Judy Stone KC
Judy is a highly experienced practitioner, with a dynamic employment and commercial law practice. Before taking silk in 2024 she was ranked as a top junior in Chambers and Partners and named Chambers & Partners Employment junior of the year in 2023. She is also recognised as a first-rate barrister in Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal.
Specialisms
Commercial
Judy has considerable experience of commercial litigation. She has particular expertise in conspiracy and economic tort claims, claims involving breaches of directors’ and fiduciary duties and duties of confidence, as well as in bonus and other contractual disputes, including those with an international element and those relating to LLPs. She appears regularly in the High Court (both Chancery Division and QBD) and the Court of Appeal.
Employment
Judy has a dynamic commercial employment law practice. She has particular experience in sensitive cases that need careful tactical handling and those that require urgent action. She is regularly instructed in claims involving team moves and breaches of directors’ duties, fiduciary duties and restrictive covenants, as well as in bonus and other contractual disputes, including those with an international element and those relating to LLPs. In the employment tribunal, Judy has considerable experience in high value whistleblowing and discrimination litigation.
Judy appears regularly in employment litigation in the High Court (both Chancery Division and QBD), employment tribunals, the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the Court of Appeal. She represents both claimants and defendants/respondents. Judy acts as both sole counsel and as a junior in multi-day and high value litigation. Judy also undertakes a wide range of advisory work related to her areas of expertise.
Recommendations
“Legally, technically strong, and commercially savvy, she quickly gains the client’s trust.” Legal 500 (Employment, Tier 2)
“She’s a tenacious advocate with good strategic skills; she’s incredibly bright and very accessible.” Chambers & Partners (Employment, Band 1)
“Incredibly clever in the way she cuts through the legal issues, and is also very client-friendly.” Chambers & Partners (Employment, Band 1)
“A fantastic technical lawyer.” Chambers & Partners (Employment, Band 1)
“Extremely bright and hardworking, great to work with, and very responsive. She has good judgement and is a good strategist – my junior of choice.” Legal 500
“She has a good eye for detail, is robust and commercial, and is able to get to the broader picture quickly.” Chambers and Partners
“She’s extremely good technically and intellectually, and is very good on her feet.” Chambers and Partners
“Good tactical judgement, very effective with demanding clients, rolls up her sleeves and an excellent team player” Legal 500
“A skilled litigator” and “very astute” “She is absolutely fabulous, good with clients and really clever and committed” Chambers and Partners
“A genuine pleasure to work with” Legal 500
“A rising star” and “immensely bright” Chambers and Partners
“One of the real stars of her generation of barristers” Legal 500
“She brings commercial common sense, hard work and a first-class intellect to her cases” Legal 500
“She’s incredibly academic yet very approachable” Chambers and Partners
Recent Cases
Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson-Blake; Shannon v Rampersad
[2021] UKSC 8, SC, March 19 2021, Times, March 30 2021
Care workers not entitled to be paid national minimum wage during periods of on-call time when they were on sleep-in shifts
News, Articles & Publications
Chapters on Directors and Retirement, Tolley’s Employment Handbook
Education
Balliol College, Oxford (First Class degree in Politics, Philosophy & Economics)
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University
City University (2002 CPE) and Inns of Court School of Law (2003 BVC)
Other
Jenkins Prize (Balliol College, Oxford)
Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship at Harvard University
Visiting Fellow at Harvard School of Public Health
Princess Royal Scholarship from the Inner Temple
Member of ELA, ELBA and APP
Prior to Joining the Bar, Judy advised governments and international organisations on conflict prevention issues.