Kiran Daurka
Partner
Kiran has acted for a range of individuals advising on all aspects of employment law.
Kiran joined Leigh Day as a partner in July 2016. She has been an employment lawyer since September 2003. Kiran has acted for a range of individuals advising on all aspects of employment law. Kiran has particular expertise in equality cases and in advising whistleblowers. She also has substantial Appeal experience. She has represented individuals with equality cases in the Employment Appeal Tribunal as well as the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
Kiran’s clients have included senior executives with mental health conditions experiencing disability discrimination; individuals dealing with maternity discrimination during or on return from maternity leave; individuals requiring advice and assistance in relation to race discrimination in the City; senior executives with equal pay claims, including one whose equal pay claim was worth hundreds of thousands. Kiran has also advised clients on restrictive covenants and other employment contract matters. Kiran regularly advises on settlement terms. Kiran advised the founders of the Jhalak Prize following criticisms from a member of parliament that their award for writers of colour was discriminatory against white writers.
More recently, Kiran has moved to conducting large group actions on behalf of employees who have the same or similar complaints against their employer. Kiran is currently advising Tesco store workers in their equal pay claims when compared to their male colleagues in the distribution centres. Additionally, Kiran advised over 13,000 police officers on discriminatory changes to their pensions which led to the discrimination being removed.
Currently, Kiran is advising over 10,000 police officers on their claims against the Police Federation of England & Wales, and separately the Scottish Police Federation. The claims against the Police Federation of England & Wales won at the first stage in June 2023.
Kiran has advised the Rights of Women in establishing their helpline for women who are experiencing sexual harassment at work.
Kiran trained at Denton Wilde Sapte qualifying in 2003. She has a BA (Hon) in Philosophy and Literature from University of Warwick and went to Nottingham Law School to complete her legal studies.
What people say
"I just wanted to thank you for believing in my case from our very first discussion, that conversation gave me hope when I was in very short supply of it … I will be moving on with a great sense of peace and no words of gratitude can really convey that feeling."
“Kiran immediately stepped up with amazing knowledge, astuteness and passion…”
“Couldn’t have done it without Kiran.”
What the directories say
Kiran Daurka is fiercely committed to her clients and the causes she champions.
Legal 500 2024
Legal expertise
Kiran has been involved in a number of leading employment cases acting on behalf of individuals, including:
- Tesco Stores Ltd v Ms Element & Others UKEAT/0228/20 – disclosure obligations in equal pay claims
- K & Others v Tesco Stores Limited – C-624/19 - Reference to CJEU on interpretation of Art 157 as having direct effect
- Gilham v Ministry of Justice [2017] EWCA Civ 2220 – In the Court of Appeal, Kiran acted for the intervenor, Public Concern at Work, to argue that judges should also be protected against detriment on whistleblowing.
- Department for Transport v Sparks and others (Court of Appeal) [2016] EWCA Civ 360 declaration of breach of contract following unilateral variation of contract
- Carol Howard v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis – (Employment Tribunal) high profile race/sex discrimination claim against the Metropolitan Police
- J v DLA Piper (UK) LLP – UKEAT/0263/09 - proving mental health disability. This case led to her being named as the Times Lawyer of the Week.
What our clients say
Kiran has been a superb support for me during a very difficult period in my life. She is a great listener and is always able to find a practical solution for all the challenges I faced."
Client of Kiran
Kiran Daurka in the news
Kiran regularly appears in the media providing expert comment on equality law matters, as well as commenting on her own cases. Kiran has appeared as ITV This Morning’s “legal eagle” and answered viewers’ questions on employment law, as well as on BBC News, Channel 4 News and Sky News.
She has also been interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme following the introduction of the Equality Act 2010 and BBC Radio Five Live. She was featured in the Law Society’s Gazette as Lawyer in the News in 2014. She was shortlisted for The Lawyer’s Solicitor of the Year in 2011.
Kiran is a contributor to legal articles and has chaired numerous government consultation responses on employment law related issues. She gave evidence to the Women and Equalities Select Committee on the issue of confidentiality clauses harassment and discrimination cases.
- McDonald's Staff Allege Sexual Harassment Weekly, CEO Says Law360 14.11.23
- McDonald's: 'There's disgusting behaviour at my branch' BBC 9.11.23
- Top European court rules against Tesco in equal pay case Sky News 3.6.21
- Time for a presumption of truth about sexual harassment The Times Brief 30.10.17
Memberships
Kiran is a member of the Discrimination Law Association, Industrial Law Society and the Employment Lawyers Association.
What the directories say
Kiran is outstanding at dealing with the twists and turns of difficult mass litigation efficiently and with sharp insight.
Chambers and partners 2024
Former McDonald’s employees call on fast food giant to take accountability for creating an "unsafe working environment" ahead of Alistair Macrow’s questioning in Parliament
Former McDonald’s workers hope that legal action against the fast food giant will lead the company to put measures in place to protect their young staff.
McDonald's staff subject to sexual harassment in a toxic workplace, according to BBC investigation
More than 100 current and recent McDonald’s workers have told the BBC about a toxic culture of sexual assault, harassment, racism and bullying at the fast-food restaurants’ UK outlets.
Supermarket workers closer to equal pay after landmark ruling
Supermarkets in the UK have suffered another blow in the battle for equal pay after the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled employees working in stores can compare their roles to colleagues working in distribution centres for the purpose of equal pay.
Accreditations
