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John Bowers QC of Littleton Chambers 

Profile

 

 

Introduction 

John Bowers QC of Littleton Chambers is one of the UK’s premier employment barristers. John took silk in 1998 and has been with Littleton chambers, widely regarded as the Country’s preeminent employment set, since 1985..

John has enjoyed a superb year at the Bar, most noticeably in the areas of Equal Pay, Whistleblowing and TUPE, acting mainly for Respondents, where he has been involved in some of the highest profile cases and has provided ongoing advice work that will have a significant impact on the future development of these areas. 

John has the seventh largest number of reported cases in Industrial Relations Law Reports (since the outset of that report) and the third highest in respect of those still practising.

As a senior member of Littleton, John has played a major part in the development of chambers over the last year. 2007 saw the arrival of two leading juniors as part of the Set’s expansion drive in its Employment practice. Chris Quinn joined the team from Cloisters; Damian Brown from Old Square. Additionally, Littleton recruited a new Chief Executive in 2007, Gerard Hickie, from one of Europe’s leading consumer brand companies, to help take chambers to the next stage in its development.           

 

Littleton was also recognised nationally in 2007 for spearheading the mediation trend through the establishment of its alternative dispute resolution company, Littleton Dispute Resolution.

We believe that John’s track-record, his contribution to the development of his Set, and his results over the last year merit his being recognised as the Barrister of the Year by The Lawyer magazine.         

 

 

Equal Pay 

John’s most notable contribution over the last year has been in the area of Equal Pay in the Public Sector. He currently advises 15 Local authorities – believed to be more than any other comparable barrister – in claims with a potential value in the region of up to £50 million. Some 15,000 claims on behalf of local government workers have been processed by the Newcastle employment tribunal region and John has been involved in the lions’-share of these cases.

John is also heavily involved in the NHS Equal Pay cases and is acting in the lead test case under the NHS Agenda for Change, which may affect every NHS employee (apart from doctors). The NHS Equal pay cases are believed to be the largest Tribunal litigation ever (by numbers of Claimants and potential value of claims) and the largest piece of discrimination litigation (by number and value) in Europe.

To have several mass equal pay cases going on at the same time poses particular logistical problems for the tribunals both in accommodating all the claims (including equal value experts) and in dealing with a large number of appeals proceeding at different paces. Indeed, the outgoing chair of the EOC recently suggested that tribunals were not fit for purpose in this respect and that there should be some form of moratorium on new claims.

Whistleblowing

 

John was involved in one of most significant Whistleblowing cases of 2007 - Kuzel v Roche Products - the first case on the burden of proof in Whistleblowing cases. Acting for the respondent, John argued that the burden of proof rested with the employee in Whistleblowing dismissal cases, whereas the employee argued that the burden of proof lay with the employer. The outcome of the case, which has now been referred to the Court of Appeal, will be highly significant in this specialist area of employment law.

 

Additionally, John has advised on and negotiated a number of settlements in this area including in mediations, the details of which are highly confidential.         

 

TUPE

John has advised many local authorities and private sector clients on outsourcing over the last year especially on issues arising out of the House of Lords and European Court of Justice case of Celtec v Astley in which he was involved in 2006.

   

Other Achievements 

John is a frequent lecturer on employment law and has written 15 books including Bowers on Employment Law, now in its Seventh Edition, The Law of Industrial Action and Trade Union Recognition and Whistleblowing. He [co-wrote] Blackstones Employment Law Practice 2006 and 2007 and is a frequent contributor to the Industrial Law Journal legal trade press and national media on employment law issues. He is unusual in that he combines academic and popular writing.

A CEDR trained mediator, John was the coordinator of the Workplace Mediation Project which looks into the use of mediation in sexual harassment cases.

John is a former Chair of the Employment Law Bar Association, former member of the Standards Board for England, and now sits as a Recorder on the Midlands Circuit and a Bencher of Middle Temple. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Hull.

Additionally, John often acts as a Designated Independent Person which gives him the authority to decide on whether Local Authority Chief Executive or other senior officers can be lawfully dismissed.             

Top Trials for 2008 Questionnaire

 

 

 

Case One

 

Name: Abbas v Gate Gourmet

 

Sollicitors: Clarkelgal

 

Counsel: John Bowers

 

Trial Date: 25 Feb for 6 weeks

 

Judge: Reading Employment Tribunal

 

Case Two

 

Name: Mathews v Kent Fire Authority

 

Sollicitors: Beechcrofts

 

Counsel: John  Bowers QC

 

Trial Date:concludes 7 & 8 Jan; biggest ever ET claim 11k employees; remitted from House of Lords

 

Judge: Croydon Employment Tribunal

 

Case Three

 

Name: Hartley v Northumbria Health Care; national test case for NHS equal pay litigation

 

Sollicitors: Eversheds

 

Counsel: John  Bowers QC

 

Trial Date: June/July 2008

 

Judge: Newcastle Employment Tribunal

 

 

Case Four

 

Name: Kuzel v Roche Products (whistlbwlowing burden of proof)

 

Sollicitors: Clarkslegal

 

Counsel: John  Bowers QC/Jeremy Lewis

 

Trial Date: Judgment awaited from Ct Appeal

 

Judge: Mummery LJ

 

Case Five

 

Name: Anderson v South Tyneside MBC (e mail service on EAT)

 

Sollicitors: South Tyneside MBC

 

Counsel: John Bowers QC

 

Trial Date: 7.2.08

 

Judge: Employment Appeal Tribunal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having a vacation rental for a business can be very useful. It cannot only provide a place of incentive for workers but can also create a place where workers can bond and grow as a collective team. No matter where the vacation rental is located it can be turned into a place where employees and employers come together and get to know each other outside of the office in a way that allows them to work more productively in the office. Bermuda, The Grand Caymans or even the Jersey shore can all be places that coworkers come together and create a bond that will make the company more efficient in the long run. As well as being a place for vacation, some place like Cayman Island condo rentals can also become a place where work is done outside of the office. Taking workers out of the daily grind and putting them in a place like Grand Cayman condos can make them work more efficiently on a regular basis and can make them more content with their overall work atmosphere. The happier employees are, the better their work will be.

It is very rare that a person opening a new business has all of the financial backing they need on their own. Unless you are independently wealthy and starting a new business just “for fun”, you will usually need some sort of funding outside of yourself to help with start up costs and initial maintenance. Whether from a bank or specialized loan company, loans and leases can help you to get yourself stable financially to be able to accomplish your goals. Whether it is an unsecured fast business loan or a secured loan, acquiring the cash in hand is necessary to getting things up and running. The more money a business has to start with, the more opportunities it has to build and grow and eventually the more chance it is has to turn a big profit. Business cash advances can help in the same way by allowing the business the chance to grow. Going through an equipment leasing company can also help the business to get started on the right foot. Leasing options for your business allow you to not put too much money out but to keep money circulating within for improvement and eventual profit.

When it comes to deciding upon a mobile phone you should consider every angle. Which handset do you think is for you.
What we must consider when analysing these rather technologically superior mobile phones, is can they perform the basic things. Take the nokia n96 as an example. This phone has a massive 16 gigabytes of internal memory making it match the ipod. It is difficult to remember a time when gadgets were this advanced. Do these kind of gadgets really take off? Usually they do because they are simple and effective Next up comes Nokia’s most important rival, Sony Ericsson. The Sony Ericsson w760i is turning heads in the handset world.
So is the Sony Ericsson W760i the one you should look at? We think so, it is a remarkable gadget. The Nokia N82 is another gadget suited to the business individual, We predict that this one will go down a storm.

Homes That Need Remodeling

 

                        When a person purchases a home they are making an investment for their future and the future of their family. Whether they want to live in it or rent it out, it is an investment that can bring them great returns in the long run. To keep it in top condition is of utmost importance so as not to lose its value. It is important to do home renovations on a regular basis and when necessary to do remodeling. In the market of remodeling there are many options of companies to choose from and it is useful to get a home renovation cost estimate to ensure fairness. When one receives estimates they should shop around to make sure that for their home the best prices are being given and that they are not getting taken advantage of by companies that think the homeowner does not know better.

Homes That Need Remodeling

 

                        When a person purchases a home they are making an investment for their future and the future of their family. Whether they want to live in it or rent it out, it is an investment that can bring them great returns in the long run. To keep it in top condition is of utmost importance so as not to lose its value. It is important to do home renovations on a regular basis and when necessary to do remodeling. In the market of remodeling there are many options of companies to choose from and it is useful to get a home renovation cost estimate to ensure fairness. When one receives estimates they should shop around to make sure that for their home the best prices are being given and that they are not getting taken advantage of by companies that think the homeowner does not know better.

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Over the last few years there has been a marked increase in the popularity of cosmetic surgery, with many people even paying for cosmetic surgery as a gift for a family member of friend. So why has the popularity, for what was for many years seen as a service for the rich and famous, suddenly been embraced by the masses?

There are a number of reasons why the sector has increased in popularity which include :-

Cost

Over the last few years we have seen a significant reduction in the cost of many popular cosmetic surgery procedures. When you also consider the fact that many people have seen their income rise over the same period, the gap between what people can afford and the cost of treatment has reduced substantially.

Reliability

In recent times we have also seen a major improvement in the reliability and standards of cosmetic surgery in the UK, together with the introduction of a more stringent regulatory framework. Many people had been concerned about the numerous scare stores of the past but slowly these fears are receding (a similar situation to the weight loss surgery sector in the early days).

Visibility

Until the introduction of the internet the cosmetic surgery industry was something of a mystery to many people, but like numerous other business sectors, the internet has resulted in more visibility and choice for the customer. Testimonials and the like are more common than ever before and independent studies and reports are also available for potential patients to review.

It is the mixture of cost, reliability and increased exposure which has seen the sector increase in popularity over recent years. The scare stories of cheaper treatments overseas (and often serious consequences) have also helped to lay the foundations for the UK sector and there are many who are forecasting further substantial growth in the medium and longer term.

Building A Home From The Bottom Up

A person who has the means and ability to design their own home from the ground up is very lucky and is also very adventurous. The amount of money, work and time that go into building ones own home is immense. There are so many variables that can come into play in making this project very stressful. One of the worst situations can be when a person has a move out date for their old residence and expects the new home to be ready and then, for one reason or another the new house is not finished. The individual or family is now displaced. They have to stay at relatives or in hotels and their belongings need to have a place as well. Mobile storage containers can be used to keep all the household items in one place even though the people themselves may be sleeping in a different place every night. Having to worry about their things can be very stressful. They had to move out already and now they have nowhere to go. In some cases, if it is the fault of the construction company they will pay for the people to stay in motels. In other cases the people must pay for it themselves. In either case having a place to store their things can be a big relief.

When the house is finally complete it can be very rewarding to know that this is a house built totally how one wanted it. It can be their “dream house”, and if one is capable of making this happen it is great. The problem is the waiting. There is anxiety of not knowing if things will come out as planned and the fear that unforeseen problems will turn a year project into a two-year project. This kind of thing is not unheard of and makes the idea of building ones own home very scary. At the same time it is wonderful to have a home purely made for the satisfaction of the owner. Since mobile storage is an option this can give the person venturing on such a project a sense of security at least about their things, if nothing else.

Benefits of the Commercial Equipment Leasing and Business Equipment Leasing

The Equipment leasing is a kind of financing that now days more and more businesses are turning their heads to when they require furniture, software or equipment. The important reason for why the businesses choose this choice is because of all the profits to it when compared to buying the equipment outright.
The Commercial Equipment leasing and the Business Equipment leasing payments most of the time is tax deductible. It is much important that you approach a much respected accountant so that you will come to an idea of what can be subtracted exactly. More often, a business can completely deduct the monthly payment. When compared to an outright purchase, only the interest can be tax deductible.
With this equipment leasing it is even much smoother for a business to gain the recognition coz they do not require huge amounts of collateral so as to protect the property. While nothing is going down, a business can have the access to the infrastructure that they require. The Lines of Credit are even left unclosed while leasing which tells that the money can be utilized for some expenses that are required for success.
At the finishing of an operating lease it is much required that the equipment must be given back to lessor. Very few leases have the Purchase Option of $1 or have the purchase amount (usually 10%) guaranteed. Other leases contain a purchase agreement of “Fair Market Value”, a place at which the amount is dealt later.
When a company is looking for the fresh technology, be it personal computers, laptops, notebooks and servers ahead of that curve, making the specialized infrastructure sure, at the same time the computers like the laptops and the servers that you use now-a-days are not obsolete assets tomorrow. With the simple options for the buyout and for the programs for the business equipment leasing , you can be made assured that the technology investment is secure from the obsolescence today, and you can prolong your business equipment leasing program to be ensured that it stays ahead of that curve tomorrow.

Any small business equipment requires making an investment of a specific type in the basic supplies and equipment. Running small business equipment is a hard work. Whether you are installing a small start up company with few other employees, or an entrepreneur or a businessperson who is self-employed, you will have to face the daily challenges that, if not handled properly, could lower the financial health of your business health and hinder its growth.