Square One Law is delighted to announce that it has attracted specialist, international employment lawyer, Simon Loy, to join the firm as a partner.
Simon has recently returned to the North East, after working in Paris for Nissan Europe SAS, as Deputy Head of European Legal Services, Manufacturing, Sales & Marketing.
He has over 20 years’ experience in employment law and employee relations and specialises in restructuring and re-profiling of workforces; executive service agreements and terminations; employee relations including Trade Unions and best practice policy and procedure development.
Simon previously worked for Eversheds until 2014, as Head of its North Eastern Employment Team in Newcastle, so is well-known in the region.
Highlights of his career to-date include a number of landmark reported cases such as advising an international aggregates company on its merger, which affected over 10,000 employees and defending one of Europe’s largest employers against an equal pay challenge, as well representing a former Lord Chancellor on employment issues arising from a public sector reorganisation.
Senior partner, Ian Gilthorpe said, “Alan Fletcher, our chairman, and I both worked with Simon in Eversheds, so when we heard he was returning to the North East, we took no time in approaching him to see if he would be interested in joining us.”
Simon commented, “Square One Law provides the platform of a highly ambitious law firm committed to the region, from which I can quickly re-integrate into the North East business community. The opportunity to join one of the fastest growing commercial law firms in the UK, with a refreshingly different approach to commercial legal services really sells itself.”
Jean-Pierre van Zyl, head of Square One Law’s employment team said, “Simon has a reputation for providing user-friendly, high calibre and commercially focused legal advice on employment matters of strategic importance to businesses and has a track record of building long term relationships with his clients. His experience will undoubtedly add another dimension to our already successful employment team.”
Simon added, “My in-house role at Nissan Europe provided an invaluable insight into the client perspective on what is needed from external legal support. I’m really impressed with Square One Law’s philosophy of delivering to clients what they want and how they want it.
“I really buy into JP’s ambition for Square One Law’s employment team to be the natural first choice for the North East business community and to be synonymous with value, creativity and effectiveness.