Christopher Jeans QC

Academic and Professional Qualifications:

1967-1974 Michenden (Comprehensive) School

1974-1977 King’s College, University of London, LLB degree (1^st Class Hons)

1977-1979 St John’s College, Oxford University, BCL degree

1979-1980 Bar Finals

1980 Call to the Bar, Gray’s Inn

1980-1981 Pupillage at 2 Crown Office Row, Temple.

Appointed Queen’s Counsel (QC) 1997

Christopher Jeans QC is a barrister in full-time practice specialising in employment law. Employment law has been his particular interest since his student days, initially at King’s College, London, where he was awarded a first class honours degree and the Hickling prize in labour law (employment law and later at St. John’s College, Oxford where he obtained a postgraduate law degree. Before starting in practice at the Bar he was lecturer at the City of London Polytechnic (now Guildhall University) specialising in labour law, private international law and European Community law.

Since beginning full-time practice at the bar, employment has always been the major area of his practice and for many years he has worked almost exclusively in this field. His work covers all areas of individual and collective employment law including contractual disputes, wrongful dismissal, international employment disputes, union membership disputes, unfair dismissal, transfer of undertakings, redundancy, discrimination (including equal pay) and the full range of statutory employment claims. He also handles internal disciplinary hearings. Between 1988 and 2008 he sat as a part-time Employment Tribunal Chairman/Judge (in Nottingham and Leicester).

He is a member of the Employment Law Bar Association and was for several years the Representative for the Bar on the Management of the Employment Lawyers Association. He was elected a Bencher of Gray’s Inn in 2007 and was appointed to the Times Law Panel.

He is listed as a leading practitioner in employment law in national and international directories and was the Chambers and Partners Employment Law “Silk of the Year” for 2008.

He has acted for employers, employees, trade unions and employers’ associations, professional bodies, public bodies and for trade union members in cases supported by the Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members.

Recent work in the higher courts has involved a particular focus on equal pay in local authorities, the international dimension in employment disputes and racial discrimination. He has appeared in many reported cases.