Eleanor Porter

Solicitor - Consultant Solicitor

SRA ID: 360358

Having qualified as a solicitor in 2005, I have over 18 years’ employment law experience gained in various city law firms acting for both employers and individuals. My experience spans across a diverse range of sectors, including financial and professional services, private equity, recruitment, education, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, media and entertainment, hospitality, travel, retail and policing. I have a wealth of experience advising and representing individual employees and am passionate about offering employees equal access to top quality legal advice. I cover the full spectrum of employment law issues arising over the lifespan of the employment relationship, including advising on service agreements at the recruitment stage, grievances and disciplinaries, equality and diversity, whistleblowing, family-friendly and other statutory rights, redundancies, restrictive covenants and negotiating departures, including advising on settlement agreements. I have also advised and represented many corporate clients of all sizes from SMEs and start-ups to global PLCs and financial institutions. In addition, I spent several years working in-house having been seconded to a multinational investment bank whilst I was in private practice at international law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (as was). More recently, I spent five years as in-house Counsel for the Police-Federation of England & Wales. My experience acting for employees and employers throughout my career, and also having been embedded within organisations as an in-house lawyer gives me unique practical insight and understanding of the challenges that can arise for both parties to the employment relationship. It has enabled me to develop a proactive and creative approach to trouble-shooting and resolving disputes as promptly, pragmatically and cost-efficiently as possible. Of course this is not always possible, and where litigation is unavoidable to protect a clients’ interests, I am an experienced, astute and tactical litigator. I pride myself on being approachable, personable and empathetic whilst always being robust and tenacious on behalf of my client. I always start any new instruction by ensuring that both I, and my client are clear on their objectives from the outset, so I can tailor my advice and recommendations accordingly. I prioritise being entirely open and realistic with a client from the outset of their matter to ensure that fees are transparent and that expectations of the process and likely outcomes are realistic and kept under constant review throughout the instruction. I am a member of the Employment Lawyers Association and sit on the Training Committee. I am also a member of the International Forum of Senior Executive Advisers. Outside of work, I am a keen if not very proficient tennis player, a less proficient yogalates practitioner and an even less proficient manager of two small people.