Oliver Mills

Oliver accepts instructions across the full range of statutory and commercial employment law matters.

Oliver is regularly instructed, by both claimants and respondents, to appear in the Employment Tribunal, in complex cases involving claims of discrimination, whistleblowing, unfair dismissal and equal pay. Oliver is often instructed to advise from an early stage of proceedings and is experienced in dealing with the full range of substantive and procedural issues that can arise during the preliminary stages of Tribunal litigation.  His recent experience includes:

• Melki v Bouygues E and S Contracting[2024] EAT 36; [2024] ICR 803 – acting for the Claimant (pro bono) in the first case to consider the application of the EAT’s new power to extend time under amended EAT rule 37(5) (led by James Goudie KC).
• Mr Rohatgi v Capita Customer Management Ltd (8000437/2023) – acting for the successful respondent in a four-day race discrimination trial concerning false allegations the claimant had made about a colleague.
• Acting for a claimant working in the fashion industry, in an age discrimination claim, that settled for a significant sum shortly before trial.
• Acting for a claimant in an ongoing high profile sexual harassment claim.
• Mr Hanan v (1) Mr Griggs, (2) Griggs Estates Limited (3308986/2023) – acting for the successful respondent in a trial involving claims of automatically unfair dismissal, and harassment related to age, race, gender reassignment and sex.
• Acting for multiple claimants in claims involving claims of antisemitism that settled for significant sums.
• Acting for a respondent, an international professional services company, in a complex whistleblowing claim.
• Assisting with a high profile equal pay claim brought against a large supermarket chain.
• Ms Simmonds v Croydon London Borough Council (2300719/2022) – acting for the successful claimant in a case concerning what pay a Chief Officer of a local authority was entitled to when suspended and then subsequently signed off work sick.
• Acting for a respondent, one of the big four accounting firms, in disability discrimination and unfair dismissal proceedings.
• Acting for a respondent, a police force, in a complex claim concerning perceived disability discrimination.

Oliver is also instructed in High Court proceedings and has experience assisting with commercial employment law litigation, including disputes concerning team moves, breach of confidence and restrictive covenants.

Oliver is a contributor to Tolley’s Employment Handbook.

Oliver advises and acts for individuals, non-governmental organisations, and local and central government in all aspects of public law, both led and unled.

Recent experience includes:

• Advising central government departments on various matters, both led and unled.
• Advising a non-governmental organisation on the human rights implications of a Bill before Parliament, and its potential amendments.
• Acting for the Secretary of State for Business and Trade (led by Daniel Stilitz KC and Claire Darwin KC) in R (Unison) and others v Secretary of State for Business and Trade [2023] ICR 1405.

Oliver also has a particular interest in human rights litigation in Southern Africa. He does pro bono work for the Southern African Litigation Centre and has recently been involved in a successful appeal to the Supreme Court of Eswatini challenging the decision of the Registrar of Companies to refuse to register an LGBTI advocacy organisation.

Oliver is regularly instructed in information and data protection matters, in particular, advisory work and litigation under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Recent experience includes:

• Kuzi-Orizu v Lowell Portfolio 1 Limited and Equifax Limited – acted for Equifax Limited in a claim concerning the accuracy of the data on the claimant’s credit report. The claimant’s claim was struck out, certified as totally without merit and Equifax Limited was awarded its costs as the claimant was found to have acted unreasonably.
• Knight v TDX Group Limited – acted for the successful defendant in a claim concerning the claimant’s data subject access request. The defendant was awarded its costs as the claimant was found to have acted unreasonably.
• Dunlop v Information Commissioner and Kirklees Metropolitan Council – acted for the successful local authority defending a decision to withhold information under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

Oliver accepts instructions from economic operators and authorities. He was instructed by the Secretary of State for Justice (led by Rupert Paines) in Boxxe Limited v The Secretary of State for Justice [2023] EWHC 533 (TCC).