andrew watson
Call: 2013
“Andrew is extremely knowledgeable on the law; he can digest massive amounts of material and facts quickly and thoroughly and applies the law precisely. Advice is always nailed on, and he has an uncanny ability to predict how other party in a dispute may react.” (Employment Law, Tier 3) - Legal 500 2026
“Andrew Watson is excellent strategically. He is incredibly bright and fantastic with clients.”, “Andrew is a first-class employment lawyer with excellent client care. He has strong tactical acumen, is strong on detail, and exceptional on zeroing in on nuanced but material points.”, “Andrew produced clear drafting and identification of key issues and risk areas despite extensive, convoluted facts.” (Employment Law, Band 5) - Chambers & Partners 2026
"Andrew is intellectually brilliant." "Andrew is a brilliant advocate: very technical and hot on every single point." "Andrew comes up with creative arguments and is someone I can turn to." (Employment Law, Band 6) - Chambers & Partners 2025
“He is a fierce litigator.” (Employment Law, Tier 4) - Legal 500 2025
“Andrew Watson is commended by instructing solicitors for his deep knowledge of employment law. He has acted for a variety of claimants and respondents in discrimination and unfair dismissal claims.” (Employment Law, Band 6) - Chambers & Partners 2024
“Andrew is an excellent advocate and an all-round intellectual and practical talent. He has a natural manner with clients, who can always trust that he will do an excellent job.” (Employment Law, Tier 5)-Legal 500 2023
“Andrew is incredibly thorough and a formidable advocate.” “Andrew displays a keen attention to detail and is meticulous in his drafting and advocacy.” (Employment Law, Band 6)-Chambers & Partners 2023
“Andrew is confident, has a good grasp of the issues and legal complexities of the case, and is personable to deal with.” -Legal 500 2022
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Andrew is an experienced employment and personal injury barrister who accepts instructions across the full range of work in those areas.
In employment law, Andrew has a particular focus on discrimination and whistleblowing, employers’ liability and stress at work claims, and also acts in contractual and restrictive covenant claims. He appears regularly in the employment tribunal both preliminary and final hearings, and has significant experience in dealing with long final hearings. His employer clients schools, logistics companies, hotel chains, hospital trusts, care providers and charities; his employee clients include senior executives, lawyers, traders, teachers, doctors and public servants. Andrew is an experienced appellate advocate and has appeared over a dozen times in the EAT.
In personal injury Andrew has substantial experience of acting in high-value claims for both claimants and defendants, particularly in employers’ liability claims, stress at work claims and claims arising from road traffic accidents. He regularly settles pleadings and schedules of loss in such cases and has significant experience of interim hearings, including those relating to interim payments, and costs and case management.
Andrew favours being instructed early in proceedings and combines forensic legal advice with a pragmatic focus on the best outcome for the client. Andrew has a proven track record as a trial advocate; judges have described his cross-examination as “skilled and patient” and as subjecting witnesses to “detailed scrutiny and challenge”.
Andrew is ranked for employment law in both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500. He is a previous Chair and Treasurer of the Free Representation Unit and remains committed to pro bono work. He was jointly shortlisted for Advocate’s Junior Pro Bono Barrister of the Year in 2021 along with Martina Murphy for their work representing a consultant psychiatrist in proceedings before the Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal.
Andrew is qualified to accept direct access instructions and he welcomes instructions on this basis in appropriate cases.
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Chambers & Partners 2025: "Andrew is intellectually brilliant." "Andrew is a brilliant advocate: very technical and hot on every single point." "Andrew comes up with creative arguments and is someone I can turn to." (Employment Law, Band 6)
Legal 500 2025: “He is a fierce litigator.” (Employment Law, Tier 4)
Chambers & Partners 2024: “Andrew Watson is commended by instructing solicitors for his deep knowledge of employment law. He has acted for a variety of claimants and respondents in discrimination and unfair dismissal claims.” "Andrew has been a pleasure to work with. His opening notes are detailed and well presented, and clients are often reassured by his calm and methodical approach." "Andrew Watson is an all-star player. He is hugely talented but backs this up with a work rate that is beyond impressive, combined with his ability on his feet. A real talent." (Employment Law, Band 6)
Legal 500 2023: “Andrew is an excellent advocate and an all-round intellectual and practical talent. He has a natural manner with clients, who can always trust that he will do an excellent job.” (Employment Law, Tier 5)
Chambers & Partners 2023: “Andrew is incredibly thorough and a formidable advocate.” “Andrew displays a keen attention to detail and is meticulous in his drafting and advocacy.” (Employment Law, Band 6)
Legal 500 2022: “Andrew is confident, has a good grasp of the issues and legal complexities of the case, and is personable to deal with.”
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BA (Hons), Law, Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge
LLM, University College London
Bar Professional Training Course, Kaplan Law School
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Employment & Discrimination:
N v A Psychiatric Hospital (2023): acted for the successful Respondent resisting an application for interim relief by the former Medical Director, a consultant psychiatrist.
Y v An NHS Foundation Trust and 3 Ors (2023 and ongoing): acting for the Trust in a novel High Court claim brought by a clinical psychologist who was suspended and investigated following (contested) allegations that he failed to disclose safeguarding allegation. Claims against the Trust are in contract, tort, and under articles 6 and 8 of the ECHR. Claimant has intimated a substantial six-figure loss of earnings claim.
Yang v Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank (2022): acted for the Claimant, led by Carolyn D’Souza, in a highly-contested City claim brought by a gold futures trader dismissed for failing to escalate a risk arising from volatility in the gold market at the start of Covid-19. The ET upheld his unfair dismissal claim with 1/3 contributory fault and a single claim of race discrimination.
B and 3 Ors v Government Legal Department (2022-ongoing): acting for B, one of four claimants in this joined claim. B is a successful government lawyer who brings a victimisation claim arising from complaints he made about bullying, harassment and discrimination within the GLD. B has suffered a serious psychiatric injury as a result of his treatment and has a poor prognosis leading to a substantial six-figure loss of earnings claim. 38-day liability hearing in autumn 2024.
Robson v NGP Utilities Ltd (2021): represented the successful claimant in a harassment and disability discrimination claim. The Tribunal made an award for aggravated damages and ordered the respondent to pay a financial penalty under s.12 ETA 1996.
Banerjee v Royal Bank of Canada [2021] ICR 359 (EAT): instructed by the Claimant (led by Carolyn D’Souza) in this appeal on the scope of a tribunal’s power to reconsider a decision of its own motion when invited to do so by a party.
Craig v Bob Lindfield & Sons Ltd [2016] ICR 527 (EAT): instructed by the Claimant in this appeal about whether there was an implied term that contractual lay-off powers can only be exercised for a reasonable period. The EAT confirmed the answer was no, settling a conflict between two earlier authorities.
Z v A [2014] IRLR 244 (EAT): represented the Claimant through FRU resisting a liability appeal in an unfair dismissal case where the Claimant was dismissed for an unsubstantiated historic child abuse allegation. The EAT decided that the ET was correct to conclude that this did not amount to some other substantial reason of the kind justifying dismissal; principles set out in A v B and Leach v Ofcom explained. The claimant’s remedy appeal engaging the Johnson exclusion zone was dismissed.
Personal Injury
G v An Insurer (2023): instructed for the Claimant in this workplace stress claim against a large insurance company. Settled at a JSM shortly before trial on favourable terms.
C v B (2023): quantum-only RTA. Instructed for Defendant. Claimant is a consultant cardiologist who claims to have suffered permanent psychiatric harm which has left him unable to continue his private practice. Claim pleaded at £1.4M. Settled at a JSM on favourable terms.
B v A (2023): liability and quantum accident at work. Instructed for Claimant, who suffered a life-changing knee dislocation injury with an imminent need for knee replacement surgery and 1-2% lifetime risk of amputation, following a slipping accident at work. Claim valued at high six figures with a claim for provisional damages.
S v A Bank (2022): instructed for the Claimant. Workplace stress claim by former equities trader whose claim was that he had suffered a serious psychiatric illness as a result of a campaign of bullying and harassment by his superior. The claim had significant litigation risks with respect to breach of duty, causation and quantum of future loss. Settled at a JSM prior to issue for £1M.
K v W (2022-ongoing): liability and quantum accident at work. Instructed for the Claimant, who suffered serious orthopaedic injuries including a knee injury after falling from a ladder whilst descending from scaffolding. The claim is pre-issue but the Claimant is likely to have suffered a permanent restriction on his ability to work, leading to a valuation in the mid to high six figures.
J v An Accountant (2021-2023): acting for the Claimant, a manager at a large accountancy firm, in a claim for serious psychiatric harm arising from bullying and harassment by a partner of the firm. The claim is pleaded at £3M+ including a substantial claim for career-long future loss of earnings. Settled at a JSM on very favourable terms.
