HELENA IFEKA

CALL: 2020

call
Email

DIRECTORY QUOTES

  • “Helena does not get things wrong. She is very thoughtful about the tactics in litigation and also very, very pragmatic and sensible in how she approaches advice.”

    Chambers and Partners 2026

  • “Helena Ifeka has provided clear advice on strategy. She has great aftercare in terms of following up after hearings with useful, pragmatic advice on next steps.”

    Chambers and Partners 2026

Summary

Helena is a strong trial advocate who has also appeared in the Central Arbitration Committee and Employment Appeal Tribunal as sole counsel. She specialises in employment and discrimination law, with sub-specialisms in data protection and human trafficking. She also conducts independent investigations.

Due to her previous career in industry and consultancy, she is pragmatic, commercially minded, and has excellent interpersonal skills. During trial, Helena’s style is to build a team with and support her witnesses.

Before retraining in law, for twelve years, Helena ran business transformation programmes and worked as an IT and management consultant at C-level for clients in the private and public sectors. She has highly developed commercial skills combined with extensive experience in systems and business implementations and outsourcing, which complement her abilities as a barrister.

Helena is a contributor to From Counsel and Lexis Nexis.

  • Helena’s recent trials involve unfair dismissal, redundancy, constructive dismissal, probationers, whistleblowing and TUPE. She is frequently instructed in unfair dismissal capability hearings and also acts in worker status claims (Anderson v Airedale Symphony Orchestra). She also advises and acts in cases involving trade union recognition under TULR(C)A (Unite v Moreco).

    Examples of recent successful interlocutory hearings include claims dismissed for want of jurisdiction, applications for costs, anonymity and restricted reported orders, strike out, extension of time to serve a response to claim, and set aside of default judgment. She has also acted successfully for claimants to resist strike out and deposit order applications.

    Helena represents clients in Judicial Mediations and works hard to achieve a realistic settlement. She also provides training in aspects of employment law.

  • Helena’s recent trials have concerned disability, age, race and sex discrimination. She has defeated multiple disability discrimination and victimisation claims (Wilson-Shaw v NHS North of England Commissioning Support Unit) and sex discrimination and victimisation claims (Ivey v Norwich County Council).

  • Helena advises and acts in cases involving modern slavery. Her cases have settled and are therefore not reported.

  • Helena has run several highly sensitive investigations into allegations of discrimination, bullying, victimisation, and regulatory breaches, including in the financial services sector. She brings a wealth of relevant professional experience to this area of her practice, having frequently conducted internal audits in her previous career.

    • Middle Temple Queen Mother Scholarship

    • Oxford University Press Prize (Top-Ranked Student in Year) (Oxford Brookes)

    • Fulbright Scholarship (Australia)

    • Arthur Macquarie Scholarship (University of Sydney)

    • University Medal (University of Sydney)

    • English Society Award (University of Sydney)

    • Winner, National Client Interviewing Competition 2018

    • Finalist, BPP Mooting Competition 2019

    • Semi-Finalist, Rosamund Smith Mooting Competition 2019

    • INQUEST

    • ELA

    • PIBA

    • ILS

    • BPTC (Very Competent) – BPP

    • GDL (Distinction) – Oxford Brookes

    • MPhil – Columbia University, USA

    • MA – Columbia University, USA

    • BA Honours (1st Class, Medal) – University of Sydney, Australia

    • Unite the Union v Moreco (CAC) [2025] TUR1/1510, TUR1/1508, TUR1/1514

    • Farnham v East England Ambulance Service NHS Trust [2026]: jurisdiction

    • Stokes v SATRA [2026]: jurisdiction 

    • Scott v Direct Line [2026]: probationer, unfair dismissal, race discrimination

    • Anderson v Airedale Symphony Orchestra [2025]: worker status

    • Unite the Union v Mitchells & Butlers Retail Limited (CAC) [2025]  TUR1/1454(2025): bargaining unit decision

    • Gill v BDW [2025]: (unintentional) indirect discrimination

    • Mitchell v North of England Commissioning Unit [2025]: race discrimination; constructive unfair dismissal

    • Dale v Tavistock [2025]: sex and disability discrimination; unfair dismissal

    • Muswere v University College Union [2025]: race discrimination; victimisation; harassment

    • Chen v Coach Stores Ltd [2025] EAT 108: rule 12(2A)

    • Edgeler v City of Plymouth College [2024]: constructive unfair dismissal; victimisation

    • Ivey v Norwich County Council [2024]: breach of ss.20-21 EqA 2010; direct sex and disability discrimination; indirect sex discrimination; disability discrimination arising; unfair dismissal

    • Thompson and others v (1) Moran (2) Romac [2024]: TUPE; service provision change

    • Farkas v HDL Limited [2024]: unlawful deduction from wages

    • Yazdani-Fardi v (1) Village Dental Studios (2) Dr Andi [2024]: breach of contract

    • L v D [2023]: application for restricted reporting orders and anonymity orders

    • Williams v Norwich City Council [2023]: application to set aside default judgment

    • Dike v National Autistic Society [2023]: application to extend time to serve response

    • E v A University [2023] (ET) (current) : application for a declaration for permanency by a fixed-term worker

    • Wilson v Oxford [2023] (ET) (current) : part-time worker claim; victimisation; race and sex discrimination

    • C v D [2023] (ET) (current) : equal pay; pregnancy, maternity and sex discrimination; constructive unfair dismissal; whistleblowing

    • Devassy v Qualitas Care Limited [2023] (unreported) : unlawful deduction from wages; penalty clauses and restraint of trade

    • Unite the Union v Inflite Engineering Services Limited [2023] TUR1/1292(2022): application for recognition of a bargaining unit

    • Cheesman v Connells [2023]: vexatious litigants; res judicata; disability discrimination

    • Parshall v LRE System [2023]: redundancy; unfair dismissal

    • Kootbaully v Whitepost Healthcare Group [2023]: health and safety; constructive unfair dismissal

    • Tadej v Polypipe [2023]: probationers; disability discrimination

    • Sprague v Norfolk County Council [2022]: probationers; race discrimination; harassment

    • X v Y [2022]: pregnancy discrimination; redundancy; applicability of Acas uplift

    • A v B [2022]: unfair dismissal; race discrimination; social media

    • Musa v Samworth Bros [2021]: unfair dismissal; reinstatement, reengagement

    • Caparo v MarketAxess Europe Ltd [2021]: worker status; reasonable adjustments

    • Renewi UK Services Ltd v Pamment [2021] 10 WLUK 364: appeal against a finding of unfair dismissal; health and safety; drugs at work

    • Pamment v Renewi [2021] UKET 3201672/2020: reinstatement

Privacy Notice
Previous

Charlotte Goodman
Next

Dr Melanie Sharp