Penningtons Manches mourns Tim Randles

Posted: 12/01/2017

Penningtons Manches LLP is greatly saddened by the death of Tim Randles, an associate director in the employment team who was based in the firm’s Guildford office. Tim was seriously injured in a road accident on Monday 9 January 2017 and passed away the following morning.

Tim joined Penningtons Manches in 2011 from Laytons Solicitors and swiftly developed a strong reputation among clients for his proactive and supportive advice. He had extensive experience in all aspects of employment law for corporate clients, local authorities and individuals and particularly specialised in employment disputes involving serious misconduct, negligence and fraud. He also maintained a strong interest in the regulatory field with a focus on health and safety and environmental issues.

Recognised during his career as a leader in his field by both Chambers UK and The Legal 500, Tim frequently represented clients at all types of mediations, including judicial mediations, and delivered topical in-house training. He also regularly spoke at popular and engaging seminars to audiences of HR and finance managers and provided expert commentary to the trade and business press, television and radio. Tim had a wonderful ability to communicate his huge knowledge of employment law with clear language and his trademark sense of humour.

The latest edition of The Legal 500 describes Tim as ‘a real tour de force’. He was a larger than life, highly eloquent character who gave much to the firm on both a professional and personal level. He was also a deeply caring person and despite his busy schedule, he always found time for his colleagues and had an innate ability to raise people's spirits in the course of day to day conversation. He went out of his way to help others who turned to him for support.

Tim was well known amongst his peers for fighting his cases with vigour, guile and wit and he always managed to maintain a disarmingly polite approach with his legal opponents. His clients will remember Tim as someone who worked tirelessly for them, particularly those individual, often vulnerable, clients who found themselves in difficulty with their employers.  Tim’s cheerful approach picked them up and made them feel ‘all was not lost’. He often maintained contact with such clients after the case was over to check how they were doing and offer his personal support in any way he could.

Penningtons Manches chief executive David Raine said: “This is a terrible tragedy. Tim was a hugely valued member of the firm whose charismatic personality endeared him to staff, clients and peers alike. He was also a highly respected lawyer and his loss will be felt keenly in the business community. Our thoughts are very much with his family at this difficult time.”

Please direct any press enquiries in relation to this news to press and social media manager Louisa Howells (+44 (0)20 7457 3258).

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