Dan Soanes

Dan Soanes
Director, Solicitor

dan@sherrardslaw.com

Dan, a Director of Sherrards, is a very experienced employment law specialist solicitor.  He has represented the firm’s clients at many Employment Tribunals around the UK, and provides advice on a wide range of employment issues.  Dan is noted for his incisive but practical approach to employment law issues.

Recent work highlights include:

•  Successfully defending a complex whistleblowing claim in the Manchester Employment Tribunal – a contentious claim in which the Claimant asserted that he had been asked to falsify important health and safety documents prior to dismissal. Providing advice on both the investigation and disciplinary process which led to the Claimant’s dismissal, plus involvement throughout the case up to and including advocacy services at the hearing itself. All claims were dismissed.
•  Successfully representing a large logistics business in a five day race and sex discrimination claim. All claims were dismissed and a costs award was made against the Claimant’s representative.
•  Advising on a controversial and potentially high profile exit of a senior executive following the sale of a business. A favourable outcome was achieved for the client, including the negotiation of confidentiality clauses and post-termination restrictions.
•  Advising on a large-scale restructuring and contract variation exercise for a public sector employer, involving several redundancies and resulting in substantial savings for the client. Personally attending consultation meetings with trade union representatives and negotiating on behalf of the employer. Despite substantial opposition at the outset, no claims arose from this exercise.

Dan’s style in tribunals has been described as “effective, shrewd and dignified” and his wealth of experience in that environment, as well as his down to earth approach, mean he is able to put clients and witnesses at ease.

He regularly conducts in-house training to clients across the UK on employment law topics and also runs detailed 1:1 training sessions with senior managers and executives. An accomplished piano and keyboard player, Dan plays with bands and choirs around Sussex and is a keen cyclist.