There are lots of things which can go wrong when an employer decides to discipline an employee and if this is the case, it can be very costly to the business in terms of both money and reputation.
Any conduct issues should be properly investigated first and a fair disciplinary process should be carried out which involves giving an employee certain legal rights and complying with a Code of Practice.
To mitigate any risk arising from disciplinary action against an employee we recommended obtaining legal advice beforehand. Once your solicitor has advised you and ensures that you are fully prepared to carry out the process, it wouldn't be usual for a solicitor to attend a hearing unless it's a regulatory requirement.