Poppy Lucas is a Managing Associate in the Employment & Immigration group at Harbottle & Lewis LLP, specialising in employment and business immigration matters.
She advises both employers and senior executives on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment law issues. In particular, she has significant experience in advising on complex and high-value workplace disputes, redundancy processes, and performance management issues. Poppy also advises senior executives on all stages of the employment relationship from contractual terms on entry to negotiating exits.
In the area of immigration law, Poppy advises employers and individuals on the business aspects of immigration law and the right to work in the UK, particularly on sponsoring employees to work in the UK, visa applications, compliance with immigration duties, and the prevention of illegal working.
Poppy’s clients include both businesses and individuals predominantly within theatre, media & entertainment, sport, and financial services industries. She also advises start-up businesses or individuals engaging in start-up ventures.
Poppy has been described by clients as “very responsive” and “extremely approachable” with excellent communication skills, and her ability to provide a clear, practical solution has attracted particular praise.
She is a member of the Employment Lawyers’ Association (ELA) and the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA).
- Tribunal litigation
- Appointment and termination of senior executives
- Discrimination, harassment and victimisation in the workplace
- Business reorganisations and redundancy (collective and individual)
- Employment related disputes and grievances
- Contract and policy review
- Post-termination restrictions
- Employment issues in corporate transactions
- Employment and immigration advice to businesses starting up in the UK or establishing a UK subsidiary
- Business immigration including sponsoring migrant workers
- Tier 1 (Investor and Entrepreneur), Tier 2 (General and Intra Company transfer) and Tier 5 of the points based system
- Visiting the UK and long term immigration planning
- Preventing illegal working
- Acting for a world-leading sporting body in its defence of claims for whistleblowing, harassment and victimisation brought by a former agency worker. The claim was for very significant sums and related to serious issues concerning sensitive confidential information
- Advising a well-known sports personality in respect of the public termination of their employment and negotiating a generous settlement
- Advising a well-known theatre production company in relation to employment related disputes and its obligations to collectively consult with employees on the closure of a West End production
- Acting for a global IT security business in its defence of an eight figure race discrimination claim
- Negotiating an amicable settlement relating to a senior executive’s return to work following a period of sickness and advising in respect of potential claims for constructive unfair dismissal, age discrimination and disability discrimination
- Assisting an individual relocate to the UK and obtain the right to enter and remain in the UK as a Tier 1 (Investor) under the £10 million route
Poppy is a member of the Employment Lawyers’ Association (ELA) and the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA). She is also a member of the Firm’s Private Capital group, Start-up group and Theatre industry group.
Poppy trained at Addleshaw Goddard LLP, qualifying in 2009 into the firm’s Employment and Immigration Department. She joined Harbottle & Lewis in 2013.
- Qualification date: September 2009
- Academic qualifications: Psychology degree, 2002 – 2005; GDL, 2005-2006; LPC, 2006-2007
