Safia Tharoo

Employment Law

Safia represents Claimants and Respondents throughout the spectrum of employment issues, including dismissals, discrimination issues, TUPE and contract claims. Her Respondent clients range from large national corporations, to small businesses and start-ups. She has particular experience of the transport sector, where she regularly represents names such as Network Rail and Transport for London, the education sector, where she has represented a host of universities including the University of Oxford, Queen Mary University and SOAS, and the banking, retail and services industry.

Safia is happy to be involved at every stage of a case - from advising clients on potential issues before a claim is made, through to drafting claims/responses and advising on merits and negotiation tactics. She is regularly instructed in high value, complex discrimination cases (which are her forte), especially in cases where numerous allegations are made.

Safia is particularly skilled in trial representation and cross examination; many of her cases include complex discrimination issues, such as multiple allegations over an extended period, and she is noted for her ability to forensically dismantle a witness’s testimony to the benefit of her client. Safia is known for her strong court presence and her meticulous preparation.

Safia also has experience of conducting investigations on behalf of clients, particularly where the circumstances require an impartial investigator. She has previously conducted investigations involving allegations against senior individuals within large organisations, and is known for providing outcome reports which clearly and carefully analyse the evidence she has obtained.

Recent Cases

Examples of recent work include:

Hussain v London Fire Commissioner: Safia successfully represented the Respondent in an 18-day ET hearing considering numerous complex race and disability discrimination claims spanning a five year period; the EAT have permitted a limited appeal, with a hearing due in Autumn 2026. Safia is also instructed in two further claims being pursued by the Claimant;
Equans Services Ltd v Bennett [2025] EAT 33 – Safia successfully obtained permission to appeal at a Rule 3(10) hearing on behalf of the Appellant, and then succeeded at the full appeal in showing that the ET’s decision to extend time for the Claimant to bring his claims of discrimination was perverse;
Ballerino v The Racecourse Association: Safia successfully defended the Respondent against claims of pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the ET; whilst the Claimant successfully appealed one part of the judgment to the EAT ([2024] EAT 98), on remittal, the ET reconfirmed their original decision;
GF v Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and others: Safia successfully represented the Respondent employer and two individually named Respondents in a 7-day hearing to consider claims of direct and indirect discrimination, victimisation and protected disclosure detriment. Having succeeded on all counts, Safia was also successful in obtaining a costs award of £3,000 against the Claimant.
SG v Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd: Safia successfully represented the Respondent in a claim of disability discrimination brought by the Claimant in 2019; the Claimant has now brought a further claim of unfair dismissal and disability discrimination, which Safia has been advising on; a 10-day hearing has been listed in Summer 2026;
AA v Capita Business Service Ltd: Safia represented the Claimant at a Rule 3(10) Hearing and succeeded in obtaining permission to appeal; the full appeal will be heard in Autumn 2026.

Other Reported Cases

L v Q Ltd – [2019] IRLR 1033: Safia represented Q Ltd in L’s unsuccessful appeal to the Court of Appeal to try and prevent a copy of the ET judgment from being placed on the Register of judgments.

Jayaram v Network Rail – UKEAT/0164/19/LA: Safia successfully represented NR in a claim alleging discrimination at interview, and then successfully resisted an appeal from Mr J that he had not been afforded a fair trial due to his disability.

Khan v Royal Mail Group Ltd & Others – [2014] EWCA Civ 1082: Safia successfully represented the Respondent employer in the Court of Appeal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal (UKEAT/0160/11), having earlier been successful in the employment tribunal following a 10 day hearing in a claim for race and religious discrimination claim comprising 24 separate allegations. The appeals were predicated on the basis that the tribunal had misdirected themselves on the applicable burden of proof when determining the issues but after being taken carefully through the tribunal’s reasons, they accepted that the tribunal had in fact properly directed themselves notwithstanding some poorly phrased conclusions.