing claim and successfully defending a three week long Employment Tribunal claim involving multiple allegations of discrimination, victimisation and detriment for a prominent financial services technology company.
• Advising on a number of C-Suite level exits of individual under the SMCR regime, to include advising on the strategic approach to communications with the FCA.
• Providing training to firms on the new rule and guidance coming into force from 1 September 2026 in relation to non-financial misconduct.

Experience & education

2025 Partner and Co-Head of Financial Services Sector Team

2021 – 2025 Legal Director, Birketts

2014 Principal Associate, Eversheds Sutherland

2013 Senior Associate, Olswang

2005 Qualified as a Solicitor, Eversheds Sutherland