Clive Howard

Clive is a leading employment law expert, advising senior executives and employers on complex contractual disputes, dismissals, reorganisations, settlement agreements and Employment Tribunal claims across sectors including finance, tech, and government.

• Represented a fund manager in a dispute with a senior executive in respect of permanent health insurance, access to carried interest, and employment terms.
• Worked with USA lawyers in a US mediation over a UK-based share option scheme for a USA executive.
• Advised the new Chief Executive of a major sports governing body in negotiations on their contractual terms.
• Advised partners in respect of negotiations in respect of LLP agreements, shareholders’ agreements, service agreements, and carried interest arrangements.
• Advised a senior executive in a case involving a company in administration and the application of TUPE.
• Acting for a senior director manager in a public organisation in respect of discipline proceedings where the client was accused of failing to comply with the organisation’s performance and behaviour standards. Acting for the individual throughout the proceedings, assisting her in written and oral submissions. Achieving a satisfactory outcome protecting the client’s employment position.
• Acting for a senior director and co-founder of a company following his dismissal for alleged poor performance. Seeking to protect his position throughout the process, not least because the basis of termination of employment had a material impact on the treatment of his shares in the company.
• Acting for an employer in respect of dismissals as a result of poor performance. The employees then responded with grievances and appeals and seeking to ensure that the company complied with fair process throughout so fully protecting their position.
• Acting for senior lawyers following the termination of their employment for alleged poor performance. Finalising all termination arrangements to protect both their financial position and their reputation.
• Acting for a sports organisation when dealing with the poor performance of a senior employee, leading to the termination of the employment, and seeking to protect the position of the organisation throughout in response to numerous threats of legal proceedings from the employee.
• Acting for numerous senior managers in a large reorganisation and redundancy exercise by a major construction company. Following a failure to follow fair process, ensuring that the clients were fully protected and recovered through the institution of legal proceedings fair and proper compensation as well as full protection of their reputation.
• Acting for senior directors following the decision of the company to make them redundant through restructuring and reorganising. Protecting their position both by way of salary compensation as well as fair treatment of their share options and bonuses.
• Acting for the senior director who wanted voluntary redundancy following a reorganisation by the employer. The company were reluctant for him to leave but ensuring that his position was fully protected and advising on settlement terms which fully protected the client’s reputation and financial compensation including share options.
• Advising senior employees and partners in professional service firms on terms of their restrictive covenants.
• Assisting clients in responding to aggressive correspondence threatening injunction proceedings. Ensuring that the clients’ position were fully protected and reaching agreement so that they could commence their new employment without the threat of legal proceedings.
• On many occasions advising individuals on the terms of their restrictive covenants and seeking to amend the same when entering into new contracts.

Clive is one of the UK’s foremost whistleblowing lawyers, representing high-profile and senior individuals in complex, sensitive claims against public and private institutions, including banks, regulators, and government departments.

• Represented the UK Home Office’s most senior official in a whistleblowing claim against the Home Secretary Priti Patel.
• Represented a non-executive director in bringing the first whistleblowing claim of a non-exec.
• Represented a number of senior executives, including Heads of Risk, in whistleblowing proceedings against major banks.
• Acted for a very high-profile whistleblower in proceedings against a high-street bank.
• Represented a very senior executive in a whistleblowing claim against a major energy company working in conjunction with USA lawyers.
• Acted for the high-profile whistleblower Paul Moore, in proceedings against HBOS and in giving evidence to Parliament.
• Successfully defended a claim brought in the ET by a former Head of Operations for unfair dismissal, whistleblowing, and victimisation.
• Successfully represented the Chief Risk Officer of a bank, involving protracted Employment Tribunal proceedings and culminating in a 10-day hearing.

Clive has extensive experience advising partners and senior executives in high-value discrimination cases involving age, sex, race and disability, often against major firms and in regulated environments.

• Acted for partners in major professional service firms in age and sex discrimination claims when being dismissed or being denied promotion.
• Acted for a senior executive in race discrimination proceedings against a major bank.
• Represented a law firm in a protracted dispute with one equity partner over alleged disability discrimination.
• Acted for a senior partner in respect of his exit and retirement from the LLP with additional advice provided for disability age discrimination claims.
• Advised a GP in her dispute with her GP practice after her dismissal whilst disabled.

Clive is highly experienced in managing contentious exits for senior professionals, ensuring their rights, reputations, and financial interests are protected in sensitive and high-stakes departure situations.

• Acted for a partner as part of a complex team move in extensive arbitration proceedings.
• Acted for a senior partner in a large accountancy practice on disciplinary proceedings relating to allegations of harassment and helped to retain his position.
• Advised a senior partner at an international law firm in ensuring that her position and partnership earnings were protected whilst she worked overseas assisting another office.
• Acted for a fund manager/markets investor in dealing with partner exits and employment issues.
• Advised a very senior partner in an international law firm who faced very significant hostility internally, after moving to assist the managing partner in implementing global programmes.

Clive regularly advises firms and individuals on all legal aspects of partnerships and LLPs, including exits, governance, disputes, LLP agreements, and internal investigations involving professional service firms.

• Acted for a partner as part of a complex team move in extensive arbitration proceedings.
• Acted for a senior partner in a large accountancy practice on disciplinary proceedings relating to allegations of harassment and helped to retain his position.
• Acted for a fund manager/ markets investor in dealing with partner exits and employment issues.
• Advised a very senior partner in an international law firm who faced very significant hostility internally, after moving to assist the managing partner in implementing global programmes.
• Advised a GP in her dispute with her GP partnership practice after her dismissal whilst disabled.

Clive Howard advises on complex partnership and professional practice disputes, including discrimination, harassment, disciplinary proceedings, exits, and protection of partners’ positions and earnings in major law, accountancy, and medical firms.

• Acted for a senior partner in a large accountancy practice on disciplinary proceedings relating to allegations of harassment and helped to retain his position.
• Advised a senior partner at an international law firm in ensuring that her position and partnership earnings were protected whilst she worked overseas assisting another office.
• Advised a very senior partner in an international law firm who faced very significant hostility internally, after moving to assist the managing partner in implementing global programmes.
• Acted for partners in major professional service firms in age and sex discrimination claims when being dismissed.
• Represented a law firm in a protracted dispute with one equity partner over alleged disability discrimination.
• Acted for a senior partner in respect of his exit and retirement from the LLP with additional advice provided for disability age discrimination claims.
• Advised a GP in her dispute with her GP partnership practice after her dismissal whilst disabled.

Recognised by The Legal 500 as Leading Individual for Employment: Senior Executives 2026-2027

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Corporate and Commercial: Partnerships 2026-2027

Recognised by Chambers UK for Partnership 2026-2027

Recognised by Chambers UK  for Employment: Senior Executives 2025–2027

Recommended Lawyer in The Spear’s 500 Employment Index 2024–2026

Recognised in Lexology Index as a Thought Leader for Labour, Employment and Benefits 2025

Top 10 Most Influential Employment Lawyers for Senior Executives in London 2023 Business Today

Member of the Employment Lawyers Association.

Member of the Lawyers International Network for Employees and Executives (LINEE)