Young lawyer wins dyslexia tribunal just weeks after joining North Wales law firm

A young solicitor has won a high-profile case just weeks after joining a North Wales law firm.

Jaimie Whiteley represented a North Yorkshire energy company at a tribunal in Hull, challenging a claim by a former employee that he had been discriminated against on the basis of his dyslexia.

Jaimie, who only joined Rhyl-based Gamlins Law in January as a solicitor advocate, helped Third Energy UK Gas fight off the claim brought by Anthony Hannaby, who worked as an operator.

Mr Hannaby, 66, had never been tested for dyslexia or complained of any such difficulties to his employer.

Mr Hannaby alleged he was treated poorly because of his dyslexia and raised several allegations of discrimination.

Elissa Thursfield, Head of Employment Law at Gamlins Law, said: “The tribunal came to absolutely the right result. It was a great start for Jaimie who only joined us three weeks earlier.

“We are seeing increasing numbers of litigants in person bringing employment claims, which can be a costly distraction for employers focussing on trying to operate in the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are really pleased that our team have been able to secure such a positive outcome for Third Energy.”

Following representation by Jaimie, Mr Hannaby’s claims were dismissed in their entirety.

Russell Hoare, Managing Director of Third Energy UK Gas Limited, said: “We take equal opportunities very seriously here at Third Energy and we take a very proactive approach to ensure that our workplace is a positive experience.

“The claims brought by Mr Hannaby were totally unfounded. It was a matter of principle that we defended the claim as our staff and managers all work very hard to ensure that this is a great place to work.

“This was not something we were prepared to settle out of court as we felt very strongly that Mr Hannaby had been treated well during his employment with us.”