Empire HR strengthens in-house team

Empire HR has appointed Jill Turner from Pinsent Masons as a litigation expert, bringing the size of its team of lawyers to eight.

The Aberdeen-based HR firm, which also has offices in Glasgow and Inverness, now has one of the biggest employment law teams in Aberdeen.

Empire specialises in employment law from a Human Resources perspective, with an expert team made up of 50 per cent fully-qualified lawyers and 50 per cent HR experts.

Ms Turner’s role at Empire will include offering advice and guidance to businesses to help managers and HR professionals deal with employment matters including performance management, misconduct, grievances, redundancies and absences.

Ms Turner said: “I am looking forward to working closely with businesses to help them keep on top of the latest employment legislation.

“Employment law addresses the legal rights of both employees and employers and recent legislative changes such as shared parental leave and the judicial clarification in relation to holiday pay which can put an unprepared business at risk.”

Steve Cook, chief executive of Empire, added: “Jill’s expertise fits well with Empire’s litigation group, which is now the second largest employment law team in the city.

“Our lawyers have come from the top legal firms in Aberdeen including Stronachs, Pinsent Masons, Ledingham Chalmers, Simpson and Marwick and Mackinnons. Their expertise will support businesses in all matters of employment law from advising on parental leave to collective redundancies.

“In order to avoid tribunals, firms must deal with issues promptly and by the letter of the law – and our team of lawyers are at the end of the phone to offer guidance, quickly and accurately.”