Arpita Dutt, Partner

• Area of expertise: Employment
• Office: London - Swinton House
• Email:A.Dutt@rjw.co.uk
• Telephone:020 7657 1513

Expertise

Arpita is a partner within the Employment department at Russell Jones & Walker

Experience

Arpita leads a team of discrimination lawyers and has a broad based experience in employment law advising private clients on their severance packages and institutional clients in all areas of discrimination law, whistleblowing, redundancy and high profile/complex claims.
She is a tenatious litigator who has been involved in several leading and reported cases. Arpita has successfully mediated complex claims, achieving high value settlements and tailored outcomes for clients.
 
Arpita joined Russell Jones & Walker in 2001 and in November 2005 was made a partner of the firm. She has written several articles on discrimination law, is a frequent legal commentator, appearing on the BBC News, LBC and has been quoted in The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Pink News and The Times newspapers. She has been a speaker at national conferences on evolving discrimination law issues and is regularly involved in delivering internal and external training events and seminars.

Notable and reported cases include:

• Mr G Virdi -v- The Commissioner of Police of The Metropolis [EAT and ET 2006 and 2007] - successful finding of disability impairment at the ET and of race victimisation in respect of the Sgt-Inspector promotion process.
• Mr S Miah -v- London Borough of Camden - [ET 2006] - race discrimination, victimisation and redundancy unfair dismissal claim.
• Ms S Combarel -v- Boots [2006] - successful disability discrimination and unfair dismissal claim resulting in the highest national award for personal injury and discrimination damages and an award of aggravated damages.
• Mrs C Arthurton -v- Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary [EAT and ET 2006] - high value sex discrimination claim
• Mrs P Sweeney -v- Chief Constable of Sussex Police [2005] - successful indirect sex discrimination claim in respect of an on call working requirement in the Murder crime branch.
• Ms S Williams -v- J Walter Thompson Group Limited [2005] - a Court of Appeal disability discrimination claim.
• Mr N Riaz -v- City of London Police [2005] - successful claim of race discrimination on behalf of a Chief Inspector, featuring an award of aggravated damages.
• The Chief Constable of Kent County Constabulary -v- Baskerville [2003] - a landmark Court of Appeal decision clarifying the rights of Police Officers to bring claims of sex and race discrimination against Chief Officers under agency provisions.
• Dr I T Wijesurendra -v- East Kent NHS Trust [2003] - an Employment Tribunal claim of sex and race discrimination for a failure to promote brought by a Consultant Anaesthetist awarded £192,000.
• Nathan Lee -v- BT Plc [2000] - an Employment Tribunal race discrimination case in which Mr Lee was awarded £129,000.

Education

She was educated at Manchester University and Law School where she qualified in August 1999.

Publications

Arpita  was second in the category "Assistant Solicitor of the Year" in The Lawyer awards 2004.

Professional Memberships

She is a member of the Discrimination Law Association and Employment Lawyers Association and Chairperson of the London Anti-Racist Alliance and Harrow Borough Hate Crime Forum.

Interests and hobbies

Arpita enjoys good food, wine, reading books on the tube, seeing art and cultural exhibitions, concerts and shows and exploring new places. She tries her best at gardening and is a great party organiser.

Languages

Guidebook fluency for key phrases in several languages.

• Test case could affect retirement laws
• Ex-barrister sacked for being too old launches legal battle
• Workers successfully claim religious discrimination and constructive dismissal
• Priest attempts to go to employment tribunal over lost earnings
• Older people 'facing employment discrimination'