Alan Jones

About My Work

Alan Jones is one of the founders of Averta, together with David Sykes. Prior to joining with David Sykes to form Averta Employment Lawyers, he was an equity partner at DLA Piper between 1983 and 2004. At DLA he headed the Birmingham office employment law team and had other senior management roles within the firm.

At DLA Piper he had responsibility for clients operating a wide range of business, including the financial services sector, retail, banking, and recruitment. Work types included enforcement and/or drafting restrictive covenants, contractual disputes, dismissals, and discrimination and over the years, he conducted over 200 hearings at employment tribunals throughout the country.

With a strong grounding in the corporate and commercial aspects of employment law, Alan now uses his expertise for the benefit of individual clients, such as directors, senior executives, managers, and professionals from businesses of all shapes and sizes. In the last eighteen years he has acted for numerous clients dealing with a whole range of issues such as discrimination, whistleblowing, share issues, bonus claims and severance payments. He has acted for PLC main board directors, including some from banks and large financial institutions and for several ‘partners’ leaving private equity funds (which gives rise to interesting ‘carried interest’ issues). He has also acted for lawyers leaving law firms around the country, and for senior executives leaving public sector and NHS organisations.

Clients has said that they consider him to be approachable and, importantly, other lawyers in commercial law firms consider him to be a capable, practical, and commercial employment lawyer.

Alan is particularly sensitive to the reputational aspect of employment issues in that an individual’s reputation (both internally and in media terms) can be of significant value and he regularly works with public relations specialists to manage reputational issues. This can be particularly relevant in public sector terminations but is also an issue for many senior executives in large companies.

Memberships & Qualifications

  • He is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association and Birmingham Law Society Employment Law Committee which regularly comments on matters of public interest in the field of employment law.

Recognition/Awards

  • Alan is widely recognised as an employment law expert, being listed in both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a leading lawyer. He is also one of the few UK lawyers in the ‘The Legal 500 Hall of Fame’ which includes individuals who have received constant praise from their clients for continued excellence.

Education

  • University of Bristol BSc Hons, economics

Specific Areas of Focus

  • Board Room Disputes
  • Bonus Disputes
  • Bonus Schemes
  • Breach of Contract
  • Company Reorganisations
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Employment History

  • DLA Piper
  • Needham & James