Sophia has appeared in some of the most important recent authorities on statutory employment law. She is “admired for her employment practice before the tribunals and the High Court” (Chambers and Partners 2021 directory). Sophia is currently advising on a wide range of claims covering issues of equal pay; discrimination; whistleblowing; TUPE; and unfair dismissal.
She also has experience of running highly sensitive and confidential internal investigations and grievance and disciplinary proceedings for corporations.
Notable examples of Sophia’s statutory employment work include:
- Basfar v Wong [2020] ICR 1185 – Sophia is currently instructed with Mohinderpal Sethi Q.C. in an ongoing appeal related to domestic workers and diplomatic immunity. It is the first case ever to have been given leapfrog permission to appeal directly to the Supreme Court from the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Sophia and Mohinderpal Sethi Q.C. won in the Employment Appeal Tribunal.
- Dobson v 1) Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust 2) Working Families (Intervenor) (UKEAT/0220/19/LA) – Sophia is currently instructed pro bono with Mohinderpal Sethi Q.C. and Bianca Balmelli in an ongoing appeal before the Employment Appeal Tribunal which raises important issues related to the law of indirect sex discrimination and working families.
- Ms A v Targus Europe Ltd – Sophia succeeded in defending the respondent against claims of serious sexual harassment; sex, age and race discrimination and whistleblowing.
- Billing v DVSA – Sophia won a complex disability discrimination and unfair dismissal trial for a claimant against the DVSA including winning on claims of a failure to make reasonable adjustments and breach of s. 15 EqA.
- Edomobi v La Retraite RC Girls School (UKEAT 0180_16_1511) – Sophia successfully defended an important appeal relating to time limits in discrimination claims which is cited in both Harvey on Industrial Relations and Employment Law and the IDS Employment Law Handbook.
- Aniyameta v Compass Group (UKEAT/0017/15/DM) – Sophia acted pro bono for the appellant and successfully overturned the first instance decision that went against her.
- Bethnal Green and Shoreditch Education Trust v Dippenaar (UKEAT/0064/15/JOJ) – Sophia and Adam Solomon Q.C. represented a teacher in an appeal regarding indirect discrimination, bias, constructive unfair dismissal and the taxation of Employment Tribunal awards that has been widely reported on in the legal and educational press.
- Sophia frequently acts for individual and corporate respondents in preliminary hearings in the Employment Tribunal. She has secured the strike out of claims and large deposit and costs orders; successfully resisted applications for interim relief; and handled complex hearings regarding territorial jurisdiction, time limits and privilege.