11 Nov 2023
Mark Fellows, Partner & Head of Employment at Sherrards Solicitors, is a legal professional who has been practising for 19 years. He advises both employers and employees on all aspects of employment law and he adopts a commercial and pragmatic approach to help clients achieve their objectives.
With years of experience under his belt, Mark recognises the sensitivity associated with employment matters, and the need to be responsive to prevent issues from arising or escalating. Mark has a notable amount of experience of Employment Tribunal litigation, and it is really important to him that he secures the best outcome for his clients, whether bringing or defending employment claims.
The Employment team was ranked as top tier in this year’s Legal 500 with Mark being recognised for the fourth year running as a Leading Individual, which is a great accolade, and reflects his knowledge, expertise, and the effective relationships he has forged with his clients over many years.
The Legal 500 rankings are a widely recognised legal directory that provides reviews and rankings of law firms and individual solicitors. This helps build the reputations of individuals and firms across the globe, as well as providing Sherrards the opportunity to showcase our teams and communicate the type of work we can provide you.
Quotes are also available from clients who were approached in the process of assessing the Legal 500 rankings. One client kindly said: “I enjoy working with Mark Fellows as he is always quick to grasp the commerciality of the situation and offer alternative routes to a solution. He never railroads towards a particular path.”
Getting to know you
We asked Mark about some of his career experiences…
Why did you want to specialise in Employment Law?
“I think employment law is by far the most interesting area of law. The difference to other areas is that you are dealing with personalities and emotions, and having to taking into account very different interpretations and perceptions about what is right and wrong in the workplace. Much of employment law is about being fair and reasonable, and how that translates into the employment relationship. Plus, I like the fact that employment law is constantly subject to change, with new legislation coming into force all the time. It is more current, and accessible, and of course relevant to us all.”
What is the best part of the work you do?
“Getting clients the outcome they are seeking – there is no better feeling. I think it is important that we as lawyers don’t tell clients what they can or can’t do or spend time reciting the law to them. I always ask at the outset of any new instruction what the client wants to achieve, and I will then be committed to helping them secure that outcome.
“That way, they are getting value from the engagement, and we are both aligned as to what we are trying to do. I have had some notable wins in Tribunal for employee clients, and they are particularly satisfying – in many cases, it is not about the financial compensation, it is about getting the recognition that they have been wronged, and it often helps them achieve a sense of closure from a difficult and stressful episode in their lives”.
Any bad days?
“I once acted for an employer in a two-week Tribunal Hearing and the Claimant was known for having violent tendencies and in fact had a previous conviction for GBH. ”We had reason to be concerned about the personal safety of the legal team, and the witnesses giving evidence, so we had to invest in, effectively, a bodyguard to look after us during the trial. It was a little unsettling and did make me question whether I had made the right career choice!
“During one trial, I was late to the start of proceedings because the small wheels on my suitcase (containing the very heavy tribunal bundles) had broken off, and it meant I had to drag the suitcase for half a mile to the Tribunal centre.
“Upon arriving late and somewhat flustered, I apologised to the Judge for being late and told her it was because the wheels had come off my case.
”She gave me a wry smile, and I very quickly had to explain what I meant…”
Tell us something we may not know about you?
“A claim to fame…of sorts. I featured in an article published by Runners World, a publication in the UK that is everything running related. They were writing an article about a convicted murderer who was a keen runner and the evidence used against him in the criminal trial was his Garmin running watch, as the GPS on the watch placed him at the scene of the crime on the day of the murder.
“The convicted criminal is called Mark Fellows, and the journalist bizarrely decided to search for other runners with the same name.
“They came across me, the fact that I ran the St Albans Half Marathon in the year of the murder, and they even included a link to my profile on the Sherrards website. It was the most surreal article, and probably the only time I will ever feature in Runners World!”
When might you need an Employment Solicitor?
Employment law can be a complex legal framework governing the relationship between employers and employees. It borders a wide range of issues, from workplace discrimination and harassment to wage disputes, wrongful termination, and contract negotiations.
How we can help your business
At Sherrards we can provide you with a practical legal framework to support you as employers and your employees. Our advice covers recruiting, and working with recruitment agencies, to employee contracts, performance and reward, as well as restructuring your business, redundancy, TUPE, tribunals, disputes, disciplinary action, and more.
How we can help you
As an employee, our team helps to guide you through a range of legal aspects such as unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal, redundancy, settlement agreements, grievance issues, and disciplinary and discrimination from your employers. Our specialist employment team ensures you are supported with uncomplicated advice.
How we support your HR teams
Acting as an extension of your team, Mark and his team offer in-house training and invites to their quarterly HR forums.
This gives our HR professionals the chance to come together, learn and discuss key employment laws pertinent to their role, and also corners softer skills such as well-being and more to help support their clients’ teams.
Interested in finding out more?
Here are some recent articles by Mark:
Disillusioned with the meaning of dismissals
Would you like to speak to Mark?
Details:
Partner and Head of Employment
mark.fellows@sherrards.com
+44 (0)1727 738976
