Radhika Das is a Legal Executive in the employment team at Pannone Corporate. In the first in our series, My Life in Law, she tells us more about how she got into the profession and life at the firm.
When did you join Pannone Corporate? I joined Pannone in July 2018, so coming up to three years ago.
What was your role/experience prior to joining? I worked at a large respondent firm in Manchester which provided Employment Tribunal support.
Why did you join Pannone? The Pannone name is really respected in the industry, and I wanted more exposure to a different type of work. In my previous role, I dealt purely with litigation and defending Employment Tribunal claims; at Pannone, I do everything from HR advice, drafting contracts and handbooks and litigation. I have also provided on site HR support to clients.
What route did you go down, in terms of training and qualifications? I graduated with a LLB law degree and went straight into full time employment. I started off doing claimant work for a Trade Union and then moved to respondent work in 2016. I qualified as a Legal Executive in April 2021, after doing three years qualifying employment and submitting a portfolio.
Why did you choose this route? I liked the idea of being able to work in employment law and do my qualification at the same. It’s meant that I have had lots of exposure in employment law.
What is the most satisfying aspect of your job? It always feels great when we get a win at Tribunal. Giving evidence can be tough for the witness, especially when the case is a particularly emotive matter such as a discrimination claim. It is really satisfying when a witness gets through that and gets a judgment in their favour.
What does a typical day look like? It is really varied. One day I could be doing a telephone preliminary hearing, and on the same day I could be advising an employer about whether it is legally safe to dismiss an employee. The next day, I could be meeting with witnesses to take their statements or attending Tribunal – no two days are the same!
What can lawyers / the legal profession do to better support clients? Does anything need to change? I think technology is the way forward. Everything in our lives is so much more accessible and I think the legal profession still has some work to do in that regard. COVID-19 has certainly raised some challenges for all sectors, but I think some changes may be around to stay – for example, electronic bundles and video hearings, which have worked really well in most circumstances.