Jenna Saffman is a director in our Labour & Employment team, having advised on the full spectrum of employment relations, industrial relations and human resources matters from our Leeds office for over 15 years.
Jenna is an expert litigator, carrying out complex claims in the Employment Tribunals (including in Scotland), Employment Appeal Tribunal and the Court of Appeal on behalf of many blue-chip clients. She works tenaciously and shoulder-to-shoulder with her clients, acting as an extension of their internal team, at all times, understanding and acting in their best commercial interests when considering strategy and approach.
Jenna acts as the team’s litigation manager for a well-known PLC retailer, allocating, overseeing and supervising the client’s respective Employment Tribunal claims across the UK.
Jenna manages large-scale projects on behalf of household name clients (where reputational, brand-positioning and PR issues are often a significant consideration), which, in many cases involve an international element.
Jenna regularly carries out employment law training for clients, and has done so, in a variety of formats; from mock tribunal case studies using authentic materials including full bundles and witness statements, to pre-recorded sessions which clients can then cascade throughout their businesses via their internal e-learning platforms.
In addition, Jenna undertakes a broad level of corporate support work, providing employment assistance in respect of initial public offerings, management buyouts and private equity investments, and advises clients on non-executive appointments, settlement, consultancy and service agreements, as well as reviews policy and contract documentation on a regular basis.
Drafting a detailed legal opinion for a global hospitality client commissioned by its general counsel, setting out the options for removing a performance-based bonus scheme which was likely to constitute a contractual entitlement, affecting 9,000 employees in the UK, and many more thousand outside of this jurisdiction. The opinion identified all potential issues and considerations, including potential TU uptake and adverse publicity, and was pitched at board-level for the ExecCo to make a determination as to whether the proposal should proceed.
Supporting and advising on a mass redundancy programme carried out by a global pharmaceutical and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) manufacturer in various trances and at various sites, whereby the duty to collectively consult was triggered in each case and part of the business had trade union recognition.
Defending multiparty litigation brought against a global apparel manufacturer following the completion of a collective consultation process, which ultimately resulted in the claimants’ redundancies. It was alleged that the formula to determine enhanced redundancy payments was indirectly discriminatory on the grounds of age, and that the outcome of the consultation process was predetermined and did not represent meaningful consultation.
Defending a claim brought by a vexatious serial litigant, alleging race and disability discrimination in respect of their unsuccessful job application to one of the country’s leading hospitality brands.
Defending a discrimination and constructive dismissal claim brought by a senior executive of an engineering business against his employer as well as its CEO.
Defending complex litigation (whereby a three week trial was set, more than 10 witnesses were being called and a detailed costs assessment was possible) brought against a client in the financial services sector, involving allegations of race and sex discrimination, harassment, victimisation, whistleblowing detriment and constructive dismissal, spanning over the full duration of the claimant’s employment.
Providing corporate support, including undertaking very large-scale due diligence, preparing service agreements and settlement agreements, as well as advising in relation to strategy involving existing directorships, in a multijurisdictional transaction whereby a private equity client invested in a global party supplies and fancy dress business.