Andrew Smith

Andrew appears regularly in the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and High Court in complex employment claims. He is ranked as a leading barrister in this field by the legal directories Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal. In 2019 Andrew was shortlisted by Legal 500 for employment junior of the year. Extracts from the directory recommendations may be viewed below.

Andrew is regularly instructed to advise clients and to represent them at trial in high value and complicated employment disputes. He has considerable experience of ET claims involving discrimination and whistleblowing, as well as those relating to employment status, TUPE issues, agency workers, holiday pay and unfair dismissal (amongst others).

Andrew’s appearances in the EAT and the Court of Appeal include the high-profile case of Smith v Pimlico Plumbers, which considered the meaning and effect of the CJEU’s judgment in King v Sash Window Workshop regarding ‘carry over’ rights in respect of annual leave.

Andrew’s High Court practice encompasses a broad range of employment-related litigation, including ‘team move’ cases and disputes concerning restrictive covenants, bonus payments, obligations of confidence and fiduciary duties.

Andrew also has experience of representing a trade union in proceedings before the Certification Officer and Assistant Certification Officer, including in connection with a disputed General Secretary election.

Andrew writes and presents widely on the topic of employment and discrimination law.

Directory recommendations

“He has great legal ingenuity, he has flawless judgement, he expresses himself beautifully and he is totally on top of every detail.” “He has really good attention to detail, he is good with the clients, he is good on his feet and he is user-friendly.” Chambers & Partners, 2022

“He’s technically and strategically excellent.” “He is really good to work with and he’s always available. He gets to grips with the case very quickly, is very bright and a really good advocate.” Chambers & Partners, 2021

“Fiercely intelligent, detail oriented, responsive, and with a great courtroom style.” Legal 500, 2021

“Guides clients through complex Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and High Court cases. He has notable expertise in bonus disputes and other contractual issues, mainly acting for clients in the financial services sector. He also has a crossover practice with commercial and sports law.” Chambers & Partners, 2020

“Extremely sharp-minded and gets into the case quickly; his drafting is incredible too.” Chambers & Partners, 2020

“A very practical and down-to-earth barrister and a great tactician.” Chambers & Partners, 2020

“A great tactician and always calm.” Legal 500, 2020

“A fantastic junior. He is responsive, incredibly bright and commercial.” Chambers & Partners, 2019

“His advice is pragmatic and sensible.” Chambers & Partners, 2019

“He is able to analyse complex cases, break down the legal issues and communicate them in simple and precise terms. His drafting is extremely concise yet detailed and his advocacy is second to none.” Chambers & Partners, 2018

“An excellent junior who is brilliant on his feet.” Legal 500, 2018