Chris Allen qualified as a Solicitor in 1993 and joined Blacks Solicitors in 1994, where he has held the position of Managing Partner since 2008.

He specialises in advising on the drafting and negotiation of Settlement Agreements, drafting contracts of employment, and conducting Employment Tribunal proceedings.

Chris is recognised by The Legal 500 for “leading by example” and for being “friendly and reasonable”. He has also been flagged by Chambers & Partners as “an absolutely first class communicator, whether that is with his clients or with the community more widely.”

He is also a member of the firm’s Sports Law team which acts on behalf of a number of sports clubs, associations, manufacturers and retailers. The Team is recommended by The Legal 500 for providing “a very high level of service.” Chris is noted as a Leading Individual in this area of law and is described as a “consummate professional and a concise lawyer with a fine eye for detail.”

Paul Kelly joined Blacks Solicitors in 2002, where he trained, qualified, and became a Partner in 2011. He is Head of the Employment team and supports Owner Managed Businesses (OMBs) and senior executives.

Having practiced exclusively in employment law for 14 years, Paul is regarded as an experienced practitioner who is known for his common sense approach to dealing with employment disputes and his focus on achieving the best commercial outcome for his clients.

He specialises in advising on redundancy, restructuring, grievances, disciplinary procedures, and employment litigation, and has particular expertise in advising on and negotiating senior exit strategies on behalf of employers and employees.

Paul is frequently asked to provide commentary for national publications on a vast range of employment and HR issues such as the gig economy, the display of religious symbols at work and bereavement leave.

He is recognised by the Legal 500 as being a “phenomenal lawyer”, “personable” and “technically strong.”

Richard Parr qualified as a Solicitor in 1978 and has worked at Blacks Solicitors since 2009, where he is currently a Partner in the Employment team.

With 40 years’ post-qualification under his belt, Richard is an expert employment practitioner, combining intellect with practical application to add real value for clients. He specialises in TUPE, employment issues in insolvency, executive termination packages (including tax issues), post termination restrictions and the Commercial Agents Regulations.

His background in civil litigation has given him an invaluable skill-set for those employment disputes which are particularly acrimonious, allowing him to display a powerful grasp of both tactics and litigation psychology.

Richard is described by the Legal 500 as having “too many strengths to list” and attracts praise for his “entrepreneurial style and approach.” He is noted by Chambers & Partners as being “recognised by peers for his reputation in the SME market and his broad employment knowledge.”

Tom Moyes qualified at Blacks Solicitors in 2009. He became a Partner in 2015 and currently works in the Employment team.

He provides his clients with clear and practical legal advice in respect of employment law issues and acts for both individuals and companies.

Tom specialises in: disciplinary and grievance procedures; discrimination; preparation of contracts of employment; directors’ service agreements; employment policies; Settlement Agreements; restructuring and redundancy; and exit strategies.

He also specialises in Tribunal litigation and has been described by his clients as “clearly a very talented solicitor” and “nothing short of brilliant”.

Tom is also recognised by The Legal 500 as being a “star lawyer”, “razor sharp”, and for his “communication skills and legal knowledge”, with him being “able to communicate on both a lawyer level and personal level extremely well”.

Euan Lawrence is an Associate Solicitor in the Employment team. Having joined Blacks Solicitors in 2006, Euan qualified in 2008 and was promoted to Associate in 2014.

He specialises in providing clear, practical advice on workplace disputes and other aspects of employment law to employers (predominantly owner managed businesses) and individual employees.

Particular areas of strength include drafting and negotiating settlement agreements, advising on exit strategies, preparing service agreements, advising on TUPE transfers (related to business sales, tendering for public sector contracts and intra-group transfers) and contesting Employment Tribunal claims.

Euan has considerable experience of presenting on a variety of topics to clients and business contacts both through Blacks and his involvement with a BNI networking group (of which he has been a member for over 9 years). He has also appeared on BBC Radio Leeds, Radio Aire and BBC Look North discussing the practical application of the law to the workplace.

Euan is also recognised by The Legal 500 for his “enthusiastic and extremely dedicated” approach.

Iain Jenkins is an Employment Director in the Employment team.

He has over 20 years’ experience as an employment lawyer and joined Blacks Solicitors in 2015 to further strengthen the Employment team.

He acts on a wide range of employment issues both for employers and individuals, including restrictive covenants and confidentiality cases. He regularly advises on and negotiates settlement agreements and termination packages. His work also covers general advice on HR matters and advice required on the sale and purchase of businesses, particularly covering TUPE. In addition to his advisory work, Iain runs external training courses on behalf of Blacks on general employment matters.

He also advises on data protection and particularly the impact of GDPR. This work covers advice on the employment and commercial aspects of data protection.

Iain has been recognised in Chambers Legal Directory and is also a CEDR accredited mediator. He has mediated a number of commercial disputes. Iain has also recently qualified as a workplace mediator.

David Ward is an Associate Solicitor in the Employment and Commercial teams. He trained with Blacks Solicitors from 2011 and qualified as a Solicitor in 2013.

He acts for both individuals and companies, providing clients with clear and practical legal advice and excellent client care.

He specialises in running Employment Tribunal litigation, negotiating complex and contentious settlement agreements and advising upon all aspects of employment law disputes. David has a particular interest in the education and military sectors which are niche areas of employment law.

David also undertakes commercial advice, especially relating to the automotive industry.

David is recognised by the Legal 500 for his “ability to explain the legal process in simple terms”.