header-logo header-logo

Employer awarded huge costs for ‘vexatious’ claim

22 September 2020
Issue: 7903 / Categories: Legal News , Employment
printer mail-detail
A hotel group has secured a costs award of £432,000 at an employment tribunal, which lawyers believe to be one of the largest in the tribunal’s history

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels successfully defended a claim brought by its former senior vice president for procurement Chee Hwee Tan for unfair dismissal, discrimination, victimisation, harassment, whistleblowing and unfair deduction from wages. The tribunal held the claim was pursued unreasonably and found no evidence of discrimination or harassment.

The claimant submitted more than 3,000 pages of documents before the tribunal, including covert recordings of staff.

David Israel, partner at Royds Withy King, which acted for Millennium & Copthorne, said: ‘This was quite clearly a vexatious claim with no grounding in reality.

‘Mr Tan was given plenty of opportunity to withdraw his claim yet chose to proceed and attempt to manipulate the system in the full knowledge that he would lose.’

Employment tribunals rarely award costs, even if someone is unsuccessful, and when they do the average award made would only be £2,400.

Issue: 7903 / Categories: Legal News , Employment
printer mail-details

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ career profile: Liz McGrath KC

NLJ career profile: Liz McGrath KC

A good book, a glass of chilled Albarino, and being creative for pleasure help Liz McGrath balance the rigours of complex bundles and being Head of Chambers

Burges Salmon—Matthew Hancock-Jones

Burges Salmon—Matthew Hancock-Jones

Firm welcomes director in its financial services financial regulatory team

Gateley Legal—Sam Meiklejohn

Gateley Legal—Sam Meiklejohn Premium Content

Partner appointment in firm’s equity capital markets team

NEWS

Law school partners with charity to give free assistance to litigants in need

Magic circle firms, in-house legal departments and litigation firms alike are embracing more flexible ways to manage surges of workloads, the success of Flex Legal has shown

Magic circle firms, in-house legal departments and litigation firms alike are embracing more flexible ways to manage surges of workloads, the success of Flex Legal has shown

Magic circle firms, in-house legal departments and litigation firms alike are embracing more flexible ways to manage surges of workloads, the success of Flex Legal has shown

Walkers and runners will take in some of London’s finest views at the 16th annual charity event

back-to-top-scroll