Patricia is Partner and Head of the Employment team at Tughans.
Patricia is a senior lawyer with extensive experience in dealing with both contentious and non-contentious employment matters. Patricia specialises in TUPE/outsourcing matters and regularly advises administrators on redundancy, “pre-pack” administrations and their TUPE obligations.
Patricia is qualified in NI and ROI and works regularly with clients with an all-Ireland presence. She is also qualified in England & Wales. She has appeared in the Industrial Court on union recognition matters, in the Industrial & Fair Employment Tribunal, before the NI Court of Appeal, and before the WRC and Labour Court in Ireland and the Employment Tribunal.
Patricia is very highly regarded, with a broad range of clients across all sectors, advising on all aspects of employment law, from recruitment to dismissal. She has extensive experience in transactional work, working closely with her corporate colleagues and has broad experience in advising on mergers and acquisitions and TUPE/Service Provision Change.
Patricia regularly speaks on employment law and developments, presenting the Employment team’s breakfast briefings. She also lectures in the UU/Legal Island Post-Graduate Diploma in Employment Law and has provided tailored training and seminars on various topics and regularly writes articles, including monthly articles for an all-Ireland human resource training provider.
She is a member of the Council of the CBI in Northern Ireland as well as a member of the Employment Lawyers Group (NI).
Patricia’s clients include non-departmental public sector bodies and employers throughout the UK.
“Patricia is an excellent legal representative who understands our business and industry. She understands the questions we seek advice on and talks us through the possible solutions and helps us work through the solution to completion.” Chambers UK
“Patricia is an outstanding individual with a strong practical approach interspersed with legal and commercial reality.” Chambers UK
“Patricia is a pleasure to work with and always provides practical advice.” Chambers UK
- Invest Northern Ireland – Advised the organisation in the successful defence of proceedings alleging sex discrimination arising from part-time working, and in a matter alleging discrimination on the grounds of sexuality and age.
- Top 4 Accountancy Firm - Acted for the Company in the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal in the successful defence of allegations of discrimination.
- Woodside Haulage (Holdings) Limited – Advises the Group on all employment issues to include data protection matters, disciplinary and grievances and the successful defence of proceedings at Employment Tribunal.
- Survitec Group Limited – Represented the Company before the Employment Tribunal in the successful defence of an equal pay claim.
- Global cash handling and security organisation - Acting for the Company in union issues before the Industrial Court.
- Invest Northern Ireland – Regularly advises the organisation on employment issues and matters arising on TUPE and/or Service Provision Change.
- Astec Industries Inc – Represented Astec and advised on employment issues in Asetc’s US$36m acquisition of Telestack.
- Munster Simms Engineering Limited/Whale – Acted for the Sellers in the sale of the company and advised on all employment issues arising.
- Belfast Harbour Commissioners - Advises the Commissioners on Service Provision Change issues arising on tendering processes.
- ESB (NI) Limited - Advised the Company on Defined Benefit Pension Scheme issues arising on the sale of its subsidiary Powerteam Electrical Services (UK) Limited.
- Stormont returns: 11 potential employment law changes
- Supreme Court dismisses appeal in Agnew
- Health and Safety at Work: Spotlight on Pregnancy
- Should Employers Consider Introducing an Electric Vehicle Policy
- Flexible Working Requests
- When Short-Term Sickness Leave Becomes a Recurrence: Steps to Consider
