Farore Law
About
Us
Discrimination
Misconduct
Whistle-Blowing
Discrimination • Misconduct • Whistle-blowing
An overview of our practice
From advice to advocacy, a seamless, superior service.
We are a law firm recognised as leaders in the field of employment law in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for 2022/23. Farore Law specialises in discrimination, whistle-blowing and misconduct inside the work place, partnerships, LLPs and academic institutions. The firm consists of a boutique, highly specialised, knowledgeable and responsive team, led by Suzanne McKie KC, with unrivalled experience and expertise in our specialist areas.
We represent individuals, companies, and other institutions in complex, high-value, and legally significant cases involving our specialist practice areas. We advise on both contentious and non-contentious matters, represent at mediations, and run litigation both in the High Court and employment tribunals, from the pre-litigation stage through to the final conclusion.
Many of our clients are senior executives who appreciate our sophisticated, commercial, pragmatic yet tenacious approach. We have particular experience in dealing with highly sensitive matters involving privacy, anonymity and restricted reporting. We are strongly placed to assist any person or institution who is dealing with an issue concerning discrimination or harassment, regardless of the circumstances and whether or not it relates to the workplace. We do not act for clients in standalone unfair dismissal cases, and only deal with cases of termination when discrimination and/or whistle-blowing is involved. We advise senior executives accused of misconduct and advise companies managing a disciplinary and investigation process involving executives.
We advise from the very start to the very end of the process, including pre-action stages and all aspects of the litigation process. Unlike other firms of lawyers, this also includes the provision of advocacy services. We undertake inquiries and produce investigation reports on behalf of companies, professional services firms and barristers’ chambers relating to misconduct, whistle-blowing, equal pay, the progression of women and all aspects of diversity. We provide mediation services in relation to disputes arising out of employment and partnerships. We also deal with ICGS matters arising out of workplace complaints in the House of Commons.
At Farore Law, we take the privacy of our clients extremely seriously. Farore Law has invested considerably in implementing a brand-new state of art infrastructure that ensures we are able to prevent cyberattacks and ensure that all of our clients’ data is highly secure. This includes: multi-factor authentication (“MFA”), which provides multi-layered logins for extra security; dedicated work-only devices capable of being wiped remotely within minutes of any loss or damage; addition of latest versions of threat detection features; and the use of Microsoft Azure AD across our systems to allow remote access by our IT providers to every device to shut down any suspicious activity.
A percentage of the fees provided by our senior executive and corporate clients helps to fund our dedicated pro bono unit.
Farore Law can provide bespoke training aimed at the creation of better policies and practices within organisations, as well as enhancing attendees’ understanding of the impact of discrimination and harassment, and how to handle misconduct and whistle-blowing complaints.
As we focus on acting for Senior Executives and Senior Professionals, very often against major or leading institutions, we are almost never conflicted. As such we can advise a new client at speed and on-board a client very quickly. As we choose not to be on any preferred lists of any employer, we are truly independent and will not be compromised in the representation and advice we give.
Legal Services
Testimonials from Past Clients
If you are thinking about instructing Farore Law and would like to learn more about us before making a decision, we are able to introduce prospective clients to former clients who have offered to attest to the high quality of our work and level of client care. Please contact Suzanne McKie KC directly if this is an option you would like to explore.
Fees
On occasions we may offer free initial calls after making enquiries of the matters related to the prospective client and their case, as well as undertaking a conflict check. These calls will not include any reading of any documents unless we specifically ask to see them in advance of the call.
We can use fixed fees or hourly rates, and will consider Conditional Fee Agreements or ‘No Win No Fee’ arrangements in exceptional cases. We accept debit and credit cards (including American Express via Worldpay secure payment) and BACS.
Costs
Law Firms are obliged by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to provide details of our fees for pursuing and defending unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal claims. However, we do not pursue or defend standalone unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal claims. Nonetheless, we thought it would be helpful for you to understand likely costs should the claim involve discriminatory dismissals or whistle-blowing dismissals. Each case is different in complexity and in the volume and number of documents involved. Costs are also often impacted by the numbers of witnesses involved, as well as what other claims are involved or pursued as part of the litigation. This makes it difficult to provide discrete or accurate pricing indications. For example, pursuing a discriminatory claim may cost in the region of £100,000 – £550,000 plus VAT, including disbursements (such as travel and experts’ fees), but this very much depends on how many hearings are necessary and how complex the factual circumstances are. It is not untypical for this firm to be involved in discrimination or whistle-blowing cases which result in a 2 to 3 preliminary hearings as well as a 3-5 week final hearing.
We charge primarily on a time spent basis and the hourly costs are dependent on the seniority of the lawyer involved and engaged on the matter. We will provide budgets ahead of the commencement of the litigation, and provide updates to those budgets as the litigation progresses. A client may want us to provide a budget for a discrete piece of work (such as preparation for and attendance at a preliminary hearing, a conference with the lawyers or a written advice), which we are happy to do on request.
Our current hourly rates (which are reviewed annually) range between £250 and £ 850 plus VAT, depending on whether those engaged are paralegals, Associates, Senior Associates, Partners or Counsel.
Complaints
Farore Law will endeavour to provide you the best possible service. However, if you feel unsatisfied with our service for any reason you should let Suzanne McKie know as a first point of contact, in writing.
If we are unable to resolve your complaint you can contact the Legal Ombudsman who will assess your complaint independently. Before you take this step, you should have tried to resolve the complaint directly with us in the first instance, otherwise the Legal Ombudsman may be unable to assist you.
A complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must be made:
– Within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint; and
– No more than one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
– No more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint.
The address for the Legal Ombudsman is Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6167 Slough SL1 0EH. You can find contact details for the Legal Ombudsman here
If you have concerns related to misconduct, dishonesty, or a lack of integrity, on the part of any of the lawyers at the firm, you should contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority which regulates the conduct of solicitors or law firms.