About us

Close up shot of a stylish ivy green chair.

Mutual respect

We respect our clients, our people, our profession, and ourselves. Hardly ground-breaking, but a cornerstone of any meaningful relationship. And meaningful relationships are the lifeblood of our firm.

Technical excellence

Employment law is all we do; we live and breathe it. That passion for our craft and a deep technical expertise underpins all of our work. And we maintain those standards whatever the client, whatever the matter.

Emotional intelligence

We understand it’s about you, not us. We take time to understand you, your business, your situation. We listen and we hear. We know that employment issues are stressful, and we help you shoulder the emotional burden, we don’t add to it.

Generosity of spirit

Our service is based on people and relationships. We aim to go the extra mile, exceed expectations, and provide a service that truly delights clients. It’s why we’re able to attract the calibre of clients that we do.

Clear communication

We get it, you want the answer, not the working out. So we won’t try to impress you with our knowledge, we’ll use it to help you and improve your position. We’re crystal clear in thought and deed and always aim to make the complicated simple. If an adviser can’t do that, they probably don’t really know their subject themselves.

Consummate service

The nature of our work means that we often need to be instantly available. That’s fine by us, being super-responsive is part of the job.  We don’t hide behind receptionists or secretaries. If you need to speak with us, simply call directly and we’ll pick up.  We work to your timescales and in the way which works best for you, not us.

Trust

We work alongside our clients, shoulder-to-shoulder as a genuine partner and trusted adviser. If you had to choose someone to break you out of a third world prison, we’d want it to be us.

Results

We believe action is eloquence. Our advice has little value if it doesn’t translate into tangible real-life results. We’ll  work with you to identify what ‘success’ looks like in your situation and work doggedly to deliver it. Ultimately, results are what any adviser is judged on, and we have a proven track record of delivering exceptional outcomes time after time.

Simple things, but timeless. And they inform everything we do.

What our clients say

“Skelly & Co. have been instrumental in dealing with confidential employment matters with a friendly, efficient manner and trustworthy discretion; bringing instant clarity to any situation.”
Hazel Rounding
Managing Director, shedkm
“Skelly and Co. provide us with great legal support. John and the team have a proven record of successfully helping us navigate complex legal areas, whilst always taking into account wider commercial considerations”.
Jon Dawson
Chief People Officer, Lore Group
“Thank you very much, John. I highly appreciated your great support and it’s a pleasure working with you! Thanks a lot!”
VP Global Human Resources
Sony DADC
"I have found working with John Skelly everything I hoped it would be from the law profession. The understanding, insight, and empathetic listening approach gave me confidence throughout. I cannot recommend John and his team more highly."
Danny Kerry MBE
Head Coach and Performance Director, Great Britain Hockey Teams
“Emma consistently provides clear, practical advice and guidance on complex Employment law issues. She has a calm, professional manner, always taking a proactive approach to understand the business needs and objectives.”
Human Resources Manager
International engineering and construction company
“Thank you so much for all of your work on my case. It’s been a real pleasure working with you. Thank you for your support, and for making this situation much smoother and easier for me.”
Senior Marketing Executive
Represented in relation to a Settlement Agreement
“Huge thanks to you for being so utterly selfless in helping me through what was a nightmare. You’ve honestly been my personal hero during this. Thank you Marria for all of your help and indispensable expertise.”
Security Professional
Represented in respect of a whistleblowing complaint
“Thank you so much for all of your help, I really appreciate it.”
Executive Assistant
Represented in relation to a Settlement Agreement
“I would just like to say, you certainly came up trumps. It was a pleasure working with you, and I cannot thank you enough for guiding me. If ever you need to learn a forward roll you know where to come…”
Former National Coach
British Gymnastics team
“John negotiated a complex settlement on my behalf. His advice was crystal clear and his ability to balance legal and commercial considerations invaluable. His calm and personable approach really took the stress out of the situation for me. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have in my corner…”
Senior Tech Professional
“We view John as an extension to our leadership team…”
UK Country Manager
Prodware UK
“I’d like to truly thank you for your ultimate professionalism, level of knowledge and expertise throughout this entire process. I was determined to fight this until the end, and working with you I had the confidence to continue that fight.”
Sales Executive
Represented in relation to race discrimination claim
“I’ve worked with John for many years on many projects. John’s skill and knowledge in Employment law outweighs anyone’s I have ever worked with. One of John’s greatest attributes is his calm and professional manner. A total gentleman.”
Senior HR Business Partner
Ocado Group
“Thank you so much for all your support. You were more than a legal adviser in the process… you were so human and I felt really reassured throughout. I feel blessed that I met you!”
Senior HR Manager
“You have been invaluable in this process and I thank you very much for being such a strong support.”
PR Executive
“John understands the emotional attachment and doesn't just focus on the process. The options were clearly set out and expectations set, this greatly assisted my mental health and allowed me to think clearly and have a satisfactory outcome.”
Board Director
National construction business
“I wanted to thank you for your great support and understanding during this difficult time for me. You have really taken time to understand my situation and have been able to find a way to protect my interest. I am so grateful that you have approached my case with empathy and understanding.”
Chief Financial Officer
International Consultancy Company
“Thank you for guiding me through this thoughtfully, calmly and nimbly. I feel lucky you were recommended to me and I felt supported. Thank you very much for everything. I shall definitely recommend you to everyone!”
Executive Producer
Global Media Company
“Just to say - I can’t speak highly enough of Marria and what she did for me. It has been a very stressful time and she held me together when faced with some very tricky meetings at work. I am really happy with the outcome.”
Deputy Head
Private School
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Our Expertise

Our Expertise

Our Team