People | Marian Derham

Marian Derham is a Partner and Deputy Head of the Employment Practice and Marian's employment law expertise is recognised in the legal guides (The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners). Marian is also recognised as an employment expert in UK Legal Experts 2012.

Her practice covers contentious and non-contentious employment law including; advising on strategic employment issues, redundancies and reorganisations, day to day advice to HR departments and companies on a broad range of employment issues including dealing with termination of employment; disciplinary and grievance procedures, executive terminations and negotiations, constructive dismissal, breach of contract and unfair dismissal, maternity and parental rights; flexible working requests; discrimination and harassment, sickness absences, service contracts and senior appointments; restrictive covenants, outsourcing and in sourcing and TUPE issues, working time and contracts for freelancers and consultants.

Marian acts for both employers and senior executives. She is lauded in The Legal 500 for being "attentive and prompt" and is recognised for her advice on commercial restructuring and subsequent redundancies. Marian was recommended in The Legal 500 for her expertise in negotiating settlements for a large number of senior executives in a range of sectors. Her clients include companies and individuals who are predominantly, but not exclusively, in the media and entertainment, leisure, tourism, theatre, fashion, publishing and sport industries and charities sector.

Graduating with an LLB from the London School of Economics, Marian joined Harbottle & Lewis in 1984. Marian embarked on a 16 year career at Harbottle & Lewis as a Company Commercial lawyer becoming a partner in the Company/Commercial Group in 1989. Recognising the importance of employment law as a substantial area of law, Marian co-founded the Employment Group as a stand alone department in 2000. Marian is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.