020 7405 4600

Accessibility Icon
David Leach

David Leach

Senior Associate

020 7405 4600

Contact by email

David is an employment lawyer who specialises in working for local government, education and blue light sectors. He regularly advises clients on all aspects of employment law in both litigation and non-litigation matters (including pre-litigation situations). He has substantial experience working for a wide variety of local government and public sector partners, which have included the police and educational establishments and small charities.

Skills and strengths:

David provides pragmatic, unfussy and commercially focused advice, he aims to develop trusted relationships with his clients to become an effective extension of their legal or management teams. David works collaboratively with his clients and seeks to foster friendly working environments to allow for ease of communication.

David is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA), and the Association of Pension Lawyers (APL) and sits on their Public Sector Sub-Committee.

  • Education Providers
  • Emergency Services
  • Local Government
  • Data, Privacy and Information Law
  • Employment and Pensions
  • Housing Litigation
  • Litigation
  • Procurement
  • David has worked with ELA and provided responses with them on Government Consultations
  • Acting for a London authority in defending a complex race discrimination claim with all claims dismissed
  • Advising on EAT claims as both an Appellant and Respondent appealing judgments from the Employment Tribunal
  • Acting for the local authority in successfully overturning an employment tribunal’s finding that it was not reasonably practicable for a claimant to have presented his claim in time, where he had not received the ACAS early conciliation certificate by the expiry of the relevant limitation period
  • Acting for a police force in a disability discrimination case with a claim in excess of £100,000 of damages
  • Acting for a school in successfully defending against a claim for unfair dismissal and disability discrimination
  • Working with a Local Authority on dealing with overseas recruitment and relocation issues
  • Advising on a leisure centre procurement with a value of £80 million over the life of the contract. The outsourcing project involved challenging TUPE implications where detailed advice was required.
  • Advising a London Borough on the TUPE implications involved in the conversion of a school to an academy. Reviewing the relevant indemnities provided in the Commercial Transfer Agreement.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 – Breakdown of Key Dates

23 December 2025

The Employment Rights Act 2025 is finally here! Having received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025, marking the most significant overhaul of UK employment law in decades. With reforms rolling out in waves from April 2026 through 2027, public sector employers, including local authorities and central government bodies, must prepare for sweeping changes that will…

Read more

Navigating changes to TUPE, and the Employment Rights Bill in procurement

24 January 2025

Many commentators have focused on extensive proposals to improve employee rights within The Employment Rights Bill (the Bill). However, tucked away in the Bill are a number of proposals that may not be as publicly provocative but nevertheless are going to have an impact on public sector employers. Currently, the TUPE regulations act to “lift…

Read more
David's Publications
Accessibility by WAH