Kerry Garcia

Partner
Kerry brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to provide clear advice and to work together with clients to resolve complex employment and business immigration issues.
Kerry brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to provide clear advice and to work together with clients to resolve complex employment and business immigration issues.

About

Kerry is Head of Employment, Pensions and Immigration. Kerry has particular expertise in advising businesses on complex, strategic employment matters, including handling grievances, disciplinaries and senior departures, implementing changes to benefits and employment terms, advising on TUPE and on restructures and reorganisations.

She also advises businesses on the available options to employ overseas nationals, guiding them and their employees through the labyrinth of immigration rules to ensure the immigration process is completed promptly and to remove as much burden as possible from the business. Kerry works closely with businesses to ensure they comply with their sponsor duties and advises on HR issues where there is an overlap between immigration and employment, such as the risk of discrimination claims arising from failing to sponsor workers and right to work checks. Her practice covers a range of sectors, including the technology and the hospitality and catering sectors.

In addition, Kerry advises senior executives, especially in relation to negotiating an exit.

Kerry is known for her ability to provide clear and concise advice and for her commercial thinking and problem-solving skills. She works with businesses and HR teams to build strong, long-standing relationships with clients and to understand their business, culture, approach to risk, and objectives. Kerry is also part of S&B’s management team and provides internal HR support to the firm, which provides her with a real insight into the challenges facing businesses and the need for pragmatic solutions.

Expertise
Immigration for businesses Hospitality and leisure

Experience

  • Recent work
    • Assisting a client in navigating a tricky disability discrimination grievance brought by an employee on long term sickness absence and ensuring that a realistic settlement was achieved.
    • Advising an international QSR franchise company on its UK employment matters, including on the departure of senior employees and advising on TUPE in connection with the termination of a number of franchise arrangements.
    • Advising a multi national company on the immigration implications of a reorganisation and ensuring the necessary actions were taken to enable the company to continue to employ its overseas nationals.
    • Manages UK business immigration matters for clients, including a multi-national food and beverage brand, focusing on sponsor compliance and Skilled Worker immigration applications.
  • Qualifications and recognition

    Kerry is recognised as a Leading Partner in Legal 500 for her expertise in both employment and immigration and is also ranked in Chambers in both specialist areas. Kerry regularly publishes articles in the HR press, provides media commentary on employment and immigration matters, and provides tailored training and webinars to clients.

  • Assisting a client in navigating a tricky disability discrimination grievance brought by an employee on long term sickness absence and ensuring that a realistic settlement was achieved.
  • Advising an international QSR franchise company on its UK employment matters, including on the departure of senior employees and advising on TUPE in connection with the termination of a number of franchise arrangements.
  • Advising a multi national company on the immigration implications of a reorganisation and ensuring the necessary actions were taken to enable the company to continue to employ its overseas nationals.
  • Manages UK business immigration matters for clients, including a multi-national food and beverage brand, focusing on sponsor compliance and Skilled Worker immigration applications.

Kerry is recognised as a Leading Partner in Legal 500 for her expertise in both employment and immigration and is also ranked in Chambers in both specialist areas. Kerry regularly publishes articles in the HR press, provides media commentary on employment and immigration matters, and provides tailored training and webinars to clients.

Kerry Garcia provides top notch advice and support whilst being pragmatic and is in tune with business needs.

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