Grace Cullen
Call: 2005
Direct access

Grace was called to the Bar in 2005 as a Hardwicke scholar. Prior to this, she read law at Trinity College Cambridge, where she won a Tripos prize and was awarded a Whittaker scholarship.

Grace has considerable experience in Employment law, including in the High Court and, Employment Appeals Tribunal. She regularly acts for Claimants and has a particular expertise in discrimination cases, as well as extensive experience of claims of unfair dismissal, redundancy and whistleblowing for high profile employers including claims against the University of Oxford, NHS Trusts, Transport for London and London Fire Brigade. She has also represented clients in internal disciplinary and grievance proceedings, including for University of Oxford. She has acted in a number of cases which have gained national media attention.

Her work for Respondents includes advice and representation for local authorities, schools, and businesses and she has experience of advising clients involved in corporate take-overs and TUPE transfers and business re-structuring, including for international companies.  She has also  acted for respondents cases of breach of confidentiality, including injunctive relief; discrimination; unfair dismissal and redundancy.

Grace has lectured for University of West England (Bristol) and University College London. Grace provides pro bono advice for Citizen’s Advice.

Grace also has a strong family law practice, particularly in Children Act cases, both public and private law. She regularly acts in cases involving allegations of domestic abuse and has experience of claims with an international element, including applications to permanently remove a child from the jurisdiction and applications for Prohibited Steps Orders in cases involving non-Hague Convention countries.

Grace has a general civil, including personal injury claims. She has represented clients at Inquests.

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Employment

Grace has a well-established employment practice, acting for individuals, companies and local authorities in a wide range of cases, including unfair dismissal, discrimination, redundancy, working time, breach of contract, TUPE and equal pay claims.

As well as acting in Employment Tribunals and the EAT, Grace also has a strong advisory practice, advising companies and local authorities on best practice including in areas such as TUPE transfers, amendments to terms and conditions of employment and disciplinary proceedings. Grace has also represented clients in front of internal disciplinary bodies, such as at Oxford University.

Grace regularly lectures for practitioners and law students, including at the University of West England, Bristol.

She regularly undertakes voluntary work as an honorary legal advisory in employment law for Citizen’s Advice in St Albans.

Featured cases include:

  • Wainwright v Cennox Ltd – EAT
  • Watkins v Temple Bird [2011] IRLR 382
  • Represented firefighter with PTSD after London bombings in unfair dismissal and disability discrimination;
  • Represented NHS nurse in claim of unfair dismissal and race discrimination, reported widely in national media;
  • Represented train driver in claim of disability discrimination, reported widely in national media;
  • Represented an employee in claim of unfair dismissal and discrimination arising from sexual orientation in a higher education college, associated with University of Oxford, reported widely in the national media;
  • Represented two employees in age discrimination claim in University of Oxford;
  • Represented employee in internal grievance proceedings at the University of Oxford;
  • Represented a woman tube driver who was dismissed for gross misconduct and found to be unfair dismissal;
  • Represented a College in a claim brought by a teacher for discrimination based on a protected characteristic, widely reported in the national media;
  • Represented a school in a claim brought by a teacher, including whistleblowing and unfair dismissal;
  • Advice a multi-national company based in the USA on TUPE;
  • Represented employee in a claim of whistleblowing and equal pay against a leading national charity;
  • Represented an employee in a claim of sex and race discrimination against a Diocese.

 

Public Access Scheme

Grace Cullen is qualified to accept direct instructions from members of the public under the Public Access Scheme.

Information about the Public Access Scheme and how it works can be found on our Public Access page.

Certain specific Public Access services are subject to price and service transparency regulatory requirements. By clicking on the links below you will be directed to the required information for those specific categories of work in respect of which Grace accepts instructions.

Employment Tribunal template

 

Family

Grace has a busy family law practice in public and private law in the FPC, County Court and High Court. She is regularly instructed in complex care proceedings including allegations of historic harm and cases involving multiple injuries to a child with a wide pool of potential perpetrators.

In private law, Grace has been instructed in difficult cases including parental alienation, implacable hostility, domestic abuse and coercive control and applications for leave to permanently remove from the jurisdiction. Grace has also represented parents in cases in which NYAS have been instructed.

Private law – Children

• Child Arrangement Orders;
• Prohibited Steps Orders;
• Specific Issue Orders, including surname and location of school;
• Cases involving coercive and controlling behaviour;
• Parental alienation and implacable hostility;
• Complex fact-finding involving domestic abuse;
• Section 91(14) Orders;
• Applications for leave to permanently remove from the jurisdiction;
• Forced Marriage Prevention Orders.

Family Law Act

• Non-Molestation Orders;
• Occupation Orders.

Care

• Cases including allegations of physical and/or sexual harm, including historic allegations of abuse and non-accidental injury;
• Cases involving drug and/or alcohol misuse and neglect;
• Cases involving mental health and/or other vulnerabilities;
• Cases involving domestic abuse.

Commercial

Grace also regularly acts for clients in civil claims, including personal injury. She is regularly instructed by insurance clients as well as individuals in multi-track claims, including life-altering injuries and stress at work claims. She has acted in claims in the County Court, High Court and Court of Appeal.

Grace also acts in breach of contract and landlord and tenant disputes.

Grace has been instructed in cases involving disputes between neighbours, boundary disputes and in civil claims and those seeking injunctive relief. She successfully appeared in the Court of Appeal in a landlord and tenant case, involving interpretation of a lease (Freeholders of 69 Marina v Oram and Ghoorun [2011] EWCA Civ 1258)

She has lectured for University College of London’s Bartlett School of Planning, in land law, including restrictive covenants, trusts and beneficial interests, charges, easements and other non-leasehold interests.

Featured cases include:

  • Blair v Wickes Building Supplies [2019] EWCA Civ 1934
  • Blair v Wickes Building Supplies (No 2: Costs) [2020] EWCA Civ 17
  • Freeholders of 69 Marina v Oram and Ghoorun [2011] EWCA Civ 1258

Inquests & Inquiries

Inquests:

Following on from her personal injury and health and safety practice, Grace has also represented clients in Inquests, including Article 2 inquests, both before juries and a Coroner sitting alone. Grace has represented individual family members, companies, local authorities, police authorities, a football club and a group of lifeguards (who required separate representation from their employer).

Notable Cases:

  • Represented lifeguards in a claim where a five-year old girl drowned in a swimming pool. Jury Inquest over two weeks, with multiple parties. The Inquest was widely reported in the national and local media at the time.
  • Represented the family in an Article 2 jury inquest arising from the death of a teenager on a motorbike who was pursued by a police vehicle at high speed late at night. The Inquest was reported by local media at the time.
  • Represented a lower league football club in an Inquest, where a volunteer undertaking repairs fell through a roof.
  • Represented a company where a van driver, acting in the course of his employment, was involved in a serious road accident, which killed three people, including two children.
  • Represented Kent Police in several inquests, including a multiple vehicle collision on a motorway and a death on arrest.
  • Represented a company Care Home in an inquest involving the issue of appropriate medical care in the death of an elderly resident in a care home.

Recommendations

"Strong written advocacy, approachable, and good with clients."

― Legal 500 [2023]

"She takes an intelligent and practical approach to cases and has an excellent rapport with her clients."

― Legal 500 [2023]

"A very bright, pleasant and well-prepared barrister."

― Chambers UK Bar Guide 2022

"Excellent, approachable and an outstanding advocate."

― Legal 500 [2020]

"Thorough, bright and a pleasure to work with."

― Legal 500 [2017]

“She has a thorough grasp of everything, even in very large bundles. She will fight when we need to fight and can put clients in a position of strength before compromising anything."

― Chambers UK Bar Guide [2016]

"She demonstrates particular expertise in unfair dismissal and discrimination claims. "She has helped us to obtain very good results, employing novel and innovative arguments."

― Chambers UK Bar Guide [2015]

"An intellectual who thinks outside the box."

― Legal 500 [2015]
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Awards

Grace attended Trinity College, University of Cambridge and was awarded a Tripos Part 1A prize and Whittaker Scholarship. She is a member of Lincoln’s Inn and was awarded a Hardwicke Scholarship.

Memberships

  • ELBA
  • FLBA
  • Member of South Eastern Circuit

Education

  • MA (Hons) Trinity College, University of Cambridge
  • Inns of Court School of Law

Latest news

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Six Pump Court celebrates International Women’s Day 2024

Six Pump Court celebrates the remarkable women barristers in chambers who practise in all areas of law. This year they have achieved success at...

8th March 2023

International Women’s Day 2023 – Six Pump Court Chambers

Six Pump Court celebrates the remarkable women barristers in chambers who practise in all areas of law. This year they have achieved success at all levels with their diverse, busy and successful practices.

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Ryan Barrow

Ryan Barrow

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Daniel Jenkins

Daniel Jenkins

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