Elaine Abbs

Elaine is a highly experienced and professional Employment Solicitor and a key member of the Firm’s Employment Team that advises corporate and individual clients across the South East, including Sevenoaks.

Elaine’s Clients

Elaine advises Employers, Employees, and HR Professionals. Advising companies and individuals, Elaine provides detailed advice ensuring clients know what options they have and what could be achieved for them.  Elaine utilises her excellent communication skills and proactive approach, ensuring that her clients are reassured at all times and are not left ‘waiting to hear’.

Elaine is a key member of the Firm’s GatekeeperHR service – a comprehensive HR and employment law retainer package that provides full support for business owners and HR Managers.  As part of this service she carries out thorough audits to identify areas of improvement and priorities for change and assists businesses with implementation.

Experience and Approach

Excellence in delivering clear concise employment law advice, with analytical approach to resolving issues to achieve optimum outcomes for clients. Excellent at managing expectations and having a creative approach.

Experience of Employment Tribunal advocacy and, a broad range of non-contentious expertise. Experience of employment law support for all aspects of restructuring.

Elaine also has experience of working in the NHS and is a fluent French speaker.

Areas of Expertise

• Whistleblowing
• Discrimination
• Parental and related rights
• Health and safety
• Industrial relations and regulatory work
• Negotiation of severance and Employment Tribunal advocacy
• Preparation of employment contracts and associated policies and procedures, Staff Handbooks
• Disciplinary and Grievance matters
• Managing Long Term absences
• All aspects of Pregnancy and Maternity Leave
• Discrimination, Harassment and Victimisation
• GDPR issues in the workplace
• Managing Workplace Bullying
• Redundancy

Elaine Abbs supported me both professionally and personally through a very difficult period of my life. She handled my case with the utmost professionalism, which led to a successful outcome. Elaine’s attention to detail, patience, guidance, and support enabled me to gain the confidence and knowledge to work with her and the strength to succeed in my proceedings. 

Client Review

Elaine Abbs was my solicitor for the duration of my disability discrimination case lasting more than a year. Her professionalism, compassion and quick responses to emails ensured I managed this very stressful situation well and was able to keep on top of all the correspondence.

Elaine worked relentlessly and patiently on my case, advising and guiding me on employment law throughout in language that I could understand. Her vast experience as an employment solicitor and background in healthcare meant that she had the skills to deal with fragile and emotionally charged situations in a supportive and kind manner. Whilst she remained consistently supportive to me as her client, when the situation required Elaine showed the firmness and steel required to progress my case, asking tough questions and taking my employer to task when required. In a situation where I felt I was taking on a whole institution on my own, Elaine’s own integrity and values resonated with mine such that she never undermined my beliefs or made them out to be alien and this was the encouragement I needed to keep going. Her attention to detail and excellent memory helped me piece together the events to provide the proof and evidence needed to support statements made. Despite dealing with several cases at the same time Elaine always managed to make applications on time and never let me down.

Elaine went above and beyond her role throughout the whole process and I will always be grateful to have had such a professional and hard working solicitor represent me. Her wisdom and advise led to an out of court settlement and helped me avoid further stress and deterioration to my health. I found Elaine’s work ethics, sincerity, and love of her role truly inspirational. Anyone who is lucky enough to be represented by Elaine will be in completely professional and safe hands. People like Elaine help us restore our faith in the best of humanity especially if you suddenly find yourself facing unusual and unethical employers. It was one of the greatest pleasures of my working life to have been a client of Elaine’s and in that respect my employment found a happy ending.

Client Review