Employment Solicitor

About Me

I obtained my LLB (Hons) law degree in 1986 and completed the Law Society Finals in 1987. I qualified as a solicitor in 1989. I have over 30 years of experience in the practice of employment law, across the public and private sectors, acting for both employees and employers, and have held senior positions as a solicitor with West Midlands Police and Hertfordshire Constabulary. I established my firm of Melanie Best Employment Lawyer in 2009 and am a sole practitioner. I specialise in providing senior employees, managers, professionals and business clients with a high quality employment law advice and settlement agreement service tailored to their own requirements.

My services include advising on:

• the terms and effect of entering into settlement agreements, also known as compromise agreements;
• drafting settlement/compromise agreements;
• employment law legislation;
• employment rights;
• business change, reorganisation and restructuring;
• redundancies;
• termination of employment;
  
• changes to terms and conditions of employment;
• outsourcing/TUPE transfers;
• drafting contracts of employment, consultation documentation and Human Resources policies and procedures;
• fixed term contracts;
• sickness absence management;
• performance management;
• grievances and their investigation;
  
• complaints and discipline issues and their investigation.

In addition, I offer a comprehensive advice and drafting service to business clients so that by working practically and proactively on their workforce issues and contracts of employment, policies and procedures:

• the risk to clients of employment disputes is decreased, saving them time, money and damage to reputation;
• the business benefits of good employment relations can be achieved.

I appreciate that employment relations difficulties can be a major distraction from making, and keeping, a business profitable and that this can be a cause of great frustration and concern.

Quite simply, conflict in the workforce affects profitability.

I am here to help and improve matters, so that my clients can concentrate on business success.

I understand my clients’ needs and provide:

• a client focussed service in a way that suits them;
• commonsense solutions to practical problems;
• prompt, to the point, advice, that can be trusted;
• transparent fees (with some fixed fees available for settlement agreements and the drafting of contracts of employment);
• a “breath of fresh air” positive approach.

As the focus of my services is on employment law advice, and in particular settlement agreements which I specialise in, as well as the drafting of employment contracts and settlement agreements, I do not accept the conduct of claims in the Employment Tribunal or civil courts.

To reduce disruption to clients, meetings can be arranged at the office of business clients, if they wish; otherwise client meetings are generally held at Cambourne Business Park, which has good transport links and ample free car parking.

If a client has been offered a settlement agreement it is not generally necessary for us to meet in person, as the advice can be given over the telephone. However, if a client would prefer to meet, I am of course happy to do so.

Any none e-mail correspondence should be sent to my office address at: Melanie Best Employment Lawyer, 1010 Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, Cambridge CB23 6DP.

I am committed to providing my clients with high quality legal advice and client care. However, in the event of complaints, these will be handled in accordance with my Complaints Handling Policy, a copy of which is available upon request. Please note that a complainant who is dissatisfied with my handling of their complaint can ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider it and that time limits apply. The Legal Ombudsman can be contacted at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV1 9WJ, telephone 0300 555 0333,enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk, www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

Sole practitioner: Melanie Best LLB (Honours)
1010 Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, Cambridge CB23 6DP
Tel: +44 (0)1223 597832 | Fax: +44(0)1223 598 001 | E-mail: mlb@melaniebestlawyer.co.uk

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Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA number 521826)
The Solicitors’ Code of Conduct is available on the SRA website at www.rules.sra.org.uk.