Polly Mainds | People | Baker McKenzie

Biography

Polly is a senior associate in the Employment Department. She joined Baker McKenzie as a trainee in September 2017 and qualified as a solicitor in September 2019. Polly has completed client secondments to a global tech company, as well as an internal secondment to the Firm's Hong Kong office.

Practice Focus

Polly advises clients on a wide range of domestic and international employment law matters across a range of industries. She advises on both contentious and non-contentious employment law issues, provides day-to-day HR advice, coordinates global employment projects, and manages the employment aspects of multijurisdictional transactions.

Representative Legal Matters

Representing a tech organisation in the defence of a disability discrimination claim in the Employment Tribunal, in which the employee was claiming significant losses.
Representing a national hotel company in its defence of an unfair dismissal claim in the Employment Tribunal.
Advising on and coordinating large-scale international redundancy projects for several professional services and tech clients, including advising on information and consultation requirements and negotiating settlement agreements.
Advising a tech company on the employment aspects of several acquisitions, including carrying out due diligence and negotiating deal documents.
Advising a range of clients on daily business-as-usual hiring, managing and terminating of workplace relationships.
Advising a range of clients on their compliance approach to the EU Whistleblowing Directive and the implementation of reporting systems and investigations procedures.
While on secondment to a global tech company, advising on the implementation of a large-scale collective redundancy scheme.

Professional Associations and Memberships

Law Society of England and Wales
Employment Lawyers Association

Corporate Responsibility

Polly is a Mental Health First Aider and also sits on the interview panel for the Firm's graduate recruitment programmes. She strongly believes in the need to ensure that the future of the Firm reflects its commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Admissions

England & Wales (Solicitor)~United Kingdom (2019)

Education

University of Durham (B.A. History )
BPP University (Graduate Diploma in Law, Legal Practice Course)

Previous Offices

Hong Kong