We are delighted to announce the appointment of employment and partnership disputes specialist Alison Downie. Alison joins the firm from Goodman Derrick LLP, where she was formerly the Head of Employment and, more recently, a consultant. Alison also has extensive experience in advising in partnership disputes and professional discipline matters. She is the former Chair and a current Executive Committee Member of the Law Society Law Management Section.
With this appointment, CM Murray LLP continues its trajectory of growth, following the recent addition of regulatory and professional discipline specialist Andrew Pavlovic to the partnership in December 2021. The addition of another senior employment, partnership disputes and professional discipline specialist to the firm further bolsters its full service offering to multinational employers, senior executives, partnerships, LLPs and partners and strengthens its Tier 1 partnership law and employment (senior executive) law practices.
With over 20 years’ experience, Alison Downie has advised both employers, including both listed and private companies, and senior executives, on the full range of employment and discrimination law issues, as well as law firms and their partners. She has particular expertise in contentious workplace disputes and procedural issues, high-value severance negotiations and managing exits smoothly, discrimination, human rights, victimisation, whistleblowing, and board room and contract disputes.
Alison’s broad international client base spans several key sectors, including the charity, professional services (including the legal sector), healthcare, trade unions, and public sectors, across Europe, Africa and India. As a litigator, her knowledge is underpinned by a creative and pragmatic approach to negotiations – representing clients in the Employment Tribunal, the High Court and the Supreme Court.
Clare Murray, Founder and Managing Partner of CM Murray LLP, commented on the appointment:
“Alison is a wonderful addition to our team. She brings incredible experience in complex employment, partnership and professional discipline disputes and advisory work which – alongside our Partnership M&A work, is the core focus of our practice. Alison brings a tenacity and fearlessness to everything she does.
Alison’s international experience is a perfect complement to our firm’s cross-border practice and also to our international employment law alliances Innangard and Innangard Executives. Her professional discipline expertise will support our rapidly growing professional discipline and regulatory practice, launched at the start of 2022. We are delighted to have Alison join us!”.
Alison Downie commented:
“CM Murray LLP have led the way amongst UK law firms specialising in employment and partnership law to become the absolute stand-out specialist and innovative practice in those areas, with their international expertise and regulatory practice adding hugely to their range.
I have enormous admiration for the expertise, incredible work and the values of the whole team. I am really delighted and excited to be invited to join them.”
Alison Downie can be contacted on alison.downie@cm-murray.com or +44 (0)207 933 9133.
CM Murray LLP is Ranked Band 1 and Tier 1 for Partnership Law by Chambers and Partners UK and Legal 500 UK, and is recognised as “one of the legal world’s strongest offerings in this area.”
Read our Partnership and LLP Law Practice Booklet and Annual Review here
