Former Employment law judge and CEDR accredited mediator at Trinity barristers, Michael Malone has been named as Labour and Employment Lawyer of the Year in the Lawyer Monthly publication's Legal Awards 2019.
Following several months of research and preparation by the Lawyer Monthly team, the Legal Awards recognise legal experts internationally that have influenced the wider legal profession in their jurisdiction. The winners include a wide range of legal professionals at different stages of their careers from junior associates to long serving barristers.
Michael, who is a non-practising solicitor, chaired cases at the Newcastle Employment Tribunal for over 12 years. As a judge, Michael dealt with landmark equal pay cases, including Hartley, the challenge to the job evaluation study underpinning ‘Agenda for Change’, the national pay system adopted by the NHS. Michael also dealt with other high-profile cases including NUM v UK Coal Mining Ltd, examining the lack of consultation during the redundancies following the closure of Ellington Colliery.
After being one of the first employment judges to be trained in judicial mediations, Michael regularly carried these out until his retirement.
With his background of being a full time employment tribunal judge for many years that also involved him in undertaking judicial mediations, Michael is now a CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution) accredited mediator. He mediates all aspects of civil and employment law disputes, offering a pragmatic alternative to the often time consuming, expensive and sometimes acrimonious Employment Tribunal or Litigation route.
As a retired employment judge, Michael is also able to offer Early Neutral Evaluation of employment disputes - covering either the case as a whole or specific legal issues. This service can be particularly useful in facilitating early settlement of cases involving complex points of law, such as many equal pay, discrimination and ‘whistle-blowing’ cases.
The full list of the 2019 Lawyer Monthly Legal Award winners can be found here.
For any queries regarding mediation or Early Neutral Evaluation, including availability, fees and booking, please contact Steve Walker in the civil clerking team.