Expert legal advice on negotiated exits and severance packages
Determining a proper exit strategy allows you to retain control over what can be a challenging process. Our employment law team regularly advises both employers and senior employees on terminating employment including redundancy and the terms and effect of settlement agreements.
Senior employee exits are rarely straightforward – whether amicable or contentious, the legal, financial and reputational risks on both sides are real. Settlement agreements can be a key tool in ending employment relationships cleanly and conclusively, requiring expert negotiation and preparation to protect the interests of those concerned.
On this page
- Who we help – we advise employers and senior professionals on negotiated exits.
- How we help – tailored advice on exit strategies, settlement agreements and managing collective redundancies.
- Why choose us – from our proven expertise and pragmatic advice to our commercial-mindset.
- Recognition for our solicitors – Chambers and the Legal 500’s views on our employment team.
- Frequently asked questions – on settlement agreements.
- Latest news and insights – on employment in today’s workplace.
Who our settlement agreement solicitors can help
We help employers and senior professionals manage exits confidently, minimising the risk of litigation while protecting best interests, future prospects and professional reputations.
Employers
Our experienced solicitors regularly advise employers on:
- Terminating employment in high-risk or sensitive scenarios
- Preparing legally binding settlement agreements to waive claims and protect your business from future claims
- Negotiating severance packages that accurately reflect the responsibilities of the role
- Enforcing post-termination restrictions and protecting confidential information
- Group/collective settlement agreements in large-scale redundancies
Senior executives
We also provide discreet and strategic legal advice to board members, directors, consultants and founders during exit negotiations, including:
- Independent legal advice on settlement agreements
- Negotiating better exit terms in relation to bonuses, performance-based incentives and equity
- Restrictive covenants and implications for future employment
- Formulating exit plans in sudden or high-pressure situations such as whistleblowing, a workplace investigation or regulatory concern
- Resolving disputes around breach of agreement, unpaid compensation or withheld awards
How we can help
Combining deep legal knowledge with sharp commercial instincts, our goal is always to deliver clarity, control and legally sound outcomes. Our services include:
- Settlement agreement drafting and negotiation – Ensuring compliance and minimising exposure.
- Collective redundancy –Delivering efficient, effective and compliant advice to employers and large groups of staff.
- Exit strategy planning – Incorporating timescales, messaging, tax and equity implications, and ongoing obligations.
- Restrictive covenant enforcement and breaches – Enabling a swift response if terms are broken or threatened.
- Legal compliance – Ensuring any termination of employment is compliant with the very latest employment legislation.
- Sector-specific guidance – Navigating exits in regulated or reputationally sensitive areas.
Specialists in collective settlement agreements
If you need to make a large number of redundancies in one go, our specialist settlement agreement solicitors can help. Our team has extensive experience in advising large numbers of employees on their individual settlement terms, often completing several hundred settlements in a week.
Employers often refer affected employees to us because our streamlined systems and processes are set-up to achieve a quick turnaround while ensuring every redundant employee is properly advised.
Why choose Clarke Willmott for exits and settlement agreements
- Large team of employment solicitors with wide-ranging expertise – Overseen by senior partners with over 100 years’ combined experience.
- Proven expertise – Extensive experience in negotiating and resolving senior exits and complex employment disputes.
- Creative, commercial and pragmatic advice – Always delivered in plain English.
- Recognised by The Legal 500 – For the quality of our employment law advice.
- Cost-effective and outcome-focused – Trusted by employers and senior leaders in many different sectors.
- Seamless legal support – Full service law firm with specialist solicitors able to advise on corporate and commercial law and managing private wealth.
