Serena Crawshay-Williams

Serena has experience representing claimants and respondents in the Employment Tribunal. Serena’s recent instructions include:

• Successfully represented a claimant in a five-day disability discrimination trial.
• Successfully represented a respondent in a three-day whistleblowing trial.
• Successfully represented a claimant in a two-day unfair dismissal trial involving redundancy.
• Drafting witness statements for a three-week whistleblowing trial.
• An ongoing multi-party holiday pay and discrimination claim, led by Michael Ford KC.
• An ongoing six-day race discrimination claim, led by Jack Mitchell.

Before coming to the Bar, Serena worked as a Research Assistant for Professor of Labour Law, Alan Bogg. She also worked for an employment law consultancy where she helped to conduct a workplace investigation for an NHS Trust.

Between October 2020 and February 2021, Serena completed a secondment in the employment team at Capsticks LLP. During secondment, Serena gained experience drafting pleadings, witness statements, and advices. She also regularly represented NHS Trusts in the Employment Tribunal.

Serena is co-author of the Westlaw Insight articles on: contracts of employment, gratuities and tips, holiday pay, national minimum wage, reinstatement and re-engagement, shop stewards, trade unions, unlawful deductions of wages, wages, and workforce agreements.

Serena is a member of the Employment Law Bar Association and the Employment Lawyers Association.

Serena appears in claims involving road traffic accidents, occupiers’ liability, employers’ liability, and public liability. She frequently drafts pleadings, schedules of loss, and advices on liability and quantum.

Serena adopts a strategic approach to litigation. As a trained mediator, Serena has developed a high standard of communication and negotiation skills. She has been praised for her client care skills and her ability to handle sensitive matters with clients during conferences.

Serena is a member of the Personal Injuries Bar Association.

Serena was instructed by UNISON, led by Michael Ford KC and Stuart Brittenden, in a claim for judicial review of the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses (Amendment) Regulations 2022.

Serena was instructed by UNISON, led by Michael Ford KC and Stuart Brittenden, in a claim for judicial review of The Restriction of Public Sector Exit Payments Regulations 2020. In February 2021, the Government revoked the Regulations.

During pupillage, Serena assisted Ben Collins KC, Nadia Motraghi, Eleena Misra and Rachel Owusu-Agyei in Adiatu v HM Treasury [2020] EWHC 1554 (Admin), a case concerning an application for judicial review in a challenge to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Statutory Sick Pay regimes that excluded workers not paid by PAYE.

Serena is a member of the Attorney General’s Junior Junior Scheme.

• Members of Old Square Chambers successful in judicial review of agency worker regulations
• Eight members of Old Square Chambers act in judicial review concerning the Restriction of Public Sector Exit Payments Regulations 2020
• Insolvency and Employment Law – Spencer Keen and Serena Crawshay-Williams
• ET finds that “gender reassignment” (s.7 EqA) includes gender fluid and non-binary individuals
• Uber BV v Aslam