Expertise
Surya's practice centres on advising employers and senior executives on matters throughout the employee lifecycle. He has a particular focus on restrictive covenant and injunctive relief matters, with notable High Court trial experience. His Tribunal work focuses primarily on high-value discrimination, whistleblowing and bonus claims, and he regularly provides strategic advice on issues before they turn contentious.
With clients often headquartered in the US or the Middle East, Surya is experienced at bridging the gap between different employment cultures, as well as dealing with cross-border employment issues. He also frequently advises on collective redundancies, the employment aspects of outsourcing and M&A transactions, and employee issues within a regulated context.
Notable recent experience:
- Injunctive relief 3-week speedy trial: Resisting applications on behalf of Willis Re and a statutory director for sweeping injunctive relief in a three-week speedy trial, following the resignation of 22 reinsurance brokers from Marsh Re.
- Disputed insurance market team move: Successfully resolving, shortly before a speedy trial, a disputed move of a team of brokers between two insurance companies.
- Complex, high value claims: Supporting a Dubai-headquartered liquidity business on the successful resolution of several claims involving discrimination, whistleblowing and misrepresentation allegations threatened by a number of exiting senior executives (in total worth over £3m).
- Business integration and restructure: Supporting the integration of various UK acquisitions into a wider US-headquartered recruitment business, including managing the harmonisation of terms and several senior level exits.
- Restrictive covenant dispute: Successfully resolving a threatened restrictive covenant enforcement action against a recruitment company, acting for the hiring company.