Employment heavyweight joins Burness Paull

Sandy Kemp has joined Burness Paull’s employment practice as consultant from Clyde and Co.

With more than 30 years’ experience, Mr Kemp is regarded as one of the leading contentious employment litigators in the UK. He was certified as a specialist in employment law by the Law Society of Scotland in 1995 and admitted as a solicitor advocate in 2010. Since then he has appeared in the Court of Session, both Outer House and Inner House, and the Supreme Court where he acted as junior counsel to John Cavanagh QC in successfully representing the offshore oil and gas industry in a claim under the Working Time Regulations 1998 made by large parts of the offshore workforce.

Mr Kemp is particularly renowned in the oil and gas service sector for handling complex issues including TUPE, business reorganisations, working time and discrimination cases.

Also joining Burness Paull from Clyde and Co is senior associate, Robert Phillips. Working predominantly in the oil and gas sector and with more than nine years’ experience, Mr Phillips has developed expertise in tribunal representation, outsourcing litigation and corporate immigration. He will also be based in Aberdeen.

Sean Saluja, partner and head of employment at Burness Paull, said: “The addition of Sandy and Robert will add considerable strength and depth to our employment team, locally and nationally. Their combined experience, matched with our existing capability, will ensure that our clients benefit from considerable experience in handling complex and high profile cases.

“Sandy’s decision to join Burness Paull is a real endorsement of our capability. As one of the most experienced employment lawyers in the UK, he also has huge influence in the Aberdeen oil and gas sector as a result of handling some of the most defining cases the industry has seen in recent times. Robert’s expertise in business immigration will also be increasingly important as businesses prepare for the world post-Brexit.”

Mr Kemp added: “I have always admired the employment team at Burness Paull. Their client care, in the complex and constantly evolving world of employment law, is exemplary. Both Robert and I have held Sean, his team and the firm in the highest regard.”