Source: http://www.oldsquare.co.uk/our-people/profile/melanie-tether
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 14:14:26+00:00

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"An all-round high performer with great attention to detail."
"She has forensic cross-examination technique and an incredible grasp of the details."
Melanie is a highly experienced employment lawyer and a tenacious advocate. Her practice spans all areas of employment law, both individual and collective. She is regularly instructed in high value claims and has appeared in many test cases, including several references to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Melanie is ranked for employment law by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, which have praised her for her “courtroom style and masterful handling of witnesses”, her "lethal cross-examination skills", her "superb understanding of discrimination and TUPE issues" and her “mastery of tricky briefs”.
Before transferring to the Bar in 1995, Melanie was a partner in Norton Rose. Her extensive experience as a solicitor in private practice makes her acutely aware of the commercial and practical needs of lay clients.
She is a former Chair and current Vice President of the Industrial Law Society.
Melanie accepts instructions under the Bar's Public Access Scheme.
Melanie's practice embraces all aspects of employment and discrimination law. She has acted for employers and employees in every sector of activity, including the health, education, local government, manufacturing and financial sectors. She has had 29 appearances in the IRLR.
Successfully represented the appellants in Mustafa and another v. Trek Highway Services Ltd and others UKEAT/0063/15 29 January 2016, a complex appeal concerning the application of TUPE in circumstances where there is a temporary cessation of activity between service contracts.
Currently advising a leading trade union on issues arising from the Trade Union Bill 2015.
Appeared for the UNISON claimants in Arch Initiatives v. Aulton and others UKEAT/0063/15 21 January 2016, in which Simler P held that the fact that a service is split into separate functional components when the contract is re-tendered does not prevent there being a service provision change.
Appeared for the respondent in Royal College of Nursing and others v Real Life Options 17 July 2015, in which the RCN and members of that union were challenging dismissals designed to bring about significant changes in terms and conditions of employment.
Represented the claimants in UNISON and others v. (1) Careers South West and (2) Prospects 4 June 2015, in which it was held that TUPE applied when new contractors were appointed to run the National Careers Service in the south-west of England.
Acted for the claimants in Mrazek and others v. Equality and Human Rights Commission 8 June 2015, claims concerning the validity of changes in terms and conditions agreed more than a year after a TUPE transfer.
Represented a well-known University in relation to internal grievance and disciplinary proceedings involving a senior member of the academic staff.
Jones v. Post Office  ICR 805 CA: justification under the DDA.
Preston and others v. Wolverhampton Healthcare NHS Trust (No 1)  ICR 217 HL: the part-time pensions claims.
Melanie is a leading expert on transfers of undertakings and service provision changes. She has recently appeared in two important TUPE appeals in the Employment Appeal Tribunal: Mustafa and another v. Trek Highway Services Ltd and others UKEAT/0063/15 29 January 2016 (an appeal concerning the effect of a suspension of operations by an outgoing subcontractor) and Arch Initiatives v. Aulton and others UKEAT/0063/15 21 January 2016 (in which the central issue was whether there can be a service provision change if a service is split into separate functional components when the contract is re-tendered).
Melanie represented the claimants in UNISON and others v. Careers South West and another 4 June 2015, in which an employment tribunal decided that TUPE applied when new contractors were appointed to run the National Careers Service in the south-west of England. She also appeared in Mrazek and others v. Equality and Human Rights Commission 8 June 2015, a case involving a challenge to the validity of changes in terms and conditions which had been agreed more than a year after a TUPE transfer.
Everson v. Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (C-198/88)  ECR I-8903 ECJ: guaranteed debts in a cross-border insolvency.
Melanie regularly acts in and advises on disputes involving restrictive covenants, garden leave, wrongful dismissal, contractual bonuses and other contractual issues. She appeared in Equality and Human Rights Commission v. Earle  IRLR 845, in which the issue was whether employees of the EHRC had a contractual right to pay progression which could be enforced notwithstanding the government pay freeze.
Cooper v. Isle of Wight College  IRLR 124: deductions from pay where an employee has taken part in industrial action​.
successfully defended the respondent in Grant v. UNITE, a complaint by a union member that he had been subjected to unjustifiable discipline.
Melanie frequently deals with employment disputes that raise questions of public law. She acted for UNISON when Plymouth City Council attempted to withdraw recognition from the union, a dispute which involved very sensitive industrial relations considerations and issues of public law. She also has extensive experience of the legislation governing universities and institutions of further and higher education. (During her career as a solicitor, Melanie was for a number of years legal adviser to the Polytechnics and Colleges Employers’ Forum and to the Association of Colleges).
Stevens v. Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, Leeds County Court, February 2011: entitlement to sick pay under the Police Regulations 2003.
Melanie has represented and advised employers and employees in relation to internal disciplinary proceedings. She recently acted for a well-known university in internal grievance and disciplinary proceedings involving a very senior member of its academic staff.
Melanie has appeared for professional employees in proceedings before professional regulatory bodies, including the Specialist Training Authority and the GMC. She has also dealt with applications for injunctive relief to enforce contractual disciplinary procedures and/or the Department of Health Framework “Maintaining High Professional Standards in the Modern NHS”.
Melanie has represented and advised employers and employees in relation to internal disciplinary proceedings. She has also appeared for professional employees in proceedings before professional regulatory bodies, including the Specialist Training Authority and the GMC.
She recently acted for a leading university in internal grievance and disciplinary proceedings involving a senior member of its academic staff.
Melanie is a highly experienced employment lawyer with substantial experience of disciplinary and grievance processes in both the public and private sectors. Melanie has been involved in all stages of such processes: as an investigator, an advocate, an adviser to internal panels and a decision-maker. She recently acted for a well-known university in relation to extremely complex grievance and disciplinary proceedings concerning a senior member of its academic staff. This required her to present the employer’s case to various internal panels, call evidence from the University’s senior managers and advise the HR team on its strategic approach to the process.
Melanie accepts instructions under the Bar’s Public Access Scheme.

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