Alex Leonhardt analyses the case of McKenzie v First Greater Western Limited [2026] EWHC 868 (KB), in which the High Court considered the principles governing injunctions to restrain employers proceeding with disciplinary processes.
Clerk Details
- Clerk Name: Gemma Faulkner
- Clerk Telephone: 020 7583 8055
- Clerk Email: [email protected]
Overview
Alex Leonhardt joined 海角破解版 in April 2021 following the successful completion of his pupillage with Chambers under Cheryl Jones and Charlotte Hadfield. He is based in the London office.
Alex accepts instruction in all areas of civil law, and has a particular interest in employment, commercial, property and housing, education and public law.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Alex worked in politics as a researcher to Members of Parliament and in public affairs for a body representing higher education providers. He also worked as a paralegal in a housing and public law department at a London law firm.
Expertise
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Employment and discrimination Add this expertise to your shortlist Alex is frequently instructed across the full range of Employment Tribunal and civil court employment matters, and is a frequent contributor to 海角破解版鈥檚 Employment Newsletter. He has particular experience in acting for schools, universities and education professionals, informed by his education law practice.
He also acts in Equality Act claims brought in the County Court and First-tier Tribunal outside of the employment context, and has experience of claims on behalf of both employers and employees arising from restrictive covenants and non-poaching clauses.
His recent cases include:
- Obtaining a finding that a claimant鈥檚 belief in English nationalism was not a brought against a university employer
- Successfully representing a claimant in a redundancy claim, on the basis of superficial consultation with employees and the recognised trade union
- Securing an order that a claimant pay 100% of the costs of the Respondent in an unmeritorious and unreasonably brought discrimination claim
- Acting pro bono to assist an ex-employee obtain a 拢15,000 settlement following a failure by an employer to offer contractual hours
- Advising and pleading in a disability discrimination claim brought against a community sports club operating as an unincorporated association
- Providing advice and drafting on jurisdiction issues arising from the State Immunity Act
- Disability discrimination claims arising from 鈥渕ask mandates鈥� imposed by shops during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Commercial Add this expertise to your shortlist Alex accepts instructions representing individuals and businesses in disputes on all contractual matters. His aim is to always provide clear and practical advice that enables his clients to make confident decisions in litigation.
He has represented clients in a wide range of goods and services and debt claims, at trial and at interlocutory and case management hearings.
His recent instructions include acting for employers and employees/directors in civil claims arising from restrictive covenants, non-compete clauses and non-poaching clauses, and he is keen to develop his practice in these areas.
Owing to his education and discrimination practices he is particularly well placed to act in claims relating to education contracts, and has experience in multi-faceted claims in that arena brought on the basis of breach of contract, discrimination and negligence.
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Property and Estates Add this expertise to your shortlist Alex accepts instructions in residential and commercial landlord and tenant claims, and matters relating to local authorities鈥� duties in relation to homelessness and allocation of social housing under the Housing Act 1996.
He has also acted in claims for injunctions under the Protection from Harassment Act relating to the use and enjoyment of property.
Alex has experience in advising on lease renewals, service charge liabilities and the enforcement of covenants, as well as acting for both landlords and tenants in possession and disrepair cases.
He accepts instructions from both local authorities and claimants in housing matters under the Housing Act 1996, and has a strong understanding of this area from his experience as a paralegal working in a housing and public law team at a solicitors鈥� firm specialising in these areas of work.
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Education Add this expertise to your shortlist Alex accepts instructions in discrimination, breach of contract and negligence claims arising in the context of schools, colleges and universities in the First-tier Tribunal and the civil courts, as well as school admission and exclusion cases and judicial review cases relating to education.
A recent case involved successfully representing a school in defending a discrimination claim on the basis that a pupil鈥檚 violent behaviour was not something arising from the disability relied upon.
Alex鈥檚 previous experience of working in higher education policy means that he is particularly interested in cases in the higher education context, including discrimination and breach of contract claims, judicial reviews and cases involving complaints to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education.
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Articles -
The High Court to the rescue? Seeking interim injunctions to restrain disciplinary processes
29th Apr 2026View Article -
Unfair appeals following an (otherwise) fair dismissal
22nd Feb 2026View ArticleIn聽Milrine v DHL Services Ltd聽[2026] EAT 31, the EAT considers the impact of a flawed appeal process in circumstances where the dismissal might otherwise be considered to be fair.
Alex Leonhardt聽reviews the case.
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Contractual Variation: How long can an employee perform a job that 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 exist鈥�?
7th Nov 2025View ArticleAlex Leonhardt reflects upon Sogbodjor v WKCIC t/a Capital City College Group 2219358/2024, a recent case in the Central London Employment Tribunal, which raised questions of the limits of employee鈥檚 powers, and the important distinctions between affirmation and acquiescence.
Alex represented the successful claimant in the proceedings.
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Amending a claim within the limitation period
30th Apr 2025View ArticleWhat is the approach to be taken when a claimant seeks to amend their claim while still within the primary limitation period for the events which the amendment concerns?聽Alex Leonhardt聽analyses the case of聽Barbosa Dethling v The Metropolitan Police Service聽[2025] EAT 58, in which HHJ Auerbach considered this question.
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Justifying the unjustifiable: the Court of Appeal hands down its decision in Higgs v Farmor鈥檚 School
17th Mar 2025View ArticleNaomi Webber听补苍诲聽Alex Leonhardt聽analyse the long-anticipated judgment in聽Higgs v Farmor鈥檚 School聽handed down by the Court of Appeal in February, a judgment which offers pertinent lessons for practitioners representing student/parents, schools and universities, where questions of balancing freedom of speech, institutional reputation and the rights of others frequently come into play.
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Justifying the unjustifiable: the Court of Appeal hands down its decision in Higgs v Farmor鈥檚 School
25th Feb 2025View ArticleNaomi Webber听补苍诲聽Alex Leonhardt聽analyse the case of聽Higgs v Farmor鈥檚 School聽[2025] EWCA Civ 109, an important decision which explains how direct discrimination interrelates with the right to hold and manifest religious and philosophical beliefs in the workplace.
Alex and Naomi draw out key points from the judgment and explain how it can be applied in future cases.
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Taxation of financial loss from discrimination
19th Dec 2024View ArticleAlex Leonhardt聽reviews the case of聽L v The Commissioners for His Majesty鈥檚 Revenue and Customs [2024] UKFTT 001044 (TC), in which the FTT considers the question of taxation of a settlement of financial losses from discrimination, and in particular when it is said that the losses flow from being prevented from taking on work.
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Promises of permanence and limits to the right to dismiss
10th Oct 2024View ArticleAlex Leonhardt聽analyses the case of聽Tesco Stores Ltd v USDAW聽[2024] UKSC 28, in which the Supreme Court was asked to consider if Tesco was entitled to terminate certain employment contracts which included an entitlement to "Retained Pay", described as a "permanent" benefit, to then re-hire the same employees on contracts without Retained Pay.
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Group Litigation Order refused in UCL Student Claim
15th Jul 2024View ArticleAlex Leonhardt reflects on the High Court's refusal to grant a Group Litigation Order to UCL students' claim for disrupted learning during the Covid pandemic and possible implications for other higher education providers.
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Employment status and incomplete partnership negotiations
8th Jul 2024View ArticleAlex Leonhardt analyses Christopher Watson v Wallwork Nelson Johnson & Anor [2024] EAT 105, a case concerned with employment status, in which the EAT sets out a thorough statement of the relevant principles in determining the existence of an employment relationship against the background of a potential partnership.
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When should ET stays of proceedings be allowed?
13th Nov 2023View ArticleAlex Leonhardt considers the case of ONEA v Contingent and Future Technologies Ltd [2023] EAT 125, in which the EAT issues its second reminder this year (following Lycatel Services Ltd v Schneider [2023] EAT 81) that applications to stay need to be determined following a decision on which forum the dispute would be 鈥渕ost conveniently and appropriately be tried鈥� as per Bowater Plc v Charlwood [1991] ICR 798, and also considers the relationship between that test and a presumption against the High Court being bound by prior findings of the Employment Tribunal.
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Bonus clawback provisions and the doctrine of restraint of trade
13th Nov 2023View ArticleAlex Leonhardt reviews the case of Steel v Spencer Road LLP [2023] EWHC 2492 (Ch), in which the High Court decided with some certainty that though a bonus scheme conditional on the employee remaining in employment for a specified time acts as a disincentive to that employee resigning, it does not constitute a restraint of trade.
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A case concerned with the liability for losses flowing from protected disclosure detriment
29th Sep 2023View ArticleAlex Leonhardt reviews the case of McNicholas v (1) Care and Learning Alliance (2) CALA Staffbank [2023] EAT 127, in which the EAT considered whether a regulator鈥檚 decision that there was a case to answer, following initial reports made in retaliation for a protected disclosure, constituted an 鈥渋ntervening act鈥� in assessing damages.
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A change in contract, or dismissal by reason of redundancy?
2nd Aug 2023View ArticleAlex Leonhardt聽reflects on the case of聽Jackson v The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust [2023] EAT 102, in which the EAT considers the application of Hogg v Dover dismissals to an employee in a contractual redundancy situation. The EAT gives guidance on how such claims are to be determined by Employment Tribunals.
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Higgs v Farmor's School: protected beliefs, manifestation and proportionality
29th Jun 2023View ArticleAlex Leonhardt reviews the case of Mrs Kristie Higgs v Farmor鈥檚 School (The Archbishop鈥檚 Council of the Church of England intervening) EA-2020-000896-JOJ in which the EAT considers a case involving dismissal on the basis of the manner a protected belief was manifested by an employee in social media posts, and guidance on the question of proportionality in such cases.
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Probabilistic Assessment of Past Losses? No (loss of) chance
3rd May 2023View ArticleAlex Leonhardt聽considers the case of聽Mr J Edward v Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust聽[2023] EAT 33, in which the EAT carefully considered the relevant principles for approaching questions of failure to mitigate losses, and in particular where percentage reductions similar to 鈥渓oss of chance鈥� cases are appropriate.
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Application of direct discrimination to male and female employees sharing one set of toilets
1st Mar 2023View ArticleAlex Leonhardt聽looks at the case of聽Earl聽Shilton Town Council v Miller, in which the EAT considered the application of direct discrimination in circumstances where both staff of both sexes shared nominally the same toilet facilities.
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No claim for insufficiently favourable treatment
5th Feb 2023View ArticleAlex Leonhardt considers the Supreme Court鈥檚 decision in聽McCue聽v Glasgow City Council, a claim against a local authority鈥檚 decision to not disregard certain disability-related expenses from a means-testing assessment.
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The doctrine of mistake in employment contracts and collective agreements
6th Dec 2022View ArticleAlex Leonhardt analyses the case of Nexus v RMT & Unite the Union [2022] EWCA Civ 1408, in which the Court of Appeal considered the application of the contractual doctrine of mistake - both common mistake and unilateral mistake - in the context of a collective bargaining agreement, and its potential consideration by Employment Tribunals.
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Labour market disadvantage and the need for evidence
7th Nov 2022View ArticleAlex Leonhardt analyses the case of Hilco Capital Limited v Denise Harrington [2022] EAT 156, in which the EAT considered the evidential burden in respect of claims that an ex-employee suffers disadvantages in the labour market arising from stigma related to whistleblowing or bringing claims against their former employers.
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(Non-)Enforceability of Restraint of Trade Covenants between Unequal Commercial Entities 鈥� the Court of Appeal in Dwyer v Fredbar, and Credico v Lambert
16th Aug 2022View Article -
Objective justification of dismissals in s.15 claims, long-term absence, and the relevance of alternative role trials
1st Jul 2022View ArticleAlex Leonhardt听谤别惫颈别飞蝉听Department for Work and Pensions v Mrs Susan Boyers [2022]聽EAT 76,聽in which the EAT gives useful advice on the above matters (for the second time in the same case).
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Merely technical breaches of TUPE, and can liability survive a withdrawal?
5th May 2022View ArticleAlex Leonhardt analyses Clark v Middleton and anor [2022] EAT 31, a case in which the EAT considered the ET's discretion to make (or not make) an award of compensation for breaches of TUPE Regulations, and the effect of withdrawal of a claim on a defendant's liability to pay compensation, in circumstances where the claimant has no freestanding right to bring a claim against
them. -
On the limits of 鈥渇iring and re-hiring鈥�
28th Feb 2022View ArticleAlex Leonhardt analyses USDAW & Ors v Tesco Stores Limited [2022] EWHC 201 (QB), in which the High Court considered the restraints on the ability of employers to terminate with notice in order to impose new terms, in circumstances where there had been a prior commitment to keep a particular term.
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Court of Appeal on vicarious liability and 鈥渉orseplay鈥� in the workplace
1st Feb 2022View ArticleChell v Tarmac Cement and Lime Ltd [2022] EWA Civ 7,
Alex Leonhardt reviews Chell v Tarmac Cement and Lime Ltd [2022] EWA Civ 7, in which the Court of Appeal considers both vicarious liability for employees鈥� practical jokes or 鈥渉orseplay鈥� and a purported direct duty on employees to prevent the same, with some useful commentary on the relevance of tension or animosity between staff when that contributes to an employees鈥� wrongdoing.
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No anonymity order for former stripper
28th Oct 2021View ArticleAlex Leonhardt reviews A v Burke & Hare (EA-2020-SCO-0000067-DT), a case in which the EAT concludes that applications for anonymity orders need to be supported by robust evidence on harm that will arise to the party, going beyond mere embarrassment or social opprobrium, with evidence of impact on labour market outcomes potentially considered relevant and sufficient.
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School Uniforms and Exclusions
2nd Apr 2021View ArticleAlice de Coverley听补苍诲 Alex Leonhardt聽analyse how the tricky, balancing questions around children鈥檚 rights, school uniforms and school discipline have been dealt with by the Courts.
This article also appeared in the Education Law Monitor.
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Strike-out applications of discrimination claims: approach with particular caution
8th Apr 2021View ArticleMallon v AECOM Ltd, UKEAT/0175/20/LA (V)
Employment and civil law barrister Alex Leonhardt 补苍补濒测蝉别蝉听Mallon v AECOM Ltd, UKEAT/0175/20/LA (V), a case in which聽the EAT again urged caution in the use of strike-out applications in discrimination cases, and warned against only considering the first of the three duties under s20 of the Equality Act in reasonable adjustment claims.
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Covid-19 and the Class of 2020 鈥� can students claim compensation from their universities?
17th Nov 2020View ArticleCovid-19 and the Class of 2020.
Pupil barrister Alex Leonhardt examines if students can claim compensation from their universities. -
A Licence to be Loose? Consequences of the Court of Appeal鈥檚 decision on gaps in gas safety certificates in Trecarrell House Ltd v Patricia Rouncefield [2020] EWCA Civ 760
30th Jun 2020View Article海角破解版 first-six pupil barrister Alex Leonhardt reviews the case Trecarrell House Ltd v Patricia Rouncefield [2020] EWCA Civ 760 in a detailed article.
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Residential Landlord and Tenant Covid-19 Update
21st Apr 2020View Article海角破解版鈥檚 Head of Property and Estates Group Matthew Cannings and Alex Leonhardt, pupil barrister, have produced an update for residential landlords and tenants during the coronavirus pandemic. The article considers the implications of the Coronavirus Act 2020 and Practice Direction 51Z of the Civil Procedure Rules and what the new provisions mean for residential landlords and tenants, including the imposition of a 90-day stay on most possession proceedings and the new three-month notice requirement.
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Related News
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Welcome to our April employment law newsletter edited by Alex Leonhardt. In this edition, our employment law group welcomes new tenant Fintan Molloy to our new Manchester and congratulates Eaindra Cho and Lim O'Shaughnessy who successfully completed their pupillages.
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Our newsletter includes analyses from Alex Leonhardt, Stephen Wyeth and Emma McIlveen on the following cases/topics:
- Khakimov v Amova Asset Management UK Ltd (formerly Nikko Asset Management Europe Ltd) [2026] EAT 47
- McKenzie v First Greater Western Limited [2026] EWHC 868 (KB)
- Emotional support animals and the expanding boundaries of reasonable adjustment. -
Welcome to our February employment law newsletter edited by Michael Smith. Karen Moss and Mark Green announce the publication of their book on age discrimination in the workplace. We are delighted to welcome Emma McIlveen as an associate member.
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Analysis is provided by Michael Smith, Alex Leonhardt, Ben Amunwa, Sarah Clarke and Daniel Brown on the following cases and topics
- Odusanya v Pennine Care Foundation Trust & Others [2026] EAT 5
- Milrine v DHL Services Ltd [2026] EAT 3
- Dada v The Scottish Ministers [2026] EAT 13
- When does the withdrawal of a claim take effect? UPDATED analysis
- Lamb v Teva UK Ltd [2026] EAT 8
We hope you enjoy our newsletter. -
Welcome to our November employment law newsletter edited by Stephen Wyeth. We announce great results in the latest edition of Chambers and Partners.
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- Davidson v National Express Ltd [2025] EAT 151
- Huntley v Siemens Healthcare Limited [2025] EAT 152
- Sogbodjor v WKCIC t/a Capital City College Group 2219358/2024
- Abel Estate Agent Ltd & Ors v Elizabeth Reynolds [2025] EWCA Civ 1357
We hope you enjoy our newsletter. -
In the latest edition of our employment law newsletter, edited by Daniel Brown, we are delighted to announce the launch of our new chambers in Manchester. We feature more team news including about Mathew Gullick KC, Joseph England and Alex Leonhardt. Our employment law conference programme is confirmed and bookings are now open. Analysis is provided by Daniel Brown, Joseph England, Robin Pickard, Jo Laxton and Emma Greening on the following cases:
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- Raison v DF Capital Bank Limited & Others [EA 2024 000292]
- Hendy Group Ltd v Daniel Kennedy [2024] EAT 106
- Willis v 1) GWB Harthills LLP 2) Hester Russell 3) Elizabeth Lord [2025] EAT 79
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