Colin Bourne

---

Year of Call: 1997

Colin is a specialist employment and discrimination law practitioner

QUALIFIED MEDIATOR

An accredited mediator with Centre for Dispute Resolution (CEDR), Colin has had involvement in wide range of commercial dispute mediations and has long been an advocate of the use of mediation in complex cases, particularly where there is a need to preserve existing relationships and where adversarial litigation is likely to have a destructive effect.

Discrimination and harassment claims are especially suited to the process of mediation and Colin has experience both as mediator and as an advocate for parties in mediation.

A specialist in the resolution of employment and discrimination law disputes, Colin Bourne has used mediation for nearly three decades to resolve many types of employment issues, from individual disputes to large scale industrial disputes, both in this country and at an international level. This has involved the need to mediate between the approaches of different unions as well as reconciling the different business cultures between employers.

A former trade union official for fifteen years, Colin has employed his practical industrial relations experience with his expertise in employment law in many different scenarios, providing a very valuable insight into negotiating settlements. In mediations, he has represented employees and employers and acted as mediator in various discrimination claims with a very high success rate.

Colin’s practice covers the whole range of employment disputes, not just those within the jurisdiction of employment tribunals. Discrimination and harassment claims are especially suited to the process of mediation and Colin has experience both as mediator and advocate.

Colin approaches employment claims not merely to try to settle the claim but to deal with the underlying problem that led to the claim. Colin is a long-time advocate of the use of mediation in complex cases, especially where the preservation of existing relationships is a desired outcome.

Colin has a great deal of expertise in unfair dismissal, consultation, redundancy claims, national minimum wage and working time cases. He is also very familiar with contractual terms for senior employees, including restrictive covenants and other post-termination restraints, transfer of businesses and TUPE regulations.

Seminars & Conferences

Colin is a regular speaker at Employment Law conferences for Industrial Relations Training Services, IBC and The Institute of Personal and Development.

He is also regularly invited to speak at seminars for the Employment Lawyers' Association and the Industrial Law Society

Topics include;

• Whether injury to feelings awards permissible in unfair dismissal claims
• Protected disclosures and the requirement for good faith
• The statutory dismissal and discipline and grievance procedures
• TUPE 2006
• Parental pay and leave
• New ACAS Code of Practice on discipline and dismissals

Memberships:

EMPLOYMENT LAW BAR ASSOCIATION
EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS' ASSOCIATION
INDUSTRIAL LAW SOCIETY
CENTRE FOR DISPUTE RESOLUTION
ASSOCIATION OF NORTHERN MEDIATORS

		Career & Education:
University:		Manchester Metropolitan University
Degree:		LLB (Hons)
Year of Call:		1997, Gray's Inn
Joined Chambers:		2010
Other Career Information:		1981-1996: Trade Union Officer, National Union of Journalists
		Specialist adviser on Pensions and European Works Councils
		Prepared and presented evidence to: Monopolies and Mergers Commission (now the Competition Commission); House of Commons Employment Select Committee Studied law part-time at Manchester Metropolitan University while carrying out duties for the NUJ.