Joseph Bryan

Joe regularly appears in employment tribunals and the EAT in all types of statutory employment claims, acting for both claimants and respondents across a range of sectors (including education, the medical profession, retail and finance).

He actively welcomes instructions to attend tribunals in Northern England and on other circuits outside London.

Joe is at ease drafting claims and responses involving statutory and common law employment rights. His drafting work has been highly praised by instructing solicitors and clients as “excellent” and “top rate”.

At a public Preliminary Hearing, Joe’s written argument was described as “excellent” by the Employment Judge in the course of giving judgment in favour of Joe’s client.

Recent cases include:

• Successfully resisting a claim of constructive unfair dismissal and age discrimination, following a multi-day trial.
• Successfully resisting a claim of constructive unfair dismissal and unauthorised deductions from wages for a major national retailer.
• Achieving a costs order in favour of a respondent employer not exceeding £60,000 (subject to detailed assessment).
• Providing pro bono representation to a charity-sector employer in a multi-day unfair dismissal, whistleblowing and discrimination case. Successfully obtained judgment dismissing all the claims.
• Representing the claimant in a multi-day harassment and sex discrimination case.
• Successfully resisting a claim for pregnancy discrimination in the hospitality sector.
• Opposing Queen’s Counsel, securing a compensatory award for a claimant in an unfair redundancy claim.
• Obtaining a costs award of £6,000 for an employer in the care sector, having successfully defeated a claim for constructive unfair dismissal.
• Successfully defending a claim for notice pay brought by an ex-employee of a major casino and obtaining costs for the employer.
• Giving written advice on merits and quantum in a high-profile unfair dismissal claim for a senior official in local government.
• Obtaining a five-figure settlement and advising on the contents of a COT3 agreement for a claimant in a constructive unfair dismissal claim in the leisure services industry.

Joe has a keen interest in High Court business protection and has appeared as sole counsel on applications for interim injunctive relief.

He also assisted during his pupillage with a number of interim injunction applications (including in the information technology and insurance sectors).

Other recent High Court appearances include:

• In the QBD, successfully resisting an application to enforce the terms of settlement of an EAT appeal.
• Various applications to Masters in the QBD and Chancery Division.
• Numerous winding-up petitions.

Joe has appeared as sole counsel in various commercial trials and applications in the County Court, including:

• In a multi-track trial before a Circuit Judge, successfully obtaining judgment and five-figure damages for a claimant in the telecommunications sector.
• Obtaining judgment at trial for unpaid fees on behalf of an independent school.
• At trial, successfully defending a claim against an employment agency for loss of earnings alleged to be due to a candidate after a job offer was withdrawn.
• Successfully applying to strike out, on grounds of res judicata, a claim brought by a former employee who had previously litigated against the same employer in the employment tribunal.
• Successfully resisting a claim brought by a recruitment agency for an introduction fee.
• Successfully defending a breach of contract claim brought against a major telecommunications provider.

Joe welcomes instructions to advise on civil litigation strategy and draft letters before action, pleadings and preliminary applications.

Joe is a member of Littleton’s Sports Law Group and welcomes instructions in sports law, both as sole counsel and led by more senior counsel.

Recent sports law instructions include:

• Advising on, and drafting, an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a decision of the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber.
• Drafting Particulars of Claim in a multi-million-pound football breach of contract claim.
• Representing an athlete charged with an Adverse Analytical Finding by the IAAF.
• Advising in a Rule K FA Arbitration.
• Representing a high-profile athlete in proceedings before the National Anti-Doping Panel.

As a pupil, Joe assisted his supervisor and other members of Chambers on various sports-related disputes, including:

• Constructive unfair dismissal claim brought by the personal assistant to a football agent.
• Drafting WP correspondence in a dispute between a Premiership rugby club and a coach.

2015: Bar Professional Training Course: Outstanding

2014: Graduate Diploma in Law: Distinction

2012: MSt Modern Languages (University of Oxford): Distinction

2011: BA (Hons) Modern Languages (Durham University): First Class

• Prize for performance in BPTC finals, Inner Temple (2015)
• Law First Scholarship, University of Law (2014)
• Exhibition Award, Inner Temple (2014)
• Paul Methven Award, Inner Temple (2014)
• Merton College Graduate Prize (2012)

Recent articles:

• ‘Court of Appeal considers test on interim applications for springboard relief’
• ‘Key points arising from the Quinlan Report into safeguarding at the Lawn Tennis Association’, LawInSport, 15 February 2019
• ‘European Court of Human Rights finds sports arbitration hearing held in private breached the right to a fair trial’
• ‘Court of Appeal resolves question of whether Employment Tribunals may construe contracts in unlawful deductions from wages claims’
• ‘An update on fault and negligence in anti-doping regulation’
• ‘Equalities in Sport’, Sport Arbitration Handbook 2017-18 (Sport Resolutions UK) (co-authored with John Mehrzad)

Professional memberships:

• Employment Lawyers Association
• ELBA
• Inner Temple