Poppy Lucas specialises in a broad range of employment matters as well as advising on immigration issues.
Her expertise in relation to employment law includes advising on high value employment-related litigation, executive appointment and terminations, discrimination, business reorganisations, relocations and workplace closures, performance management and disciplinary and grievance issues.
Poppy advises on the business aspects of immigration law and the right to work in the UK. In particular, she advises employers on sponsoring employees to work in the UK and complying with immigration laws. She advises individuals entering or remaining in the UK under Tiers 1 (Investor or Entrepreneur), Tier 2 (General and Intra-Company transfer) and Tier 5 of the points based system or in temporary categories. Poppy assists with connected applications for families and dependents and also advises individuals in respect of settlement and British citizenship.
Her clients include both businesses and individuals predominantly within sport, theatre, media & entertainment, and within the financial services industry. Poppy also advises start-up businesses or individuals engaging in start-up ventures
- 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
