Zillur Rahman

Zillur is an employment law specialist with extensive experience in all areas of employment law, including discrimination, whistleblowing, TUPE, contract disputes and collective employment law matters.

He has a wealth of experience of advising employees and senior executives on a wide range of employment matters having worked at one of the UK’s largest employment law firms, Thompsons Solicitors for more than a decade. He regularly acts in complex high value discrimination and whistleblowing claims.

He also has significant experience of negotiating high value settlements and dealing with sensitive reputational risk issues, including complex defamation claims in the High Court.

Zillur’s cases often attract considerable press attention. He has been involved in a number of notable cases including:

• Broecker v Metroline Travel Limited – Appeal No. UKEAT/0124/16/DM: Represented the Claimant in a whistleblowing claim. Succeeded on appeal at the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) with a claim for unfair dismissal on the basis that the Employment Tribunal had incorrectly decided the law.
• Nawaz v Docklands Buses Ltd UKEAT/0104/15/DM: Successfully pursued an appeal in recusing a judge from a case for apparent bias. The EAT found that the Tribunal judge had behaved in a way that gave rise to apparent bias so that a “fair-minded observer” would conclude that there was a real possibility of bias. The case was remitted back to the Tribunal to be considered by a different Tribunal Judge and panel.
• Anderson & Ors v LFEPA [2013] IRLR 459 CA (collective agreements): Assisted in successfully representing 300+ members of the GMB and UNISON in claims for unlawful deductions from wages in the Court of Appeal.
• Hamilton House Medical Ltd v Hillier EAT/0246/09: Successfully pursued an appeal on behalf of the Claimant. The EAT held that the national minimum wage relates to a worker’s basic rate of pay, even if he or she normally works only at night at an enhanced rate.
• Graves & Farr v Arriva [2012] ET: The Claimants were awarded injury to feelings and aggravated damages after an Employment Tribunal ruled the company unlawfully discriminated against them. The case was reported in the Mirror.
• Lynch and Thomas v London Underground Ltd [2011] ET: Successfully represented two train operators who had been unfairly dismissed. In both cases, Zillur obtained interim relief this is a special remedy in the Employment Tribunal that applies only to a few claims of automatic unfair dismissal which compels the employer to continue paying the Claimant until the determination of their claim by the Tribunal). In the case of Lynch, the Tribunal found that he had been unfairly dismissed on the grounds of his trade union/health and safety activities. The case attracted considerable press attention and was reported in the Independent. In the case of Thomas, the Tribunal concluded that he had been unfairly dismissed. This case also attracted press attention and was reported in the media, including the BBC News. Both claimants were reinstated by London Underground.

Other reported cases include:

• Arriva London South Ltd v Graves UKEAT/0067/15/DA
• Rowe v London Underground Ltd UKEAT/0125/16/JOJ

Zillur is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.