Tom Scaife

Tom specialises in contentious and non-contentious employment law, with particular expertise in employment tribunal claims, dismissals, disciplinary and grievance processes, restructures, redundancies, workplace investigations, settlement agreements, restrictive covenants, and the employment aspects of M&A work and wider organisational change.

He regularly supports clients where employment issues are sensitive, commercially-significant or business-critical. He advises on managing risk before disputes escalate, defending and resolving claims, handling exits, protecting confidential information and client relationships, and navigating issues involving performance, conduct, absence, whistleblowing, discrimination, senior departures and board-level conflicts.

Tom has extensive experience supporting employers, senior executives, business owners and organisations across a range of complex workplace issues, working with owner-managed businesses, companies, charities, healthcare providers, professional services businesses, manufacturers, senior individuals and organisations with complex workforces or operational pressures.

Examples of Tom’s work include:

• Supporting clients through employment tribunal proceedings covering whistleblowing, unfair dismissal, discrimination, interim relief, and National Minimum Wage breaches, including assessing prospects, preparing response strategies, reviewing evidence, drafting and reviewing witness statements, advising on disclosure and bundles, working with counsel and supporting clients through settlement discussions, preliminary hearings and final hearings.
• Working with employers on complex pay disputes and industrial action being threatened by the relevant union, including understanding the parameters for negotiation and working with the client to formulate a negotiation strategy to break what had become an entrenched deadlock.
• Advising employers on dismissals, grievances, sickness absence, performance management, workplace conflict and senior exits.
• Advising on restructuring and redundancy exercises, including workforce planning, consultation obligations, selection processes, changes to terms and conditions, and the management of individual and collective risk.
• Working with employers across various sectors to implement the changes brought about by the Employment Rights Act 2025.