Kelly Sayers

Expertise

Kelly has spent the last 20 years advising employers on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law. In particular, she helps employers manage difficult employees, defend complex Employment Tribunal claims, undertake redundancy and restructuring exercises, and manage the employment aspects of corporate transactions.

In addition to advisory work, Kelly acts as hearing officer in high-level grievance and disciplinary hearings and undertakes investigations into complex employment disputes. She also provides in-depth training on such things as Neurodiversity in the Workplace, Equality and Diversity, Performance and Absence Management and TUPE.

Kelly’s work spans across various sectors including healthcare, logistics, leisure, construction, engineering, manufacturing, financial services and energy. Her clients include large corporates/multinationals (FTSE/Fortune 500), local authorities, family-owned businesses and start-ups. She has also undertaken a significant amount of work over the years for a number of high-profile charities.

Kelly has developed a specialism in ecclesiastical law and has over 15 years’ experience working alongside a range of Church of England organisations across the UK on HR and clergy-related matters. She provides advice to Diocesan Secretaries, Heads of HR, Bishops, Deans and Archdeacons as well as trustees of Parochial Church Councils. She has also presented at a variety of training days on such things as Safe Recruitment and Managing Clergy.

Experience Highlights

• Advised an international financial services business on employment aspects during a business sale, including complex settlement agreements involving share options and bonus arrangements.
• Assisted a national engineering business facing serious health and safety whistleblowing allegations during a complex investigation process and strike threat.
• Advised a large construction company with restructuring, issuing new contracts to over 500 employees.
• Provided strategic advice to a transport company on the removal of a director and shareholder following allegations of sexual harassment.
• Negotiated an exit package for a deputy chief executive in a high-profile public-sector organisation, balancing a fair deal with reputational concerns.
• Advised a large international business on a European-wide TUPE transfer, resolving a significant dispute and handling a multi-million-pound transaction.
• Undertook a complex investigation for a Church of England charity involving serious bullying and race discrimination issues by a Director.

Career History

• Keystone Law  Partner: 2020 - 2024
• Prettys Solicitors, Solicitor, Equirty Partner and Head of Employment: 2002 -2020
• Bates, Wells and Braithwaite Solicitors, Trainee: 2000 - 2002

Education

• Northampton University, LLB Law Degree: 1995 – 1998
• Anglia Ruskin University, Legal Practice Course: 1999 - 2000

Professional Membership

• Employment Lawyers Association
• Ecclesiastical Law Society