Our people
Each member of our team delivers pragmatic, commercial advice in a down to earth approachable way.
Michael Cummins
director
Michael (or Mike) is the business founder and has specialised in employment law for over 25 years. He spent a considerable part of his career at Gateley and also worked at Freeths and Knights. Prior to setting up Michael Cummins Employment Solicitors, he owned and managed his own niche employment law business for a decade.
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Mike has considerable experience in supporting businesses in workplace disputes and in Employment Tribunal matters, with significant experience personally representing clients at Employment Tribunal and at the Employment Appeal Tribunal. He has a Masters in Law and Employment Relations from the University of Leicester, specialising in the TUPE Regulations. He also has considerable experience in mediations arising both of the commercial courts and Employment Tribunals, with a focus on resolving matters in a timely, pragmatic and cost effective manner for clients.
Mike has a particular interest and experience in restrictive covenants and has acted for clients in reported cases on restrictive covenants and their enforceability. He has recently advised on injunctive relief in a leading reported case in the Court of Appeal. He also carries out occasional lectures on restrictive covenants as a visiting lecturer at the University of Leicester.
Mike is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.
Outside of work, Mike has significant experience in governance within the education sector. He is currently a governor at Ratcliffe College in Leicestershire and has previously been heavily involved in school governance including being a director of a multi academy trust covering 22 primary and secondary schools. He was a founding member of an Education Board set up to establish 4 multi academy trusts in the East Midlands comprising over 100 primary and secondary schools.
Mike is married to Julie and has two teenagers, and a family pet, Monty the cockapoo – all of whom who keep him very much on his toes!
Mike loves sport and is an avid runner, his favoured distance being the ‘half marathon’ but he does enjoy the odd ultra-marathon or, if he’s feeling like a rest, a shorter 10k too. We’d recommend that you don’t ask him about his running achievements for fear of death by boredom. He is also an Aston Villa season ticket holder - ‘if they’re good enough for the next King of England they’re good enough for me’! The irony of Mike loving sport but supporting Aston Villa is not lost on him.
mike@michaelcummins.uk07984 181118
Fabienne McAllister
Partner
Fabienne has over 20 years’ experience as a solicitor. She originally qualified in commercial dispute resolution, but she has been advising employers in relation to all aspects of employment law for the last 15 years. She trained and qualified at the London office of multi-national law firm, Ashursts LLP.
Fabienne has dual nationality and is bilingual (French/English). She has worked with many French clients both in this country and during time spent working in Paris earlier in her career.
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After working in the City for a time, Fabienne relocated to the Midlands working at Cobbetts LLP and EGL, before working with Mike at Knights PLC when it acquired the EGL business.
Fabienne acts for employers of all sizes, from SMEs and OMBs to large national and international businesses. She advises on the whole range of employment issues. She acts in Employment Tribunal matters, including complex claims, ranging from unfair dismissal to discrimination and whistleblowing cases. Clients also come to Fabienne for day-to-day advice on all employment matters. She advises on negotiations with employees exiting under settlement agreements. She also advises on TUPE, collective redundancies and restructuring exercises.
Fabienne is also a member of the Employer Lawyers’ Association.
Fabienne is married to Tom and they have a daughter, a son and a family pet, Bonnie, who is a very naughty Labrador.
Fabienne’s spare time is mostly taken up with her children and dog, but when she gets a moment to herself, she enjoys yoga, running, reading and baking cakes (not necessarily in that order!).
fabienne@michaelcummins.uk07825 517397
Sarina Mahal
Senior Associate
Sarina is a Senior Associate. Sarina previously trained with and worked as an Associate in Eversheds Sutherland’s Employment Group, completing various seats including a client secondment and an international secondment in the firm’s Dubai office. During her time with the firm, Sarina worked with Partners and the wider teams across offices to manage contentious, non-contentious, and international matters for FTSE and Fortune 500 companies as well as start-ups and owner-managed businesses. Whilst with the firm, as well as spending time in the Dubai office, Sarina worked in the Birmingham and latterly Nottingham offices.
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Prior to training to be a Solicitor, Sarina worked as a HR professional within both public and private sector organisations. This means that Sarina has a real and unique understanding and perspective of client needs and the importance of providing pragmatic, commercial legal advice. She understands employment law and advising on it both form the perspective of the HR adviser and of the solicitor providing the advice. We feel that this gives her a significant advantage and skill in having a broader perspective on employment law and HR matters.
Sarina’s work includes advice on redundancies; contractual issues; drafting policies and procedures handbooks and employment contracts; preparing settlement agreements; and co-ordinating international advice and projects. Sarina has also represented clients in Tribunal proceedings.
Sarina is married to Simon (but of course not Hannah’s Simon!!!) and they have a son and daughter. There are no pets… yet!
She is bilingual in both English and Punjabi. Aside from work, Sarina has a keen interest in foreign culture having lived in the Middle East and having travelled extensively. Sarina’s favourite hobby is a HIIT class she attends which combines a mix of cardio, strength, boxing, and martial arts skills.
Sarina may or may not support Nottingham Forest football team….
sarina@michaelcummins.uk07983 714937
Hannah Andrews
Legal Assistant
Hannah is a legal Assistant with vast experience in law going back over 20 years. She worked with Mike and Fabienne at Knights and has variously worked with Mike for around 20 years going back to their time at Gateley. She is clearly a ‘sucker for punishment’ and for some reason seems to continue to enjoy working with Mike (or should we say putting up with working with him) after all of these years!
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She supports the other lawyers in all aspects of their advice and has considerable experience in all aspects of legal practice including Employment Tribunal preparations.
Hannah is married to Simon and they have two boys. Hannah enjoys cooking, often hosting big dinner parties for friends and family. Hannah is at her happiest on a beach somewhere hot… with a good book and cocktail in hand!
hannah@michaelcummins.uk07534 581446
Tracey Robinson
Company Accountant
Tracey Robinson is the accountant and supports all aspects of the financial functions within the business. She has worked with the team for over 10 years in total.
Tracey is highly experienced accountant (having qualified as a Chartered Accountant some 30 years ago) and works with a number of businesses providing accounting services, including acting as a Financial Compliance Officer.
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Tracey and her partner Lewis are very keen cyclists and travellers, often combining the two with touring adventures across Europe and further afield, combined with some fairly serious distance cycling.
tracey@michaelcummins.uk07909 912494
Julie Cummins
Marketing and Buying Manager
In her own words, Julie is responsible for almost anything within the practice that involves spending money … which she does incredibly well! With a background in design and publishing, Julie is the perfect person to look after our branding and marketing.
Julie probably has the most versatile job in the business, picking up anything that falls outside of the law … she keeps the office tidy, organises all out social event and makes a mean cuppa, Northern style!
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Julie juggles work with a busy home life looking after her two teenage kids … and a dog she never wanted, but has secretly fallen for! Crafting is Julie’s passion and therapy, she says it keeps her sane! She has recently got into extreme knitting … now is that really a thing?
Oh yeah, and she’s married to the boss… which works surprisingly well!
julie@michaelcummins.uk07814 244766
Get in touch
Want a chat about what we do and how we could work with you? We’d be delighted to talk to you.
“Mike and his team most importantly keep it simple by initially working backwards from what I would like the outcome to be. Talking through potential pitfalls along the way, so that we all have a clear plan of how the problem will be approached and resolved.
This simple, efficient, and highly effective way of working, fits perfectly for my small business structure and although thankfully I have not had to call on Mike regularly, I know the team are on hand should I need any personnel advice. I can very honestly say the glowing recommendation I initially received was spot on and one I can easily and happily endorse.”
Stephen Cook, Managing Director
Manuka Doctor Ltd