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Portrait of Saima Sarwar
Areas of expertise: Employment

Profile

Saima is an associate in the employment team, based in the London office. She acts for staff associations and their members on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment law matters including discrimination, victimisation, disciplinary and grievance issues. As a member of the firm’s specialist Police Federation team, Saima advises on ill health retirement, injury pension awards and all other aspects of the Police Pension Regulations.

She has experience in both the Employment Tribunal and the High Court and has advised trade unions and their members on many aspects of employment law. She has also assisted with large group claims relating to overtime payments for police officers, equal pay issues and age discrimination.

Saima joined the firm in 2020, shortly after qualifying as a solicitor at another City-based law firm where she conducted her own caseload of employment matters as a paralegal prior to commencing her training contract. She has been commended by clients for her 'hard work, advice and excellent service' and has been described as 'totally professional'.

Recent work highlights

  • Pursuing a discrimination claim for approximately 38,000 members of the Police Federation arising from changes to their pensions following the introduction of the Police Pension Regulations 2015.
  • Advising the Police Federation and its members on the merits of bringing various tribunal claims, including those relating to discrimination and victimisation.
  • Representing individuals pursuing judicial review claims in the High Court to challenge decisions made by the Police Pension Authority.
  • Advising on a settlement for a claimant who did not receive payment for his accrued but unused rest days in lieu and free hours in lieu on being ill health retired.

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC311575 and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under number 419867.

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP