Spotlight on… Cecily Donoghue

This month, we shine the spotlight on Cecily Donoghue, Senior Associate in the Employment and Immigration team. She tells us about when she realised law was the career for her, her top tip for clients and a work Christmas party which led to an interesting case she worked on.

What first attracted you to a career in law?

After being raised watching nearly every crime drama and murder mystery available on TV at the time, I was initially considering a career in the police. However, after meeting an inspirational lawyer whilst still at school, I realised that this was the career I wanted to follow and headed off to Reading to complete my undergraduate degree in law. After my first year, I knew this was what I wanted to do.

What type of legal advice do you provide and to what type of clients?

I’m an employment lawyer, so specialise in providing the wide range of employment and legal HR support to businesses and individuals. Many assume that employment law is just hiring and firing but there’s so much more to it than that.

Whilst I do support businesses with recruitment and exit strategies, I also provide advice on day-to-day staff management, absences and developments, restructures, redundancies and defending employment tribunal claims. I work closely with the corporate and commercial teams with the employment aspects of mergers and acquisitions, TUPE and governance.

However, I don’t just sit on one side of the table; I also regularly advise individuals on the flip side of all these issues too.

What is your most memorable legal experience and why?

Assisting a business with the fall out after a Christmas party.

Whilst the party itself was a success for many who attended, some ended up falling out, whilst others engaged in complicated intimate liaisons with colleagues. The following Monday, the business had received four formal grievances, one resignation and multiple anonymous reports. The matter was time-pressured given the upcoming Christmas break, but also was a concern because the business had been engaging in buy-out talks, but a deal hadn’t yet been agreed.

I worked alongside the business to prepare initial communications to those involved and all staff who attended. We then dealt with each allegation and concern, both formal and informal, some of which latterly involved mediation.

Post-investigation, I assisted the client with training to help them prevent and prepare for similar concerns arising in the future as well as responding to queries from the prospective buyer.

Whilst we’re often involved in some of the more unusual issues arising from staff, this matter had particularly interesting allegations and the scale of the issues and wider context made it especially memorable. I’m happy to confirm that the client’s next party was a quiet success with no similar concerns raised.

What is your number one tip for clients?

Pick up the phone and speak to me sooner rather than later. Getting advice early ensures you’re informed and significantly reduces the overall costs likely to be incurred later on if you don’t take advice.