Annabel Cole

I qualified as an employment solicitor in 2001 and practiced in Westminster law firms, Winckworth Sherwood and Campbell Hooper for 8 years with offices just around the corner from the Houses of Parliament.

In 2009, Campbell Hooper merged with Speechly Bircham and I found myself working in a City firm just off Fleet Street. After more than 10 years working in London, I decided to leave the city for the fresh air of the coast and Brighton in order to join a regional firm.

Before I joined Cognitive Law, as an Employment Consultant Solicitor in December 2016, I worked at Loch Employment Law in Brighton and Tunbridge Wells. Throughout my career I have relished the different working environments which I have experienced.

Working in partnership with senior executives and business owners, Annabel guides SMEs and start-ups during critical times, such as restructuring, change management or addressing employee management issues.

Together they navigate their employment relationships including contractual negotiations, settlement agreement terms and long term employee absence.

Annabel specialises in creating proactive absence management systems for clients which save time and money in the long run. Long term employee absence can be difficult for employers to deal with but through strategic planning clients can avoid the HR process becoming remote and disconnected. Employers can manage communication with staff in a way that isn’t process driven and avoid exiting staff. Annabel helps clients understand conduct rules and manage associated risk.

Annabel also advises on outsourcing, TUPE, discrimination, discipline and grievances, dismissals, whistleblowing, redundancy, unfair dismissal, collective consultation, employment disputes, employment tribunals, confidentiality, restrictive covenants, injunctions, mediation and dispute resolution. Her clients operate within the financial services, media, private sector healthcare, recruitment or professional services industries.

Whatever the industry, Annabel gets to know her clients so she can provide cost effective, tailored advice. She believes in providing clients with transparency on fees and will ensure that you are kept informed so that there are no surprises. Annabel can provide a customised fee structure with fee limits, retainer arrangements or fixed costs for document reviews and contracts.