Our Team

Rachel O’Connell

Solicitor and Director

team-profil-image

“I worked closely with Rachel for a period of 18 months when my small company was the subject of a number of vexations and unfounded claims from a former employee. Rachel proved herself to be very knowledgeable across all aspects of employment law. She is reliable, dedicated, conscientious, efficient and likeable. She dealt with virtually everything herself which was a big plus, and also showed great empathy for the emotions involved in having to defend such a claim. Rachel consistently gave good, balanced advice but was also willing to listen to and accept alternative views. She was tough, unflappable and a pleasure to deal with. We were represented superbly right up to the moment the claimant realised he had no choice but to withdraw and walk away with nothing on the eve of the scheduled hearing. I would recommend her highly for any Employment related litigation and am happy to be contacted should any further information be required”

Mr W.

“Rachel has a fantastic manner with clients, and is extremely calm when dealing with tricky matters. She has a great ability to rapidly spot the key issues in a case and manage the process of litigation smoothly and with very good results.”

Ms Suzanne McKie QC.

Rachel is a Director at Just Employment and qualified as a solicitor in 1997, she has specialised in employment law since that time. Before moving to Surrey, Rachel spent several years in the employment department at one of the larger city firms.

Rachel has acted for employers of all shapes and sizes from those with over 50,000 employees to those with only 5. She regularly advises on redundancy, all forms of dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, contractual issues, equal pay, TUPE, team moves and post termination restrictions. She offers practical, commercial advice and will listen to what you hope to achieve and advise accordingly.

Rachel has an excellent record in the Employment Tribunal in defending employers in a variety of claims including claims for unfair / wrongful dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing and equal pay.

Rachel is also able to provide constructive training on a range of employment issues, including equal opportunities, bullying at work, how to manage poor performance and absences due to ill health.

Rachel also acts for individuals and has a particular interest in cases involving issues of discrimination and whistleblowing. She will deal with your case sensitively and she will do her best to help you achieve your desired outcome. She has acted for several women based in the City in cases involving sex discrimination often resulting in significant settlements. She has also acted for senior management (including Managing Directors and CEOs) as well as equity partners in complex discrimination claims. Rachel has negotiated settlement packages of more than £1 million for some of her clients.

Rachel is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.

“I worked closely with Rachel for a period of 18 months when my small company was the subject of a number of vexations and unfounded claims from a former employee. Rachel proved herself to be very knowledgeable across all aspects of employment law. She is reliable, dedicated, conscientious, efficient and likeable. She dealt with virtually everything herself which was a big plus, and also showed great empathy for the emotions involved in having to defend such a claim. Rachel consistently gave good, balanced advice but was also willing to listen to and accept alternative views. She was tough, unflappable and a pleasure to deal with. We were represented superbly right up to the moment the claimant realised he had no choice but to withdraw and walk away with nothing on the eve of the scheduled hearing. I would recommend her highly for any Employment related litigation and am happy to be contacted should any further information be required”

Mr W.

“Rachel has a fantastic manner with clients, and is extremely calm when dealing with tricky matters. She has a great ability to rapidly spot the key issues in a case and manage the process of litigation smoothly and with very good results.”

Ms Suzanne McKie QC.

How can we help you today?

Settlement Agreements

We can help you obtain
the best possible agreement.

More Info

I'm an employer

We help managers to solve people problems, individual and collective.

More Info

I'm an employee

We win compensation by settlement or award in nearly 90% of claims.

More Info

HR Advice

We are different to most HR advisors as we are qualified solicitors.

More Info

I would like to express my sincerest thanks for all your help in person….we would like someone who is reliable and good, basically someone of your calibre. Dr A A, London University