Our Team
Our Team
The team make a genuine effort to know and understand the business...coming and seeing the operational side visiting venues and talking to the regional management..so they can tailor their advice to what best suits the needs of the business. (Legal 500 Client Testimonial)
you have demonstrated the professionalism and tenacity that your business has a reputation for. Further to this I would not hesitate to procure your services in the future.
I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, you have been my absolute rock through all of this, without your constant support guidance and help I wouldn't be here today. I have been in such a dark place and
you were the only one that helped me and believed in me I really am eternally grateful for everything you have done for me.
Andrew O’Neill is the stand-out member of the team, setting the tone and making a difference. He always calls you back, is quick to offer alternative solutions and
has unusually for an employment lawyer the ability to understand the real issues from multiple angles in a complex and dynamic business.
He is truly one of the best as are his team who follow his lead. (Legal 500 2023 Client Testimonial)
Naomi Dinnes is a go-to lawyer for employment issues grounded with religious issues and is heavily active in litigation and senior executive termination mandates. (Legal 500 Client Testimonial)
Andrew O'Neill
Head of the Practice
Andrew has been practising exclusively in employment law for over 25 years, initially working in international law firms before establishing his personal practice in 2001. Whilst Andrew has a broad range of clients, he specialises in advising businesses in the facilities management, aviation, construction, IT, financial services and retail sectors, including some well known names. Andrew also has considerable experience in advising individuals in connection with tribunal claims, disciplinary procedures and settlement agreements, and has acted for many senior high profile figures in the North West and nationally in respect of termination strategies and settlement agreements. Andrew is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association and the Law Society. Previous editions of the Legal 500 have commended Andrew for his practical approach and for having a mammoth knowledge of the law.
Andrew is dual qualified, having gained admission to the Roll in Ireland in 2023.
aon@chambersoneill.com
Naomi Dinnes
Assistant Employment Solicitor
Naomi read History at Worcester College Oxford before studying law in Bristol. She then completed her formal legal training at a full service City law firm and was admitted as a solicitor in 2017. Before joining Chambers O’Neill in August 2019 Naomi worked for a homelessness charity based in London. Naomi advises on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters, including unfair dismissal and discrimination claims in the employment tribunals (including redundancy and TUPE claims), advising on settlement agreements, drafting policies and procedures and supporting employees through problems at work. She has also conducted a number of group-action claims on behalf of employees. Naomi advises both employers and employees with an emphasis on employee matters.
nrd@chambersoneill.com
Michelle Gray
Senior Consultant Solicitor
Michelle was called to the Bar in 2002 before becoming a solicitor in 2009. She has practised exclusively in employment law since 2006, predominantly advising small to medium size businesses on strategic matters including restructuring and redundancies, asset purchases, and internal disciplinaries and grievances.
She was a Partner and Head of Employment at a national law firm before moving away from private practice in 2018 to work as an independent adviser which included a role as the in-house employment lawyer for one of the largest dental care businesses in the UK.
Noted for “rigorously pursuing matters on her clients’ behalf in an open and honest way” and having a “great understanding of how best to manage risk” in previous editions of the Legal 500, Michelle supports the firm and its clients on all aspects of employment law, utilising her legal background and her experience in industry.
mlg@chambersoneill.com
John Hillerby
Assistant Employment Solicitor
John qualified as a solicitor at a large North West law firm in early 2023 before joining the practice to specialise exclusively in employment law. John supports the team in its advice on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters to its employer clients, and acts for individuals in all areas of employment law, including disciplinary, grievance and redundancy matters. He also advises employees on settlement agreements and exit strategies regarding their employment when required.
jah@chambersoneill.com
Tina Holt
North England HR Consultant
JT HR Solutions
Tina has supported Chambers O’Neill on a number of significant frojects for some of our biggest clients within the UK. She has been operating in the HR space for over 24 years and is a highly experienced generalist HR professional.
Tina spent 14 years as a Global HR Director supporting businesses with circa 800 employees in over 45 countries worldwide and gained a thorough understanding of the different cultures that operate within different countries whilst being part of a UK based company.
Her wealth of experience covers all areas of HR in both the strategic and operational areas of people management. Having been very hands for all of her career, Tina has a passion for supporting businesses and their people in ensuring the business supports their people to achieve their required goals and success.
As an independent consultant Tina uses her knowledge and experience in all areas of people management to support clients, predominantly within the SME market. She also mentors other HR professionals who have worked in the sectors in which she has operated to enable them to achieve their personal goals and career aspirations.
th@chambersoneill.com
Debbie Taylor
South England HR Consultant
People & Business
Debbie has been a valuable resource to Chambers O’Neill over many years. Whilst located in the South West she supports business on a national basis.
As a French and Latin graduate, Debbie embarked on an 18-year banking career, gaining chartered banking qualifications and management experience including Learning and Development and the CIPD qualification of which she is now a Fellow.
She went on to gain organisational development and consultancy experience in Accountancy Practices in the North and South West as an HR Director and regularly provided advice and employment law seminars to clients. More recently she has presented on the management aspects of sustainability.
She established and has been running her own HR Consultancy business, PEOPLEANDBUSINESS LTD in the South West for the last ten years, helping entrepreneurial businesses grow and scale safely as they manage change, build high performing teams and navigate the constant challenge of employment legislation and case law, focusing on good management practice and sound, commercial solutions.
dt@chambersoneill.com
