Profile

An employment specialist with complementary expertise at the complex interface of employment and commercial contractual dispute resolution, Alexander MacMillan is one of the most active employment barristers on the circuit. Clients come to Alex, in part, because of his all-round capability in the employment arena, as well as the measured, thorough and reassuring way in which he works. Alex also maintains a particularly lively advisory practice and is, quite increasingly, sought out on some of the most esoteric and complicated points of employment law.

Comfortable in the appellate courts, and with several recent appearances before the EAT, High Court, and Court of Appeal, Alex's robust and precise style of advocacy leaves no stone unturned, whilst also leading to practical and pragmatic results. Alex shines in matters requiring a deep analytical assessment of the prevailing issues and laws, and has the rare ability to boil down the most complex of issues into plain and easy-to-digest points, as well as provide his clients with viable, feasible and pragmatic options in the context of a litigation or dispute.

Notable Cases

  • Representing the Claimant in an important and widely-reported Court of Appeal decision in Hare Wines Ltd v Kaur & Anor [2019] EWCA Civ 216. The judgment has significant implications for employers handling transfers of employees.
  • Representing the Appellant in a High Court reconsideration of a Head Teacher's fitness to practise following on from the Supreme Court decision in Reilly v Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council [2018] UKSC 16.
  • Representing the Claimant in a successful pregnancy discrimination and unfair dismissal case against a solicitors' firm, which gained considerable media attention.
  • Advising a London-based tech company on High Court injunction proceedings and restraint of trade.

Education

  • PhD in Modern Languages (French and Italian) - University of Cambridge (Clare Hall)
  • MPhil in European Literature - University of Cambridge (Clare Hall)
  • Undergraduate Degree in English Language & Literature - University College London
  • Graduate Diploma in Law - University of Law (Bloomsbury)
  • BPTC - City Law School (incorporating the Inns of Court Law School)