Natalie Ward

Natalie Ward

Partner
Bristol The Paragon Counterslip Bristol BS1 6BX
Bath 2 Queen Square Bath BA1 2HQ
Mobile 07387022295

Partner

Natalie specialises in employment law, advising on both contentious and non-contentious legal matters. She advises a range of corporate clients, from owner-managed businesses to PLCs, and has a particular interest in the impact of employment law on agriculture businesses and families.

Her employment law expertise covers tribunal litigation, discrimination, redundancies, health issues, grievance procedures and outsourcing issues. She handles complex cases involving acquisitions and disposals, advising extensively on TUPE.

Agriculture

Bringing in-depth understanding of employment law to the Agriculture team, Natalie helps rural businesses navigate complex disputes and contractual matters. Many of her cases involve small farming teams and family members working together, and she brings both an understanding and pragmatic approach to resolve matters effectively and sensitively.

As well as advising on employment matters, Natalie helps clients deal with performance, absence and minimum wage issues, to ensure the businesses can continue to run, progress and be profitable. Her clients in the agriculture space range from traditional farms to landed estates with glamping sites and commercial shoots.

Natalie's relevant experience includes:

  • advising a family-run business during employment tribunal litigation involving a claim of unfair dismissal and whistleblowing brought by a former director and family member
  • acting on behalf of a farm owner suffering from dementia, through her son and attorney, to seek agreement with HMRC to reduce liabilities and penalties from nearly £50,000 to under £7,000 for underpayment of agricultural minimum wage
  • advising a farming family through a long-term sickness absence dismissal of their long-standing employee following a breakdown of the relationship. The sensitive case involved complex medical issues; allegations of disability discrimination; and making careful recommendations to satisfy the differing appetites for risk of the family members
  • advising a farming client on the redundancy of its cattle manager and ensuring the employee's farm property was vacated, which required negotiations over whether to buy him out of his occupancy rights or to provide him with a property at market rent

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