Connor Wright

Employment and Discrimination Disputes

Connor is ranked as a Rising Star in the Legal 500 2027 directory.

Connor prides himself on working closely with clients to ensure that the best outcome is achieved for their needs. He aims to provide bespoke solutions and detail-oriented advice and advocacy. He regularly represents clients at every stage of proceedings, from pleadings to final hearings. He also works with clients outside of litigation to systemically prevent and resolve disputes.

Connor has successfully advised and represented a broad range of claimants and respondents in the Employment Tribunal. Connor’s concurrent experience in the County Court and High Court makes him well-placed to assist in relation to multi-disciplinary disputes. He regularly represents clients in the Employment Tribunal and civil courts concerning issues such as civil restraint and vexatious litigants, discrimination, personal injury, data protection, and contractual disputes.

Examples of Connor’s recent Employment Tribunal cases include:

• Successfully representing a respondent healthcare provider in a 6-day hearing concerning unfair dismissal, breach of contract, and race discrimination. The claims were entirely dismissed;
• Successfully demonstrating that a claimant was not disabled under the Equality Act 2010 in a stress at work dispute, such that his claims for discrimination were dismissed;
• Successfully representing a respondent NHS Trust in a disability discrimination and whistleblowing dispute that was listed for 10 days. All of the claimant’s claims were dismissed;
• Successfully representing a respondent medical provider in an unfair dismissal and race discrimination dispute, over 4 days. All of the claimant’s claims were dismissed;
• Representing the Claimant in a 3-day unfair dismissal dispute arising from his alleged redundancy following a TUPE transfer;
• Successfully representing the respondent in a complex 5-day unfair dismissal final hearing, arising from the claimant’s alleged embezzlement, theft and fraud from the business;
• Successfully representing an executive claimant in an unfair dismissal dispute. The dispute turned on issues of continuity of service across varied executive positions and several companies in different jurisdictions, which were found to be under the effective control of the respondent;
• A 6-day hearing on behalf of an NHS Trust respondent, concerning failure to make reasonable adjustments and constructive unfair dismissal;
• Achieving a favourable outcome following a 5-day hearing on behalf of a respondent school. The dispute concerned allegations of disability discrimination, unlawful deductions of wages and breach of contract spanning several years, and constructive unfair dismissal;
• Successfully representing the respondent in a 3-day whistleblowing dispute
• Successfully representing the respondent, a social care provider, in an unfair dismissal claim;
• Successfully representing the respondent, a local authority, in a 6-day dispute concerning failure to make reasonable adjustments during a job application process;
• Successfully seeking dismissal of a claim for failure to comply with time limits, at a preliminary hearing.

Connor is well-versed in handling vexatious litigants. He has recently appeared as the sole junior in the High Court in an employment-related Extended Civil Restraint application on behalf of six public-sector claimants, led by Elizabeth Hodgetts. Connor has also recently managed a High Court dispute, unled, on behalf of the Defendant. Connor ensured that the claim against his client, which alleged that a COT3 settlement agreement was entered into without capacity, was struck out with a substantial costs order. The court also granted a Civil Restraint Order in favour of his client.

Connor has experience acting for and advising clients across many of the key industry sectors, including but not limited to nursing, pharmacies, social care, education and higher-education, banking, and logistics, among others. Connor represents clients with respect to roles of all seniorities, including, recently, a Chief Operating Officer.

Employment in the High Court

Connor has a particular specialism in cross-forum disputes. He welcomes instructions in the full range of disputes in the High Court, particularly those that may arise out of employment or adjacent relationships. Connor has a special interest in:

• Directors’ disputes and unfair prejudice;
• Breaches of contract;
• Injunctions; and
• Civil Restraint Orders and vexatious litigants in the ET and High Court.

Connor is a seasoned advocate, who grounds his advice and representation in his breadth of experience, particularly in disputes arising between contracting parties and in dealing with vexatious litigants. His work is based on strong academic foundations, having taught Commercial Law at Durham University before coming to the Bar. Connor has successfully represented clients in complex matters both related and unrelated to employment disputes. He has a proven track record of success as sole counsel, and his costs experience provides a robust expertise in the nuance of the Civil Procedure Rules. Connor’s recent civil cases include:

• Obtaining a Civil Restraint Order, strike out, and indemnity costs in the High Court against a Claimant who alleged that he lacked capacity to enter into a settlement agreement in previous proceedings;
• Representing claimants and defendants in b2b contractual disputes worth in excess of £100,000;
• Allegations of misrepresentation;
• Allegations of unjust enrichment;
• Disputes arising out of consumer contracts and related contractual issues, for example, bailment;
• Successfully representing claimants and defendants in various injunction proceedings in the High Court. This includes urgent interim injunction applications. Connor most recently advised on a representative (group) civil harassment injunction on behalf of every employee of a business. He has also recently successfully defended an interim injunction application on behalf of a defendant NHS Trust.

By nature of his cross-forum expertise, Connor is particularly well-placed to represent clients in civil matters that arise from an employment relationship.

Discrimination and Human Rights Issues in the Civil Courts

Connor is often instructed in discrimination and human rights disputes that fall outside the forum of the Employment Tribunals. His expertise provides a strong footing for related work in other forums. For example, Connor is regularly, successfully, instructed to represent parties to discrimination disputes in the County Court. Connor also currently represents a defendant in a civil human rights claim in the High Court.

He welcomes instructions in proceedings in the County Court, SEND Tribunal and for Judicial Review.

Trade Union and Industrial Relations

Connor is increasingly instructed to act on behalf of Trade Unions in employment disputes. Connor is versed in the goals and needs of Trade Unions, including the merits of litigation for the benefit of all Union members. He is pleased to advise and represent Trade Unions in strategic litigation in the Employment Tribunal and beyond.

Examples of Connor’s recent cases include:

• A dispute concerning allegations of Trade Union detriment, arising from the Claimant taking a concurrent position as a Trade Union Official
• Allegations of failure to inform and consult a group of 150 Union members during a TUPE transfer.

Costs

Connor is an affiliate member of the Association of Costs Lawyers. He accepts instructions across the full range of specialist costs disputes. During his pupillage, Connor gained specialist experience in costs disputes in the County Court and the Employment Tribunal. He was involved in detailed assessment proceedings, costs applications, and other disputes arising from points of law.

Connor’s experience includes:

• Drafting retainers;
• Retainer issues, including CFA disputes and Mazur-related matters;
• Claims concerning the recovery of solicitors’ fees;
• Detailed assessment proceedings and solicitor-client costs assessments;
• Disputes surrounding the application (and dis-application) of the fixed costs regimes, past and present;
• Qualified One Way Costs Shifting;
• Issues arising out of allocation to the Fast Track and Intermediate Track;
• Budgeting and Costs and Case Management Conferences, allocation, and interim hearings;
• Wasted costs orders.

Connor has a busy courtroom practice and routinely advises and appears for clients in primary proceedings and related costs applications, in addition to costs-only disputes. For example, Connor’s recent cases have included:

• Successfully advising his client in an inter-partes dispute arising from inter alia the alleged unauthorised conduct of litigation by a Grade-D fee earner, following the decision in Mazur & Anor v Charles Russell Speechlys LLP.
• Redrafting a firm’s retainer with respect to non-contentious work;
• A claim against a client for recovery of solicitor’s costs, in which the client counterclaimed in professional negligence;
• Successfully representing a paying party in a complex costs-only dispute concerning the interplay between CPR Part 36, fixed costs, and disposal hearings;
• Solicitor-client detailed assessment proceedings on behalf of the receiving party;
• Appearing for a solicitor in a dispute about its own-client costs, resulting in a complete recovery.

Previously, during his time as a paralegal, Connor assisted with an appeal to the Court of Appeal concerning the rights of beneficiaries of a will to challenge solicitors’ fees.

More broadly, Connor advises and represents clients in commercial matters arising out of contracts, data protection, nuisance and negligence.

Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence and Torts

Connor regularly advises and represents claimants and defendants in the High Court and County Court. He has a broad range of experience in complex and high-value claims, including clinical negligence, claims brought under the Human Rights Act 1998, psychiatric injury, workplace stress, and occupiers’ liability. He is at-home in personal injury disputes concerning fraud and Fundamental Dishonesty.

Connor’s recent cases include a Multi-Track case concerning an allegation of abuse by a protected party with dementia. Connor represented the claimant, whose life had been shortened as a result of the abuse. Connor has also recently acted for the claimant in a Multi-Track employers’ liability dispute that arose from a crush injury to her hand.

Connor has a growing practice in clinical negligence and related torts. Connor has notably represented a Defendant NHS Trust in clinical negligence proceedings in the High Court which, in part, arose out of Articles 2, 3 and 8 ECHR. Connor has also advised on, and appeared unled for the Claimant in a dental negligence dispute concerning the avoidable loss of all of the Claimant’s natural teeth. Connor has gained experience in drafting and advocacy arising out of clinical negligence disputes, and is familiar with the nuances of clinical negligence litigation involving private practitioners.

In addition to personal injury work, Connor also undertakes cases arising from torts that do not necessarily involve physical injury. His experience in this area includes:

• Data claims involving defamation, misuse of private information and the UK GDPR;
• Nuisance;
• Negligence;
• Civil Harassment;
• False imprisonment. Connor has acted for and against the police in related claims; and
• Misfeasance in Public Office.

Education

BPC, University of Law: Outstanding; top of class.

Master of Jurisprudence (by research), University of Durham: Pass Without Corrections

LLB (Hons), Law, University of Durham: 2:1

Selected Awards & Prizes

Connor is ranked as a Rising Star in employment law in the Legal 500 2027 directory.

Gray’s Inn Lord Justice Holt Scholarship (BPTC)

University of Law, Birmingham: BPC Best Overall Student

Testimonials

“Connor was very well prepared against a very difficult case against an unrepresented claimant. He communicated very well and kept us very well informed. He is very capable of dealing with complex queries.” Chambers and Partners 2027

News and Articles

Costs: Working Remotely and the Guideline Hourly Rates

Connor Wright successfully defends respondent in complex five day claim in the employment tribunal

St Philips’ Injury Update- part 6

On Demand Webinar- Navigating and disputing fixed costs in Personal Injury Litigation

On Demand Webinar- Stress at work claims in the Civil Courts

On Demand Webinar- Dental negligence claims – an area on the move

St Philips’ Injury Update- part 4

St Philips’ Injury Update- part 3

Connor Wright successfully represented the respondent in 6 day Employment tribunal

Elizabeth Hodgetts & Connor Wright Secure Extended Civil Restraint Order against Persistent Employment Tribunal Litigant

Tescher v Direct Accident Management Limited 2025 EWCA CIV 733 an article by Connor Wright & Kyran Kanda

CFA Costs Case Commentary: David Richardson & Ors v Slater & Gordon UK Limited [2025] EWHC 1220 (SCCO)

Connor Wright completes Advocate’s Pro Bono Pupil Pledge

Practical takeaways from the Supreme Court’s decision in Oakwood Solicitors v Menzies [2024] UKSC 34

The Use and Abuse of Subject Access Requests in Civil Litigation

Eight pupils become tenants