Biography
Shazia’s practice focuses on advising individual employees and particularly those that are senior executives. She has considerable experience in employment litigation, covering all types of contentious discrimination issues, unfair dismissal, redundancies, TUPE and whistleblowing.
She has also worked on multi-party cases/group actions. Shazia is a pragmatic and commercial lawyer, with extensive experience in negotiating high-value and complex settlements, for both private and legal expenses insurance funded clients.
Shazia has represented clients in the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and also the Court of Appeal.
Recent highlights
- Complex litigation (unfair dismissal, bonus pay and shares) against a large PLC that also involved the Commercial Litigation, Pension and Corporate departments, with High Court action being conducted in tandem with Employment Tribunal proceedings. The case settled for a high value.
- Representing a large group of employees in a multi-party action (unfair constructive dismissal and breach of contract claims) against a well-known Building Society which spanned several years. The case reached the Court of Appeal and then settled.
- Acting against a major corporation to successfully secure our client a favourable exit package. The client had been bullied, harassed and discriminated (race and sex) at work. The case settled for a substantial six figure sum.
- Acting against an NHS Trust to secure our client (a doctor) an Employment Tribunal Judgment, the appeal of which was successfully defended in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Significant compensation was secured, as well as a costs order against the other party. (Legal claims included disability discrimination, unfair dismissal and unlawful deduction of wages).
- Acting against a leading international retailer to secure our client (during judicial mediation) with significant compensation for unfair dismissal, disability discrimination/harassment and non-payment of bonus.
Shazia qualified as a solicitor in 2004.
Testimonials
"My grateful thanks to Shazia who acted on my behalf for a recent employment case. Prior to her involvement both parties had reached impasse. Shazia quickly got to grips with the complexities of my case and appointed impressive counsel to represent me at a preliminary hearing. This brought about the desired result of initiating further talks between the parties resulting in a compromise agreement.
Her patience, professionalism, tenacity, and dedication have proved invaluable throughout the case. I would have no hesitation in recommending Irwin Mitchell to others who may be in need of assistance." - 5* Trustpilot review
"I brought what turned out to be a complex case to the Employment Tribunal through Irwin Mitchell. I was referred to Irwin Mitchell through my Legal Expenses Insurance Policy. My solicitor, Shazia Shah, has proved to be a superb advocate. She has provided an exceptional level of service and support throughout the process.
She is bright and incisive, getting to the heart of the matter. She has a very good grasp of employment law coupled with significant practical experience. She is unflappable. She is tactical, looking after the long term interests of her clients. She is highly conscientious, working relentlessly and will go the extra mile for you."- Client
"From the onset, I was very impressed with Shazia’s approachable manner; commitment; knowledge; professionalism and supportive nature. She is meticulous and I found her incredibly responsive to all my queries, and was always a phone call or email away. Never once, did I feel on my own in what felt a daunting experience through a difficult time.
I felt reassured that I was in safe hands throughout the process. The service provided is exemplary and second to none. Shazia is a credit to her firm and I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone. Thank you again to you and your team."- Client
"I came to Shazia after a careful and thorough search for legal representation in a complex employment matter. I immediately felt that I was able to trust her and was proven right as she advised me over a lengthy period; always responsive and reliable. Shazia offers a calm, reassuring and efficient approach.
She is thoughtful in her advice and able to skilfully synthesise the best way forward from a complex set of scenarios. She is an outstanding professional who has a genuine commitment to helping individuals. She puts integrity first and has a wonderful sense of humour mixed with competence in stressful situations. I cannot recommend her more." - Client
"Shazia successfully represented me for an employment case. I formed an immediate rapport with Shazia, she was very knowledgeable, professional and down to earth making her a pleasure to work with. She has a way of making the weight of the situation feel light and achievable. Her methodological approach, always remaining a step ahead of matters I quickly realised was down to her experience. Striking the balance between firm negotiation and tactical bargaining was a skill that Shazia used to achieve a favourable outcome for me." - Client
Publications
Harassment in the workplace - Employers should adopt a zero tolerance approach
