ELA has elected Paul McFarlane, Employment Partner at Capsticks Solicitors LLP, as its new Chair for 2022-24, with the appointment taking effect from 20 September 2022.
Paul has been Deputy Chair of the Association for the last two years, following four years as Chair of its Legislative and Policy Committee. He will take over the reins from the current ELA Chair Marian Bloodworth, Partner at Deloitte Legal , who was elected to the post in 2020.
Paul has particular expertise in advising clients in the emergency services sector, particularly on complex and high value discrimination and whistleblowing claims. He also has extensive experience advising on industrial relations law, having previously spent time in Transport for London and Royal Mail’s in-house legal departments advising on these issues. More recently Paul has conducted a number of grievance investigations into allegations of historic racial discrimination for various clients of his firm.
Paul is also a board director of the Black Solicitors Network and in 2019 Paul was named Minority Lawyer of the Year 2019 by Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Europe, for his work in trying to improve diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and beyond. Paul also sits as an external assessor for the College of Policing and on the Appointment Panel for IMPRESS, a press regulator.
Commenting on his new role, Paul says: “I feel proud and privileged to be elected as ELA Chair, particularly as I will be its first Chair with Afro-Caribbean heritage. I would like to pay tribute to the work that Marian has done over the past two years. During that time, she has had to grapple with leading an organisation through the unique challenges that COVID brought us, together with Brexit and an uncertain geo-political landscape both in the UK and abroad. Marian is strategic, calm, well organised but also someone with a sense of fun. Through her leadership ELA has emerged a stronger and more resilient organisation ready to deal with the next challenge) put in front of it. I have big shoes to fill!
We continue to be in turbulent political waters, with much uncertainty about the direction that employment law will take. During my term as Chair I look forward to working with the new Management Committee to ensure that ELA continues to have a key role in supporting the work and interests of its members, and in promoting the best practice of employment law, in accordance with our aims. Also, like Marian, I am keen to ensure that ELA plays its part in raising awareness of the on-going need to address diversity and inclusion, particularly in the area of racial equality, which continues to be an issue for employers and employees alike in the UK.”
ENDS
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Notes to Editor
The Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) is an apolitical organisation representing the views and interests of just over 6,000 specialist, qualified employment lawyers in the UK. Members are drawn from all branches of the legal profession and include barristers and solicitors who act for employers and employees, trade unions, the voluntary sector, industry and the judiciary.
Since its inception in 1992, ELA has become the voice of authority in employment law. ELA’s uniqueness rests in the depth and wealth of knowledge of its diverse membership, and its neutrality on political issues.
ELA’s fundamental aims are:
· to promote the best practice of employment law; and
· to support the work and represent the interests of UK employment lawyers
ELA Management Committee 2022 – 2024
Paul McFarlane, Capsticks Solicitors LLP, Chair
Caspar Glyn QC, Cloisters, Deputy Chair
Marc Jones, Editor, Marjon Law Ltd, Editor, ELA Briefing
Catrina Smith, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, Chair of the Legislative & Policy Committee
David Regan, Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP, Chair of the Training Committee
Eliza Nash, Osborne and Wise, Chair of Pro Bono Committee
Beth Hale, CM Murray LLP, Chair of the Pastoral Committee
Ken Morrison, St. George's, University of London, In-house Representative
Hannah Lynn, Brahams Dutt Badrick French LLP, Junior Lawyer Representative
Sarah Hayes, Paris Smith LLP, Regional Representative of Lower South East
David Mitchell, Millar McCall Wylie LLP, Regional Representative of Northern Ireland
Fiona Herrell, Brodies LLP, Regional Representative of Scotland
Marie Walsh, Consilia Legal LLP, Regional Representative of Yorkshire & Humber
Allan Roberts, Guildhall Chambers, Regional Representative of the South West
Cerys Mather, DAC Beachcroft LLP, Junior Member at Large
Kathryn Edwards, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Member at Large
Tim Goodwin, 12 Kings Bench Walk, Member at Large
Helen Adams, Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP, Member at Large
Elizabeth McGlone, Didlaw, Member at Large