Who We Are | Neate & Pugh

our
TEAM

Neate & Pugh is owned and managed by Emma Neate and Ann-Marie Pugh. We each have more than 20 years’ experience advising on a full range of employment law issues.

We have worked together before in a large international law firm, gaining the best training and breadth of experience available. We both have experience of working “in-house” in commercial enterprises, seeing on the ground how our advice plays out in practice. And now we run our own specialist firm – delivering our expert advice in a personable, pragmatic and cost-effective way. We like to think of it as a “Jerry McGuire” firm ...fewer clients, more personal attention.

We’ve been employees, employers, managers, and managed. We’re business owners ourselves and have a wealth of business and life experience to call on in advising you, our clients

EMMA NEATE
Director/Solicitor

Years’ experience in employment law/HR: 20 years.
Favourite emp law/ER/HR topic or project: Employment Tribunal claims.
Superpower: The ability to see into the future (would come in handy when devising strategies for clients to deal with troublesome employees/employers!).
Favourite food: Anything Italian (yum!).
If you could change the world how would you change it: End poverty.

ANN-MARIE PUGH
Director/Solicitor

Years’ experience in employment law/HR: 24 years.
Favourite emp law/ER/HR topic or project: Change management within businesses, sales, mergers, downsizing, harmonising etc.
Superpower: The super power I have is to simplify complex situations, the superpower I want is flight!
Favourite food: Seafood linguine.
If you could change the world how would you change it: I would slow the pace of life down, to allow us all a calmer more considered existence.

JILLIAN SOOKRAM
Solicitor

Years’ experience in employment law: 9 years
Favourite emp law/ER/HR topic or project: Discrimination law
Superpower: My intuition. Something that comes in quite handy in my line of work!
Favourite food: This is tough as I love all types of food but I do especially love Hawaiian Pizza (semi-controversial I know!)
If you could change the world how would you change it: I would probably make care homes free for the elderly.

LIZ BURLEY
Solicitor

Years’ experience in employment law/HR: 12 years.
Favourite emp law/ER/HR topic or project: Disability discrimination and data protection.
Superpower: I can tap dance (I’m still working on my time travel!).
Favourite food: So difficult to choose but I love Mediterranean food and seafood.
If you could change the world how would you change it: Men would be able to give birth. That would shake things up a bit!

BETH HODGETTS
HR Specialist

Years’ experience in employment law/HR: 22 years.
Favourite emp law/ER/HR topic or project: HR projects, especially policy design and implementation.
Superpower: My friends tell me I do a very commanding "teacher voice" that makes both children and adults behave!
Favourite food: Roast beef with yorkshire pudding.
If you could change the world how would you change it: we would spend more time looking at the world around us and less time looking at our phones!

PATRICIA COLDEN
HR Specialist

Years’ experience in employment law/HR: 19 years.
Favourite HR topic or project: Helping company owners and managers to understand how the effective management of their employees can make a huge impact on the success of their business.
Superpower: My instinct!
Favourite food: Bananas.
If you could change the world how would you change it: Governments, world and religious leaders would be able to resolve all issues peacefully so that no one is ever injured or killed in violent conflict again.

NATALIE BARNSLEY
PA/Office Manager

Years’ experience in employment law/HR: 15 years’ experience as a PA in the Legal Industry.
Favourite emp law/ER/HR topic or project: N/A.
Superpower: Multitasking!
Favourite food: Mexican.
If you could change the world how would you change it: World Peace.