Olivia Coles
Senior Associate
Employment | Settlement agreements
About Olivia
Olivia is a Senior Associate in our Employment & HR team and head of the firm’s Business Immigration team. She has a wide range of experience across employment law and immigration matters. She joined RWK Goodman in September 2012, after qualifying at a leading firm in Exeter.
Described by The Legal 500 UK as “excellent“, Olivia regularly advises employers on complex HR issues. She has extensive experience in advising employers on disciplinary, grievance and sickness absence processes, dealing with whistleblowing allegations, defending employment tribunal claims, negotiating senior employee exits and drafting bespoke employment documentation.
Olivia provides advice on a range of business immigration issues. She specialises in advising businesses on carrying out right to work checks, applying for a sponsor licence, advising on complying with sponsor duties and corresponding with the Home Office.
Olivia works closely with our Corporate & Commercial team to provide TUPE advice on the sale or purchase of a business, including advice on the TUPE complexities of purchasing a business from administration.
She is a member of our Health and Social Care team and regularly advises care providers on both employment and immigration issues.
Olivia also regularly negotiates exit packages for employees and directors and advises on settlement agreements.
Olivia's recent work:
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advising a client in the leisure and hospitality sector on collective redundancy processes at each of its sites, including assisting with trade union involvement and exposure in the media
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negotiating a favourable settlement of a complex sex discrimination and constructive dismissal claim by an employee returning from maternity leave
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applying for a sponsor licence to enable an international company to transfer a senior employee to manage a branch in the UK
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advising a client on making unfavourable changes to a group of employees’ terms and conditions, including advising on applying the changes to a disabled employee and a dismissal and re-engagement process with another employee
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providing training to employers who hold a sponsor licence on the changes to the immigration system following the end of free movement of EEA nationals to the UK
"These were unchartered waters for us and Olivia did a great hand-holding exercise. She was always there when I needed instant advice and answers to questions."
