Associateships and employment law
We support members on a wide range of employment and associate issues such as contract reviews, performance management and grievances/disciplinaries
Our associateship and employment law support
Our advice team has more than 70 years’ combined experience of advising dentists on associate and contract matters. We aim to resolve disputes in our members’ best interests and use a conciliatory approach to avoid litigation.
We help BDA members with:
- Employment law and HR advice
- Associates pay, contracts, and responsibilities
- Obligations, contract clauses, and covenants.
If you're an Extra or Expert member, you have access to unlimited one-to-one advice from us via phone or email, in addition to the written guidance on our website.
Meet the team
James Goldman, Associate Director of Advisory Services
James is a barrister specialising in employment law and dental contracts. He has appeared in several employment appeal tribunals on behalf of dentists and is also an accredited mediator.
Juliet Mellor, Head of Operations (Advisory Services)
Juliet is a qualified solicitor, having previously worked in private practice and legal departments within the NHS. Her expertise lies in NHS regulations, commercial contracts, and commercial property.
Alan Pitcaithley, Practice Management Consultant
Alan is a practice management consultant focussing on a range of non-clinical issues affecting associates and practice owners in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Claire Bennett, Practice Management Consultant
Claire is a solicitor and accredited mediator specialising in employment law. She advises members on issues relating to practice management, including staff contracts, sickness absence management, disciplinaries, grievances and data protection.
David Harris, Practice Management Consultant
David is a solicitor with 30 years’ experience advising on employment law. He advises on contracts, employment, HR, and dental legal issues.
Ezra Moffatt, Practice Management Consultant
Ezra qualified with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) having trained in the employment law team of a private practice solicitors' firm. She has several years' experience advising and assisting businesses in all aspects of employment law and HR.
Michael Fenton, Practice Management Consultant
Michael is a practice management consultant with a CIPD Level 5 award in Human Resources. He worked in a family dental practice and as an advisor in the Compliance and NHS advice teams and Good Practice Assessor. He advises members on queries relating to practice management.
Jacinta McKiernan, Practice Management Consultant
Jacinta is Chartered MCIPD qualified in human resources, who has sixteen years’ experience in delivering and advising on all aspects of human resource management and complex employment relations issues. Jacinta is an accredited mediator and advises members on contractual disputes.
Nashima Morgan, Practice Management Consultant
Nashima has completed a postgraduate legal practice course and has over 18 years’ experience advising members on employment and HR issues, conducting disciplinary and grievance meetings. An accredited mediator, she advises members on contractual disputes.
Natalie Birchall, Practice Management Consultant
Natalie is a solicitor and accredited mediator specialising in employment law. She advises members on a wide range of issues relating to practice management, including contracts, sickness absence management, disciplinaries, grievances and data protection.
Neeta Udhian, Practice Management Consultant
Neeta is an accredited interpersonal mediator and has an LLB in law and an advanced professional diploma in employment law. She provides advice on complex employee relation matters as well as all aspects of running a dental practice, including contractual disputes.
Sabina Mirza, Practice Management Consultant
Sabina holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management and is a chartered member of the CIPD. She advises on all aspects of running a dental practice, focussing primarily on employment law and contractual disputes.
James Dawson, Head of Advice Publications
James co-ordinates online advice for members as well as reviewing contracts, writing advice articles, and giving talks on advice topics.