Executives

Almost all of our clients have the same aims:

• As much money as possible
• As quickly as possible
• With as few post termination restrictions as possible
• As cheaply as possible and
• In as gentlemanly or ladylike fashion as possible

When we negotiate settlements leading to compromise agreements the employer will always contribute something to the legal costs. Sometimes we can get the whole deal done within the cost paid for by the employer. On other occasions our experience means we are not running up huge costs.
 

One of the easiest things you can do is just ring and have a chat about the situation. We will tell you if we can help and discuss costs with you. Before accepting any instructions from clients we have to comply with the Law Society and legal requirements. This means that we may have to obtain satisfactory evidence of identity to comply with the legal requirements on money laundering and also we will have to send you a letter concerning our charges and our services in accordance with Law Society rules.

Alternatively:

Step 1 - send us a short email to mail@steenandco.co.uk, reference Conflict Check, stating the name of your employer.

Step 2 - we will respond stating whether we can act - if we cannot act on your behalf because we already act on behalf of your employer we will tell you immediately and keep the conversation confidential.

Step 3 - We will send you a form to complete providing all the information we need to advise you fully. We will also discuss an estimate of the costs for our advice and agree a way forward.

 

Payment in Lieu of Notice clauses - 'PILONs'- we can advise on whether the £30,000 tax exemption applies;

Tax Indemnities in compromise agreements - what does such a clause mean and does your employer have a right to ask for one? We can advise on whether you should accept one and if so on how to protect yourself. 

Garden Leave - we can advise on whether your employer can insist you stay at home;

Service Agreements - not only do we draft them for companies but we regularly advise executives before they sign them.

Restrictive covenants - we can advise whether your employer can prevent you working for a competitor after you leave and on what to do if after you leave your employer is threatening you.

Bonuses – we will advise on whether you are entitled to your bonus under the terms of the bonus plan and in certain instances we will try to obtain part if not full payment of bonuses for the year of departure if the bonus is yet to be paid.

Ex Pat employee termination issues - we have a lot of experience of dealing with ex pat termination agreements having dealt for many years, for example, with senior executives in the oil and tobacco industries. There are special tax breaks for termination payments for departing ex pat employees and those with foreign service.

Discrimination – we have wide experience of dealing with discrimination cases including a great deal of experience of pregnancy discrimination and redundancy during maternity leave. 
 

We have created this form to assist us in taking instructions from clients in a structured, methodical and cost effective way. Simon Steen, the principal of Steen & Co Employment Solicitors, has dealt with hundreds of termination package negotiations for senior executives over the last 20 years, obtaining millions of pounds for his clients.

If you decide to use our services completion of this form will assist in the process and will save time and expense. Of course, you do not have to complete it as we will be more than happy to discuss these matters over the phone or in a meeting whether during or after office hours. The form itself is a simple and cost effective way of getting instructions from you. Rather than ask you lots of questions in a meeting or on the telephone, at your expense, we simply send the form and ask you to complete it.