Michael Reed (Co-Chair): Michael was Principal Legal Officer, Employment at the Free Representation Unit until 2022. He now sits as a portfolio judge in the Social Entitlement Chamber and the Employment Tribunal.
Emma Zarb (Co-Chair): Partner at Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe (UK) LLP advising on all aspects of employment law with a particular focus on Employment Litigation. Emma has been a committee member since 2019 and was Vice-Chair of the Society from 2023- 2025 before stepping-up to the Co-Chair role. Emma plans to lead the Committee in keeping with the usual ILS traditions as well as encouraging the Committee to bring new ideas to the table.
Shubha Banerjee (Vice-Chair): I worked as a solicitor in private practice, acting only for employees/workers and trade unions and their members, at various organisations for over 20 years. I have recently moved into the academic world at Queen Mary University of London, teaching labour law and other topics and undertaking research into various aspects of discrimination law.
Madeline Stanley (Vice-Chair): Madeline is a barrister at Old Square Chambers.
Declan O’Dempsey (Secretary): Barrister at Cloisters and a fee paid EJ (Scotland and in NE Region England). Declan has served as an Executive Committee member. My aim: to increase membership diversity nationally; increase the regions’ role and ensure ILS uses all platforms for dissemination and gathering of employment law ideas.
Max Winthrop (Treasurer): Partner in Sintons LLP in Newcastle. Max has over 30 years’ experience of employment law and has taught at both Northumbria and Durham Universities. From 2017 to 2020 and then again from 2023 -24 he was Chair of the Law Society’s Employment Law Committee. Max has been the ILS Regional representative for the North East for a number of years and a member of the Executive Committee since 2024.
Gus Baker: Outer Temple Chambers [more details to follow]
Stuart Brittenden KC: Barrister at Old Square Chambers (since 1999), an employment law specialist with a particular focus on discrimination and industrial relations. Prior to joining Old Square Chambers, Stuart attained a Masters in Labour Law at the LSE, worked as an Employment Law Advisor to the British Dental Association (BDA), and has lectured in Labour Law at the LSE.
Frances Cusack: I am General Counsel and Head of Legal at Prospect trade union. Prospect represents around 160,000 members across various sectors including Public Service, Broadcasting, Defence, Aviation and Energy. I qualified as a solicitor in 2018 and now lead a team of lawyers, providing advice and representation on all aspects of employment and trade union law. I have been a member of the Committee since 2023.
Emma Darlow Stearn: Emma is a Barrister at Cloisters, specialising in employment and discrimination law, with particular expertise in whistleblowing law — informed by her time at Protect as a Senior Legal Adviser. Prior to coming to the bar, Emma worked for more than a decade as a professional actress and musician.
Edward Kemp KC: Edward is a barrister at Matrix. He took silk in March 2025. He has specialised in employment and discrimination law for over twenty years, having started his career as a Free Representation Unit representative. Edward is recommended both domestically and internationally as a leading practitioner in all the major legal directories.
EJ Omar Khalil: Former Head of Legal for Make UK’s (previously EEF) Key Accounts. He was also responsible for managing Make UK’s HR and legal teams in the South (Reading & Bristol).
Omar joined EEF in 1999 as a legal adviser. A qualified solicitor, he worked in a private practice in Chiswick, London for 6 years before joining EEF, specialising in civil litigation, property law and employment law. At EEF, who represent 2500 manufacturing, engineering and technology businesses, he has acquired vast experience of working in employment litigation, non-contentious employment law and employment relations in England, Scotland and Wales. He is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association, as well as sitting on the National User Group for Employment Tribunals in England and Wales. In the past, he’s represented EEF’s views on policy developments to the Ministry of Justice. Omar was appointed on to the Executive Committee of the Industrial Law society (ILS) in 2015 and re-elected in 2019. He has also spoken on Brexit & Employment Law at the Westminster Employment Forum.
Melvyna Mumunie: Senior Associate at Cole Khan Solicitors LLP, with a focus on claimant-side employment law. She values the ILS as a space to share ideas and explore the academic side of employment law which is something that’s often lost in the day-to-day of practice. She is passionate about supporting junior members of our profession and committed to encouraging broader participation amongst those with an interest in industrial law.
Deshpal Panesar KC: Former chair/vice chair/secretary of ELBA. Employment Silk, (Old Square Chambers). Bar council, ethics and well being committees. Chair, EAT users group. Here to be useful. Experience in forging links between employment practitioners, judiciary, academics, and leading practitioners. Committed to fostering talent and removing barriers to work. Enthusiastic failed northern soul revivalist.
Suresh Patel: A (relatively) new member of the Society, I am very keen to become more involved with it. Also, as a second-career “juniorlawyer, with a part-fee-earning / part-professional support remit, I would hope to bring a number of helpful perspectives to the Executive Committee’s work.
Anita Vadgama: Legal Director at Didlaw Limited, acting predominantly for Claimants, particularly those with disability and sex discrimination claims. Committed to maintaining the wide spectrum of involvement and participation in the Society from lawyers, trade unions and academics on all aspects of employment law and increasing my involvement with the Society.
