Kate Watson

Kate joined Harper James in 2024 as a senior employment law solicitor. Prior to joining the firm, she trained with Collyer Bristow LLP in London where she qualified in 2008.  She later relocated to the west country and most recently worked for Womble Bond Dickinson LLP, a Top 20 law firm, and VWV LLP.  

Kate advises clients on all aspects of employment law, ranging from contractual employee documentation to managing complex disciplinary and grievance processes, dealing with bullying and harassment allegations, whistleblowing, dismissals and negotiating severances, employment tribunals,  and collective disputes.  

I enjoy getting to know my clients and their businesses and gaining a clear understanding of what they want to achieve so I can best support them with their objectives. I have worked with a wide range of employers, and have experience of advising all types of organisations, including start-ups, SMEs, national and international businesses, as well as organisations such as banking chains, household name businesses and central government departments.

The majority of Kate’s sector experience has been broad-ranging work for employers, having supported clients across finance, professional services, luxury goods manufacturers, hospitality, global corporations and organisations in the media and entertainment industry. She has also worked closely with charities and the education sector, including advising clients in relation to safeguarding.  

Whilst I particularly enjoy helping clients stay out of the employment tribunals, I also regularly act for respondents across all types of litigious cases, including unfair dismissals, discrimination, whistleblowing detriment claims, as well as handling highly sensitive, complex, and multi-faceted claims. Where it is appropriate to consider settlement, I work with clients and the other side’s representatives to achieve the best outcome for my clients.

Kate’s recent experience includes:

• Leading collective redundancy programmes, including involving the closure of an international school with charitable status  

• Acting on mergers and acquisitions for large and small businesses, advising on the operation of TUPE and any planned restructuring 

• Advising on highly sensitive tribunal cases, including complex litigation involving disability discrimination and whistleblowing 
• Advising large and small businesses on sensitive performance-management, sickness absence management and disciplinary matters, including supporting the employer throughout difficult investigation processes

Kate regularly writes and presents on a range of employment law topics and updates, and she delivers bespoke training programmes to clients on HR management and employment law issues. 

Before training as a lawyer, Kate studied Music at Durham University and she later worked in the broadcast television industry, including for Disney Channel UK and BBC Classical Music Television, and she enjoys supporting media businesses in her capacity as an employment lawyer.  

Over the years, Kate has undertaken a number of charitable activities, including setting up a not-for-profit concert series for families with young children, volunteering as a befriender for a charity supporting older people, acting as a Board Trustee to a Multi Academy Trust,and working with dog rescue centres. 

Living in Cornwall, any spare time Kate has is taken up getting out to the beach, cycling, swimming or going for walks in the woods as much as possible with her three young children and German Shepherd rescue pup.