Joanne Evans
With 30 years’ experience, Jo specialises in complex employment law and strategic board-level advice.
Specialisms & Areas of Work
Legal 500
Biography
Jo has practiced employment law for 30 years. A graduate of Cambridge University, she was a partner at national firm Addleshaw Goddard before joining Myerson to head up the firm’s team of employment specialists in 2007. She now leads a team of 10 experienced employment lawyers which is recognised by the Legal 500 as “excellent” and was named Employment Team of the Year at the Manchester Legal Awards in 2024.
A nationally recognised employment law specialist in Myerson’s award-winning Employment team, she has been recommended as a Leading Individual by the independent legal directories for many years and is described as “bright, decisive, proactive and switched on”, providing clients with “astute advice, straightforward thinking and client focus”.
She also sits on the Board of Myerson and is one of the three Trustees of Myerson’s Employee Ownership Trust with responsibility for maintaining the firm’s independence, culture and client focus.
Her clients include national and international household name businesses who trust her to support them with the most complex and sensitive employment law matters. She has significant experience of providing strategic advice to boards and in-house counsel of organisations from FTSE 100 companies to SMEs. She advises on complex HR projects, Employment Tribunal claims, discrimination matters and the employment aspects of corporate and commercial transactions. She also regularly advises senior executives, including FTSE 100 and 350 board members, directors of substantial owner-managed businesses and partners in significant legal and accountancy practices, on their employment terms and exit arrangements.
Her expertise includes:
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Reorganisations and redundancy exercises;
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Collective consultation, trade union recognition and industrial relations issues;
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Complex investigations, disciplinary and grievance matters;
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Negotiating senior executive terms at the start of a working relationship, including bonus, profit sharing and share option arrangements;
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Negotiating exit arrangements for senior executives, including tax-efficient compensation packages, post-termination restrictions, confidentiality, reputation protection and announcements (including stock exchange announcements);
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High value Tribunal litigation involving multi-parties, discrimination and whistleblowing issues; and
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Enforcing and defending disputes over post-termination and confidentiality obligations.
Client Feedback
Ben
Joanne made herself available straight away by scheduling a meeting after business hours. During a process which required numerous phone calls, the technical advice that I received was clear, objective and very useful. More importantly, however, at a time and during a process when emotions could run high, Joanne provided a measured and sensible sounding board and brought a calmness which I very much appreciated.
Legal 500, 2027
Jo Evans leads the employment team and is the standout lawyer. Jo combines empathy with precise legal analysis and strategic thinking. She is able to communicate difficult messages in a persuasive and compassionate manner, such that her clients feel empowered to make their own difficult decisions with confidence.
Legal 500, 2027
Jo Evans and Jo Henderson are standout partners. Both are very experienced, practical, and thoughtful. They are highly recommended.
Legal 500, 2027
Joanne Evans is very calm in a crisis, with good, balanced judgment.
Legal 500, 2023
Both Joanne Henderson and Joanne Evans are stand-outs and reliable. I have no hesitation in recommending them to people and am confident they will do a good job. I have never been disappointed. Service approach and value are all high on the list of descriptions I would have for them
Legal 500, 2025
Joanne Evans is extremely pleasant, accessible and people-friendly, but also with significant expertise and underlying grit.
Legal 500, 2025
Leading the group, employment specialist Joanne Evans has ’significant expertise and underlying grit' with significant experience in large-scale redundancies, collective consultations, trade union disputes, corporate support, and advice to senior individuals.
Keith
Very good advice regarding an Employment matter - reassuring and professional throughout.
Mr J
I engaged Myerson to review and advise on an employment settlement agreement. I was very impressed with the level of technical knowledge provided by Joanne. She was a pleasure to deal with, always available to call or email and efficient in chasing the other party for outstanding replies. Overall a first class service and I would not hesitate to use Myerson again.
Legal 500, 2020
Joanne Evans is easy to contact, very clear and straightforward in her advice and has offered my invaluable professional advice on a number of different contract and employment issues.
Legal 500, 2024
Joanne Evans is very knowledgeable and has a clear vision on the road map of litigation and understands what is important to her clients. I would highly recommend Joanne and the team for its exceptional service.
Legal 500, 2022
Jo Evans is a fantastic head of employment. She gives commercial, pragmatic advice which is reliable. She is a very safe pair of hands and I have no hesitation in recommending her.
Legal 500, 2022
Jo Evans is outstanding. She is hugely experienced and has a reassuring client manner. She has built a formidable team.
Mr A
1st Class experience. Great advice, very responsive and understanding. Helpful and knowledgable and helped to achieve a great outcome. Would highly recommend
Legal 500, 2021
Jo Evans definitely stands out from the competitors. She gives commercial, straightforward advice that clients appreciate. She is highly respected by clients and professionals alike.
Legal 500, 2021
Joanne Evans is extremely pragmatic and easy to work with. She takes time to understand a clients objectives and then works to achieve them.
Greg McMahon , Mitchells & Butlers PLC
As always, fantastic support and crystal clear, constructive and eminently sensible advice. A joy to work with you!
Legal 500, 2020
Jo Evans is as good as it gets. Very clear with you, good on tactics, and great on law. Very commercial and has the experience not to be flustered (ever) and drive you to a good conclusion.
Legal 500, 2020
Joanne Evans and her team understand our needs, do not bury us in technical details, and give sound, commercial advice.
Legal 500, 2019
Jo Evans is an expert in employment law with significant experience in all areas of employment law. Under her leadership, the team gives commercial and practical advice to its clients. The team compares very favourably to Manchester city centre employment teams at national law firms.
Legal 500, 2019
Joanne Evans is quick to grasp the issue and tell me what I need to know and her advice is always professional and to the point.
Recent Experience
- Hands on involvement in a high profile site closure, including collective redundancy consultation affecting several hundred employees;
- Successfully stopping a union challenge to a major reorganisation of a household name client;
- Helping various large law firms to deal with the most sensitive of HR issues and Employment Tribunal claims, defending their positions robustly but without damage to their reputation or significant financial impact;
- Successfully handling a multi-million pound whistleblowing claim on behalf of an employer over several years, ultimately achieving settlement at a nominal level;
- Successfully enforcing restrictive covenant and confidential information protection on behalf of a household name client against a key departing executive who had taken a role with a competitor;
- Carrying out an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment made against the senior partner of a law firm; and
- Supporting employers exiting directors from their businesses, and directors facing removal from their roles where six or seven figure packages are involved. This has included advice on strategy, negotiating exit terms, review of related share arrangements and communications about the departures.
Awards & Rankings
Legal 500 — Hall of Fame
2027
Legal 500 — Leading Partner
2026
Legal 500 — Leading Partner
2025
Manchester Legal Awards — Employment Team of the Year
2024Memberships
- Member of Employment Lawyers Association
- Law Degree (MA) from Cambridge University
Meet Our Employment Solicitors
Home-grown or recruited from national, regional or City firms. Our employment lawyers are experts in their fields and respected by their peers.
Charlotte Gilbert
Charlotte is the Head of Myerson HR and a Partner in our Employment Team