Steven Flynn | Manchester, Leeds & Birmingham

EMPLOYMENT

Steven’s employment practice is directed toward business protection, with him dealing with employment related issues in the High/County Court, as well as those with an international element. These include:

• Breach of Contract claims in the High/County Court;
• Breach of confidence; 
• Misuse of confidential information; 
• Partnership disputes;
• Restrictive Covenants.

Some examples of his work in different areas can be found below. 

 High Court/County Court/International

• Representing a commodities trader in his £m + bonus claim.
• Representing a stockbroker in his £4,3m claim for breach of contract against a bank based in The Bahamas.
• Injunctions to prevent misuse of confidential information obtained during course of employment.
• Reference – representing a company that was accused of giving an inaccurate reference.
• Advising a long-term, senior employee who has been promised a payment of £10m upon sale of a company.
• Representing a PLC in a claim against its CFO who had misappropriated over £250,000 over the course of 15-years.

Restrictive Covenants

• Obtaining springboard injunction against a PLC that had unlawfully poached a senior executive.
• Resisting an injunction application on the grounds that the senior executive had a very strong argument that he had been constructively dismissed so as to render void the restrictive covenants contained within his employment contract. 
• Representing a solicitors’ firm in circumstances where an associate who had been made redundant set up in competition and attempted to poach clients.
• Poaching – Obtaining an injunction where a senior employee had been poaching customers prior to the termination of his employment.
• Confidential information – Obtaining an injunction for delivery-up and restricting use the of confidential information.

Contracts and Exit Agreements

• Office Holders – Advising on the establishment of a QUANGO; including the transfer of employees and the employment status of Office Holders.
• Share Options – Advising whether share option entitlements are discretionary or not.
• Exit packages – Advising a senior safety executive on his exit from a market leading automotive company in circumstances where he may be required to give evidence in the event of a product recall.
• Financial Services – Advising a director of a publicly traded company on his position in the event that he chose to blow the whistle to the FCA on insider trading and market manipulation within his company.
• Collective agreements – providing guidance as to whether collective agreements were incorporated into contracts of employment following numerous TUPE transfers and an absence of detail as to the date of agreement.

Partnership

Steven has considerable experience in advising on the establishment and dissolution of partnerships and LLPs.  He is often instructed to advise partners on their legal obligations and, when necessary, to assist them in disputes arising from said partnerships.  Steven is also one of a limited number of practitioners who has experience of representing partners and LLP members in claims alleging discrimination against the partnership.

Examples of recent work include:

• Advising a large medical partnership in circumstances where a group of partners were seeking to oust the CEO.
• Representing a member who was unlawfully expelled from an LLP because of his age.
• Advising as to the division of assets following the dissolution of a partnership.
• Providing guidance to an individual who believed he had entered into partnership with a solicitor only for it to become apparent that the solicitor was prevented from doing so by the Code of Conduct (as in operation at the time).
• Representing a former partner in a dispute over whether she was liable to make payment towards an unfair dismissal award where she had opposed the other partner’s decision to dismiss.