With 55 years' combined experience and highly regarded reputations in the ever-changing landscape of Employment Law, legal specialists and former colleagues, Daryl Cowan and Darren Tibble, have reunited at Dutton Gregory Solicitors.
Since his studies at the College of Law in York, Darren Tibble knew that he wanted to dedicate his legal career to matters of employment. His subsequent success has not only brought recommendations and calls for assistance from employers across the country, but also enabled him to bring over 18 years' experience of legal practice at Partner level to Dutton Gregory Solicitors.
"Employment Law has evolved dramatically since I started over 25 years ago,' says Darren. 'Employees are savvier, they have access to more information and the media enjoys nothing more than reporting salacious cases from Employment Tribunals.'
'However, with the higher profile and greater awareness of Employment Law inevitably comes misunderstandings and unrealistic expectations, especially when legislation is constantly changing and legal frameworks such as those within the Equality Act are being applied to an increasingly diverse range of cases.'
Before making the move to join Dutton Gregory Solicitors, Darren spent nine years at DC Employment Solicitors in Southampton where he met and worked with founder, Daryl Cowan, who has had a unique and fascinating legal career to date.
After qualifying as a solicitor at Southampton City Council with experience in Magistrates Court, planning and public prosecution, Daryl went on to provide in-house legal counsel to the South East Region of the National Farmers' Union, dealing with cases including land boundaries, animal attacks and, most of all, employment law.
In 2008, Daryl struck out on his own and started DC Employment Solicitors where he continued to take cases from the farming community, built a well-respected reputation in the field of horse-racing and established an enviable network of HR clients across a range of corporate sectors.
"Whilst our work can often be a 'crisis purchase', the key to modern employment law is laying and constantly reviewing the groundwork,' Daryl explains. 'Whether it is an HR Manager of a large corporation, or a business owner taking on their first employee, our job is to guide and support an organisation so that it is compliant, protected and, should any individual matters arise, we can simply take them away to deal with quickly and efficiently."
And Daryl's appointment as a Consultant to Dutton Gregory Solicitors has come at a momentous time. "With a new government set to make huge changes to the rights of employees, company bosses, HR managers and employment professionals need to be alert, vigilant and proactive."
On the reasons for choosing to join the employment team at Dutton Gregory Solicitors, both men are in agreement.
"The culture and future potential of the firm is really inspiring,' says Darren. 'As the firm expands with mergers and opening new offices across the country, it provides us with resources and support to serve existing clients, whilst giving us the capacity to help new ones.'
"We are delighted to welcome Darren and Daryl to the firm," says Dutton Gregory Solicitors' Head of Employment, Mark Broad. "Their experience and knowledge will help clients face the variety of challenges, both known and unknown, that lie ahead, and we will maintain our reputation as a forward-thinking and client-focussed provider of employment solutions.'
