Charmaine Pollock

Partner

Charmaine combines technical employment law advice with commercially minded pragmatism and a strong sense of warmth and empathy. This enables her to work collaboratively with clients (both employers and individuals) to fully understand their needs, and to help them select an approach which best suits their objectives.

Charmaine has significant and wide-ranging experience acting for employers across the full gamut of employment law issues, whether contentious, advisory or transactional (including the employment aspects of M&A and outsourcings). She enjoys working closely with HR and managers on an on-going basis throughout matters, whether that entails detailed advice or providing a sounding board.

She also regularly acts for senior executives, including advising on entry and exit arrangements (including the implications for equity and incentive awards, particularly in the private equity context). She advises and supports individuals facing internal employment disputes and investigations, and litigation.

In addition, Charmaine is experienced in conducting independent investigations into grievances and potential disciplinary matters.

It is important and rewarding for Charmaine to work closely alongside her clients and to problem-solve jointly, so that the solution reached addresses not only the legal considerations, but also the commercial and personal impacts.

Throughout her career, Charmaine has undertaken a number of secondments, allowing her to understand clients’ pressures and priorities from within.

Charmaine qualified in 2010 and joined the Employment team at Farrer & Co in September 2020.

Work Highlights

Charmaine advises employers and senior executives on employment law across all sectors. Recent experience includes:

advising an infrastructure company on the summary dismissal of its CEO following sexual harassment complaints;
advising an FCA-regulated senior executive subject to a disciplinary process following allegations of bullying;
advising a charity on linked disciplinary and grievance processes following race discrimination allegations;
advising a COO in respect of whistleblowing complaints and exit strategy, leading to a substantial settlement;
providing on-going advice to a highly acquisitive technology company on all aspects of their employment law needs, including advice on hiving up and harmonising terms within newly acquired businesses, day to day advice on disciplinary and grievance procedures and absences, and workforce restructuring and redundancies;
advising a television broadcaster on the employment aspects of structuring a complex second-generation outsourcing of media services, and drafting and negotiating TUPE provisions in the relevant outsourcing agreements; and
conducting external investigations for multiple clients, in particular in relation to #MeToo allegations.

Testimonials

Charmaine Pollock regularly advises senior executives in relation to internal investigation and allegations made against them, as well as entry and exit negotiations. (Chambers UK 2025)

"Charmaine is very good. She's really strong, especially when it comes to senior executive work." (Chambers UK 2025)

"Charmaine Pollock handled my exit from an exec role - so it was a pretty stressful time for me. She handled the situation with empathy and was supportive throughout. She was firm with the other side when needed, but also recognised the importance of settling promptly." (Legal 500 2025)

"Charmaine Pollock is a strong second chair." (Legal 500 2025)

"Charmaine is a pleasure to work with." (Chambers UK 2024)

"She is extremely knowledgeable and experienced, operating with a high degree of empathy in difficult situations and demystifying complex situations from a legal perspective. I trust her judgement and attention to detail." (Chambers UK 2024)

"Charmaine provides an excellent all-round experience. She is commercially aware and a help to someone in a difficult situation." (Chambers UK 2024)

"She is highly impressive for senior executive work." (Chambers UK 2024)

"I always value the pragmatic perspective Charmaine provides. She helps get to the heart of the issue quickly and balances commercially driven consideration with a legal perspective I trust." (Client)

"Charmaine is invaluable – she understands our business, its objectives and vision, works collaboratively on producing best solutions and she’s on hand when needed. Always a pleasure to speak to her." (Client)

"Charmaine is professional, timely and knowledgeable – all qualities I’m sure we would look for in any solicitor. However, what sets her apart is the care and kindness she shows to her clients. She is always willing to go the extra mile and shows great empathy in how she carries out her work." (Client)