Garvey Hanchard

About Garvey Hanchard

I have practised as a solicitor for over 15 years, specialising in employment law. In that time, I have acted for a wide range of clients, across a number of sectors, from international, national and household-name companies to SME’s, senior executives and employees. Now, acting exclusively for individuals at Monaco Solicitors, I am able to draw on my extensive experience working for organisations to be able to understand how best to navigate through negotiations with them to achieve the best outcomes for clients.

I am a strong believer in alternative dispute resolution and achieving solutions without having to resort to contentious employment tribunal or court proceedings, where possible. I am an accredited workplace mediator with experience both in chairing mediations and representing parties in a mediation setting.

Whilst the primary goal of negotiation is to avoid tribunal proceedings, there will be occasions where litigation is necessary, and I have extensive advocacy experience representing clients in employment and professional regulation tribunals.

I understand that engaging in discussions with employers about your employment can be a very stressful time, particularly as you are unlikely to have the same experience of similar situations as your employer will have or their resources. Instructing an experienced solicitor can help to redress that imbalance and provide confidence, and I will always try to be available and responsive to my clients and work with them to best achieve their desired outcomes.

I have lectured extensively on employment law matters to clients, companies, HR professionals, academic institutions and to other legal professionals.

Notable cases/Key achievements

• Providing legal and strategic advice on the employment aspects of a phase change in a major rail development programme across London
• Acting for the head physio at a Premier League football club in a contentious exit, and successfully negotiating a severance package
• Acting successfully in an IT consultancy firm dispute in a £1.7 million constructive dismissal, breach of contract (shares) claim
• Acting in a train operating company dispute, successfully defending a multiple-claimant claim about overtime rates of pay
• Successfully acting in a high profile race discrimination / harassment claim against a police authority

Career history

• Monaco Solicitors: Senior Associate Solicitor, August 2018 – Present
• Bircham Dyson Bell LLP: Senior Associate Solicitor, 2008 – 2018
• Chartered Institute of Legal Services: Director of Legal Services (Secondment), 2014
• Pannone LLP (now Slater & Gordon): Employment Solicitor, 2004 – 2007
• Goodman Derrick LLP: Trainee Solicitor then Employment Solicitor, 2001 – 2004
• Hogan Lovells: Litigation Paralegal, 2001

What our clients say…

"gave me confidence from the start"

Excellent service - gave me confidence from the start that they would do the best they could for me. Highly recommended.

Toby

"helped me through the trauma of negotiating a severance package"

Our lawyer really helped me through the trauma of negotiating a severance package and got better results than my 1st and 2nd negotiations direct with my former employer. I would highly recommend and it was worth the costs.

Anonymous

"Going up against a big corporate company alone would have been hard but Monaco really helped"

Monaco Solicitors really helped me with my case, after the initial assessment and review they advised the course of actions and detailed steps. Going up against a big corporate company alone would have been hard but Monaco really helped me through the process to obtain what was the right outcome.

Darren

"the best service I have ever had"

Excellent service. The solicitor provided me with the best service I have ever had. Well recommended. The situation I found myself needed the best solicitor I could get and I certainly got it at Monaco Solicitors.

Alan