Expertise
Alanah delivers commercial, strategic, and practical advice on all aspects of employment law. Her general advisory practice includes assisting employers with complex disciplinary and grievance issues, redundancies and reorganisations, covenant enforceability, contractual changes, and executive onboarding/ terminations.
She has extensive experience in advising employees in Aberdeen who are facing redundancy and provides legal advice in relation to Settlement Agreements and unfair dismissal claims.
Alanah also represents clients in Employment Tribunal cases, manages employment aspects of corporate transactions and provides expert advice on UK immigration law, including sponsorship applications, compliance requirements, and right-to-work checks.
- Represented a large disability charity in a hearing concerning disability discrimination. The case involved complex medical evidence regarding the determination of disability status, alongside sensitivity due to the employer’s nature of work. Alanah led comprehensive witness evidence and successfully argued that the employee did not meet the criteria for disability under the Equality Act. This resulted in a favourable outcome for the employer, with the majority of claims being dismissed.
- Assisted in the smooth integration of a finance company acquired by a large group, focusing on harmonising contractual terms related to employee bonuses. This sensitive issue required careful consideration and buy-in from employees. Alanah supported the HR team throughout the process, ensuring compliance, and played a key role in drafting and communicating clear, transparent messages to employees to facilitate understanding and minimise disruption during the transition.
- Represented three shipping companies in an unfair dismissal and statutory redundancy claim. The employee, a Ship Master, had an employment contract with a non-UK registered company and links to both Norway and the UK. The employee argued the UK tribunal had jurisdiction due to starting and ending shifts in Aberdeen. One company terminated the employee's contract due to redundancy when the ship was laid up, failing to consult or pay a statutory redundancy payment. Alanah led the defence, advising the employers and negotiating a settlement that involved collaborating with the Norwegian Shipowners' Association to prevent future claims in Norway.
- Advised multiple employers from different sectors on handling situations where employees were arrested during employment for serious criminal offenses. Provided guidance on the right to silence, termination procedures, minimising potential claims, and managing negative publicity to protect the employer’s reputation.
- Represented a large Scottish public sector organisation in a tribunal claim for sex discrimination, where an employee alleged being denied a role due to flexible working arrangements. Alanah successfully demonstrated the claims lacked merit and had no reasonable prospects of success, ensuring the claims were struck out and saving the employer from a lengthy and costly final hearing.
- Advised a prominent Aberdeenshire hotel on its asset sale to a national hotel chain, providing guidance on managing employees, ensuring compliance with employment law, and maintaining confidentiality throughout the process to prevent public attention until the transaction reached later stages.
- Education
- LLB (Hons) Law, Robert Gordon University, 2016
- Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (DPLP), Robert Gordon University, 2017