Home - Practice Areas - Employment - Carol Fawsitt
Partner and Head of the Employment Law Department
Professional Qualifications:
- 1977: BCL NUI
- 1980: Qualified as a Solicitor
- 2004: Trained in Collaborative Law.
Carol Fawsitt established her own practice Fawsitt, Solicitors in 1987 specialising in Employment Law, Family Law, Personal and Commercial Litigation and Property Transactions. It was a niche practice and was technologically very advanced having introduced the Opsis Practice Management System in 1998.
Carol combined a busy successful practice with appointments to public and private bodies. She lectured to the Law Society and was a Tutor to the Society's Law School on Employment Law. She continues to lecture to HR professionals and employers on current workplace issues and best practice. She merged her practice with Hayes solicitors in December 2006 and is Head of the Employment Law Department.
Current Memberships and Appointments
- Member of the Law Society of Ireland
- Member of the Irish Society for Labour Law
- Member of the Industrial Law Society (UK)
- Member of the Irish Association of Pension Lawyers
- Member of the Family Lawyers Association
- Member of the Irish Centre for European Law
- Member of the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association
- Appointed by the President of the High Court as a Member of the Disciplinary Tribunal of the High Court and currently chairs divisions of the Tribunal (2000 - )
- Director of ASH Ireland
- Director of Archways, which is a company formed to advance the Incredible Years Programme, which programme assists children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.
- Member of the Dublin Practice Group of Collaborative Practitioners
- Director AAI – Alcohol Action Ireland
- Member of the Ireland India Business Association
- Board Member of the Ireland India Council
Former Positions
- Chairman of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal (2004 - 2007)
- Board Member of the Equality Authority and Chairman of the Authority's Legal Committee (1998 - 2007)
- Board Member of the National Economic and Social Council (N.E.S.C.) 1995 - 1997
- Board Member of the former Employment Equality Agency
- Vice-Chairwoman of the National Women's Council of Ireland
- Vice-Chairwoman of Network, the Organisation for Women in Business in Ireland
- Chairwoman of the Society of Young Solicitors
As Head of Department Carol Fawsitt has almost 30 years extensive experience advising and representing both employees and employers, companies, trade unions and staff associations on all contentious employment issues arising from the workplace. Her experience includes advising in relation to investigations and disciplinary issues, suspensions/leave, terminations, selection for redundancy, Injunctions, Judicial Reviews, bullying and harassment cases, health and safety issues (including claims for damages for stress related injuries arising from the workplace), equality claims, freedom of information and data protection issues.
She advises extensively on industrial relations matters, company restructures and re-organisations and issues arising from the Acquired Rights Directive on the transfer of businesses. She represents clients before the Rights Commissioners, the Employment Appeals Tribunal, the Equality Tribunal, the Labour Court and the Courts at all levels.
Carol has particular expertise in relation to education and the teaching profession in Ireland. She advises professionals in relation to regulatory and recognition issues as they arise in Ireland. She represents clients in both statutory and non-statutory inquiries concerning employment issues and regulatory matters.
Her experience advising on all types of contractual issues and devising strategies for both employees and employers to achieve their objectives is extensive.
She has represented employees in some of Ireland's leading employment cases in both the High and Supreme Courts.
She is cited in Legal 500 and described in Chambers UK guide as a “leader in her field”.
cfawsitt@hayes-solicitors.ie