Lucy
Gordon

Lucy is a Director in our Employment team.  She has over 15 years’ experience in advising national and international businesses on employment law. Known for her work in regulated industries such as financial services and healthcare, Lucy provides advice on a wide range of employment law issues.

Disciplined and pragmatic

For Lucy there is no “typical client” – she advises anyone who has employees, which is what makes the job so varied and interesting. Describing her approach to client work, Lucy says “I have a disciplined and pragmatic approach and will always advise clients of all of their commercial options, together with the possible consequences”. It’s important though, to be able to build a rapport with her clients, and Lucy welcomes clients knowing that they can speak freely to her about their commercial aims.

An incredibly varied role

Lucy cites her considerable experience as a factor in being able to cut to the key issues quickly and she recognises her skill at identifying the most significant issues in a matter and explaining to a client what their options are – “I would always advise the client as to what I would do in their situation and being able to quickly build a rapport definitely helps”.

When asked what she finds most challenging about her role, Lucy says “it’s incredibly varied, and you never know from one day to the next what will cross your desk. This is one of the things I love about what I do, but it can be difficult to manage, especially when something unexpected happens”.  But, she says, after so many years “I am used to juggling workloads and reassessing priorities”.

The value of support

Dealing with individuals who may be representing themselves in employment litigation can be tricky, especially when it comes to managing their expectations about the litigation process, but Lucy’s measured and clear explanations ensure that everyone remains calm.

Lucy thrives in collaborative environments and encourages her clients to educate her about the culture of their business and the personalities involved, so that she can immerse herself in their business to get a sense of the pressures they face. She points out that “helping clients develop their own employment law expertise means that they can see real value from the support we offer”

A member of the Walker Morris Women in Leadership group and a Diversity Champion, Lucy developed a love of HR after working in the HR department of an international engineering firm during her university vacations.

“The most rewarding part of the job for me is building really close relationships with businesses – so that hopefully it feels like an extension of their team rather than engaging third party support”.