Jenna is a Partner in the Employment team at Thomas Mansfield Solicitors.

She advises employer and employee clients on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious matters and has significant experience handling Employment Tribunal claims.

Specialisms – neurodiversity / mental health

Jenna is a recognised authority in disability discrimination law, advising clients on work-related matters involving various disabilities. Jenna has a particular specialism in advising on matters involving neurodiverse conditions, such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia. Jenna is also an expert on the legal issues regarding mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.

The Starbucks case

One of Jenna’s most widely publicised cases in the Employment Tribunal is that of her client, Miss Meseret Kumulchew. Miss Kumulchew, a dyslexic shift supervisor at Starbucks, won a disability discrimination case against her employer after being accused of falsifying documents. The BBC news article can be found at this link: Starbucks employee wins dyslexia discrimination case – BBC News

Areas of expertise include:

Employers

  • Providing day-to-day advice to employers on all aspects of employment law
  • Advising on disciplinary and grievance issues
  • Providing restructuring advice regarding individual and collective consultation obligations in the context of redundancies
  • Advising on issues related to team moves including restrictive covenants
  • Drafting all employment related documentation
  • Reviewing HR policies to ensure compliance with current legislation
  • Advising and negotiating termination packages
  • Transfer of undertakings and employment law aspects of business sales
  • Advising on all aspects of discrimination law
  • Disputes concerning worker and employment status
  • Variations of contract

Employees

  • Advising on all types of discrimination claims, including disability, pregnancy & maternity, race, sex and age discrimination claims
  • Pay and bonus disputes
  • Advising on unfair dismissal claims (including constructive dismissal)
  • Contractual disputes
  • Advising on and negotiating settlement agreements
  • Transferring employees from one organisation to another (TUPE)
  • Advising on restrictive covenants

Recent work

  • Successfully obtained a strike-out of a claim in the Employment Tribunal for a large infrastructure company
  • Successfully obtained a costs award against a Claimant on behalf of a large Respondent company
  • Negotiated excellent settlement packages for employees of companies in a wide variety of sectors, including charities, financial services and the fashion industry.

Client Testimonials

  • “Jenna was first class and shows your company and herself in a very positive light.”
  • “Jenna was very professional, she was very warm & welcoming.”
  • “I dealt with Jenna (and others at Thomas Mansfield) in terms of me being a client but also as HR Manager and planning meetings for the company to meet our employees. Very professional, courteous at all times, dealt with situations sensitively.”
  • “Very good service.”
  • “I found Jenna’s approach very attentive, thorough and professional.”
  • “I was very happy with Jenna – could not have wished for a better solicitor to handle my case. Thank you.”
  • “I would highly recommend Jenna.”

Background

  • Jenna graduated from Merton College, Oxford University in 2007 with a BA (Hons) in Jurisprudence. She completed her training contract at Macfarlanes in London and qualified as a solicitor in September 2011.

Memberships

  • Law Society
  • Employment Lawyers Association