Robert Whitaker

I head up Tees’ business law services team, specialising in employment law and data protection.

I have over 25 years of experience specialising in employment law, particularly TUPE, and strategic advice around reorganisations and redundancies, and Equality Act claims. My client base is varied but includes regularly advising farmers and the agricultural sector, professionals’ services businesses, and a wide range of owner managed businesses. I also act for not for profits including schools and colleges and charities.

I also act for individuals in particular in advising senior executives on their rights and exit packages.

My specialisms include a particular focus on disability claims and “reasonable adjustments” acting for both employers and employees.

As part of the team’s practice, we advise on data privacy and support businesses to undertake compliant data-related work.  This includes advising on the policies and procedures our clients need for legal compliance, conducting data privacy impact assessments, and advising and assisting with data subject access requests and ICO submissions in the event of a data breach.

Alongside this, we assist our clients by advising on protecting confidential and proprietary information, including drafting and advising on enforcement of restrictive covenants. We also advise individuals seeking to understand their obligations or respond to a letter before action or threatened proceedings from a former employer.

Delivering what you really need

With a broad range of clients and depth and breadth of expertise, the common thread for me is that we are known for and enjoy supporting our clients with specialist expertise, commercial understanding and genuinely personalised practical legal advice that works for you and/or your business.

Employment law is about people, and for me it’s about helping people with practical solutions to legal problems. I’ll work alongside you to pursue your objectives and achieve an effective resolution. I provide practical solutions cost-effectively. Where we act for employers, we will always be pleased to visit your premises and spend time with you getting to know how your business works and what your priorities, concerns, and issues are. We will aim to understand your objectives and work alongside you to achieve them. Running a business is never easy; I can help businesses facing reorganisations, including strategic employment law advice on business sales, transfers, and mergers. This includes advising on change management, redundancies, closures and the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (“TUPE”).

We work closely with our commercial colleagues and your other professional advisers for a holistic approach in assisting you on selling or purchasing a business or restructuring a company.

I handle many workplace dispute resolutions, including advising and assisting on the full range of contentious and non-contentious matters that arise. We advise on the development and application of good internal procedures and on best practice. We offer a range of bespoke support services for employers, including policy and procedure audits, ad hoc support and guidance, and in-house training. We are routinely involved in advising businesses in drafting and negotiating exit packages, with particular experience advising on exit processes and terms for senior executives (both employers and employees).