About
Fiona
Fiona is a highly accomplished Senior Associate with wide-ranging knowledge and expertise in employment law and HR.
Fiona is pragmatic and commercially orientated. She is a tough negotiator and a formidable employment litigator. She focuses on providing practical, solution driven advice, keeping client’s desired outcome at the forefront of her mind at all times.
Fiona is regarded as a leading specialist in her field, regularly presenting at high level employment law conferences. She also writes for various legal publications, assessing and evaluating the implications of the latest legal developments.
- Defending and providing strategic advice in relation to Employment Tribunal claims
- Exiting employees and Settlement Agreements
- Advising on employment status, grievances, disciplinary and capability issues
- Dealing with long and short term absenteeism, discrimination and flexible working
- TUPE, redundancies and restructuring
- Effecting variations to terms and conditions of employment
- Drafting and enforcing restrictive covenants
- Drafting contractor agreements, Directors Service Agreements and core policies and procedures
- Acted for a university in ensuring an effective exit strategy for a senior operations manager avoiding high risk reputational damage
- Acted for recruitment agencies in obtaining undertakings in respect of confidential information and client data
- Assisted an IT company in dealing with a boardroom dispute and allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying
- Successfully defended a claim for constructive dismissal and age discrimination based on a variation to terms and conditions of employment
- 2021 - Present | Seddons, Senior Associate
- 2020 - 2021 | Seddons, Associate
- 2013 - 2020 | DOHR Ltd, Employment Solicitor & HR Operations Manager
- 2008 - 2013 | The Adecco Group, Employment & Commercial Solicitor
- 2006 - 2008 | The Recruitment & Employment Confederation, Employment & Commercial Solicitor
- 2006 - 2008 | Abbey Legal Services, Employment & Commercial Solicitor
- 2002 - 2004 | Piper Smith Watton, Trainee Solicitor
- 2001 - 2002 | College of Law, London
- 1997 - 2000 | Southampton University, LLB Law
Firmwide awards
Recent articles by Fiona
Hybrid Working – the Pros and Cons to Employers
Head of Employment, Helen Crossland discusses the pros and cons of hybrid working for employers.
Read nowCan employers slash sick pay for unvaccinated staff?
Withholding statutory sick pay for employees who are not vaccinated carries a similar risk to introducing a 'no jab, no job' policy,...
Read nowFiona Mendel Discusses Return to Office in Personnel Today
Senior Associate Fiona Mendel discusses employees returning to the office in Personnel Today
Read now