Gemma Ospedale
Partner
Employment
About Gemma
Gemma is a partner and a specialist employment lawyer dealing with all contentious and non-contentious areas of employment law.
Before qualifying as a solicitor, Gemma worked for several years in the horse racing industry. She studied for a law degree while continuing to work full-time. Gemma has been a partner at Royds and now RWK Goodman since 2003. Gemma’s prime focus with her employment practice is on the racing and bloodstock sector with which she remains very well connected.
Gemma’s specific expertise includes:
- Contract reviews; including confidential information and restrictive covenant reviews and advice
- Breach of restrictive covenants and allegations of confidential information theft or misuse
- Unfair and wrongful dismissal, and redundancy
- TUPE and mergers
- Whistleblowing, misconduct and grievances investigations
- Without prejudice discussions, settlement agreements, “Protected Conversations” and exit negotiations and packages
- Strategic advice on the dismissal of employees and managing risk
- Permanent health insurance claims - individuals being bought out of their benefit by the insurer, including all tax advice and tax clearance with HMRC
Gemma’s employment work In the racing and bloodstock industry:
Gemma has been involved from the start in a project devised by Women in Racing, along with the racing consultancy, Simply Racing and with funding from, among other stakeholders, the Racing Foundation, in the creation and development of a website portal, Racing Home. This website provides a one-stop shop of information for all professionals within the racing industry, from stable lads to senior officials on all things family friendly, maternity, paternity, flexible working, self-employment, with all information that anyone might need to know on these areas. This has been extremely well received throughout the racing industry and Gemma remains integrally involved in the ongoing development of the website and ensuring that all the information remains legally accurate and up-to-date.
Gemma has also acted for senior officials within racing; racing and bloodstock consultants in the updating of consultancy agreements; and stud farms with their contractual documentation for their staff.
Privy Council Agent
The other aspect of Gemma’s practice is that of Privy Council agent representing foreign clients with cases on appeal from their local jurisdictions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the foreign arm of the Supreme Court in the UK. This very niche area involves both civil and criminal cases where the role of the agent is to ensure that the case on appeal is fully and thoroughly prepared to be heard by the Judicial Committee. The role of the agent is critical in ensuring that the case concerned is properly prepared and clients and counsel have all the necessary documents and information to hand, liaising with all parties and the Judicial Committee – the legal profession at its very highest.
Gemma’s clients range from senior government bodies and officials, to commercial corporations as well as individuals. Gemma represents clients from Mauritius, Eastern Caribbean, and Antigua and Barbuda.
In her spare time, Gemma enjoys racing, hill/fell walking and travelling.
Memberships:
- Gemma is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association
“unfailingly energetic and charming”
