Spotlight on our solicitors – meet Lisa Moore

Our spotlight on our solicitors series gives us the chance to showcase the talent of our legal professionals. With these interviews, we get to uncover more about the experts behind the advice. Recently, we caught up with employment solicitor Lisa Moore, who joined the team at Harper James in August 2022. Qualifying in 2012, Lisa brings with her over 10 years’ post qualified experience supporting SMEs and international clients with a wide range of employment related issues.

How did you begin your career? What inspired your career in law?

‘My cousin is a partner at a law firm and when I completed a work experience placement with her when I was fifteen, I knew there was no going back!’ said Lisa. ‘I was so inspired by the way in which advising clients in the role of a solicitor would enable me to help others and problem solve. Over the years, this has developed in more of a commercial context with me having supported and advised businesses of all sizes across a full spectrum of industries.’

‘Following on from my work experience, I went on to study Law at the University of Leeds. I then completed my LPC at the College of Law, or University of Law as it’s now called, before working for a commercial law firm in Birmingham for 12 years, where I specialised in employment law.’

What are some of the key highlights of your career so far?

‘Shortly after qualifying, I was offered the opportunity to either specialise in dispute resolution or employment. At the time, this was quite a tricky decision for me as I had spent the majority of my training contract working in dispute resolution.’ explained Lisa. ‘I have no regrets in choosing employment, and my litigation experience now lends itself well to advising on employment related contractual disputes, including breaches of restrictive covenants. It’s a privilege to work in such a dynamic and fascinating area of the law and I love that no two days in my role are never the same!’

Define employment law in a sentence.

‘Employment law incorporates a huge variety of contentious and non-contentious matters relating to the workplace.’

What do you think clients value the most about the way you work with them?

‘I think clients appreciate that I’m always responsive, easy to get on with and that I’m able to provide commercial solutions which are tailored to their objectives.’

Have you noticed any recent stories or key trends within the employment law landscape?

‘Equality and diversity both continue to remain a key focus, with employers increasingly making efforts to improve their policies and practices in this area including providing training on this topic for their staff.’ explained Lisa. ‘There has also generally been a lot more awareness and transparency surrounding menopause related issues in the workplace, with the number of women who will experience menopause in the workplace only set to increase. This has in turn resulted in employers encouraging issues being discussed that have not been previously thereby promoting more open and honest environments.’

How does working at Harper James compare to other law firms you have worked at?

‘Harper James is incredibly innovative and forward thinking. Its unique business model hugely benefits both its clients and lawyers alike; it allows businesses of all sizes access to high quality legal advice and enables its lawyers to concentrate on providing legal services, to work flexibly and collaboratively.’

Any hobbies? What do you do to unwind?

‘I have a young family, so most of my weekends seem to involve taking my children to birthday parties! But I really enjoy spending time with friends and travelling both in the UK and abroad whenever I can.’

Can you tell us about any future predictions for your practice area?

‘I expect that many employers will increasingly be looking to streamline their workforce given the wider economic pressures that businesses are facing. There are often other options employers can consider reducing overheads besides redundancy exercises so it would always be worthwhile taking advice at an early stage where this challenge arises.’