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Anna is a partner in the CMS UK employment team working across our Bristol and London offices. 

Described by clients and peers as “one in a million” and “an absolute star”, she is an “outstanding” lawyer and “trusted advisor” to global corporations and SMEs mainly in the TMT, consumer products, hospitality and insurance sectors.

Anna’s pragmatic approach, her commercial acumen and with 20 years of experience of advising on the entire lifecycle of the employment relationship (from recruitment to dismissal) she is a “fantastic sounding board” and dedicated to providing an exceptional service working in collaboration with her clients to secure their desired outcome. 

She has a particular interest in employee relations and industrial relations issues and advises on complex reorganisation and business transformation projects as well as matters with an international element.

Anna’s wealth of experience in defending and resolving high value employment disputes both in the Employment Tribunal and at appellate level, see her regularly instructed on multifaceted and complex discrimination, whistleblowing, TUPE and other statutory and contractual claims, as well as sensitive in-employment claims.

She also advises leading insurers both with their insured to manage and resolve their employment related disputes, and separately on coverage matters where her ability to “cut straight through to provide sound advice” is exceptionally valuable.

Anna is a regular speaker and author on topical employment law issues and a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.

Awards & Recognitions
01
  • Quote
    "Anna Cope is outstanding, one in a million. Anna is pragmatic and cuts straight through to provide sound advice. She is a fantastic sounding board, starts with understanding the desired outcome and works with you. Anna is commercially astute."
    Legal 500, 2025
  • Quote
    "Anna Cope is a trusted employment advisor to insurance, TMT and consumer goods sector clients."
    Legal 500, 2023
  • Quote
    "Anna Cope and her team are extremely responsive; they always get back to you in a very timely manner and are always understanding of the urgency in timelines."
    Chambers, 2023
  • Quote
    “Recognised as a 'Next Generation Partner'."
    Legal 500, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025

Relevant experience

  • A well-known global technology company on its portfolio of UK employment litigation at both ET and appellate level, including successfully defending complex and high value multifaceted cases and sensitive in-employment claims.
  • A UK plc on its investigations and resulting actions relating to various incidents of harassment.
  • A leading insurer and its insured in a claim brought in the Employment Tribunal by a former employee relating to his ill health, and in the successful defence of his appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal.
  • On complex restructuring and redundancy projects for clients in the Consumer Products and Hospitality sectors.
  • Two separate employers in the Consumer Products sector on applications by a leading union to the Central Arbitration Committee for statutory recognition to entitle it to conduct collective bargaining.

Publications

  • Nov 2024 - Employment Rights Bill Deep Dive #1 Day one rights – unfair dismissal, statutory sick pay and family friendly rights.
  • Oct 2024 - Don’t leave today’s work for tomorrow? Employment Rights Bill published outlining employment related reform.
  • Sep 2024 - All change? Tipping and predictable working.
  • April 2024 - Is the UK’s “pro-innovation” approach to AI regulation sustainable? TUC continues its call for legislation with publication of AI Bill.
  • Jan 2024 - The people agenda 2024.
  • Nov 2023 - Post Brexit reforms – changes to holiday entitlement and pay.
  • Mar 2023 - Mental health in a cost-of-living crisis.
  • Feb 2023 - Government publishes draft statutory code of practice on dismissal and re-engagement.
  • Aug 2022 - Striking Times (3): the current industrial relations landscape in the UK.
  • July 2022 - CMS Media Update Morning.
  • Oct 2021 - The S in ESG: The role of HR.
  • July 2021 - Changing dynamics in the workplace – more challenges for employers.
  • May 2021 - Future Facing Disputes - The Future Risks of the Remote Workplace.
  • Jan 2021 - 2021 trends in employment law - what is impacting the people agenda? 
  • Sept 2020 - Risk Essentials: Navigating the new workplace landscape.
  • Aug 2020 - Can technology keep the workforce safe?
  • July 2020 - Job Retention Bonus Scheme.
  • Apr 2020 - Lockdown and beyond (Webinar).
  • Mar 2020 - COVID-19 - What about the self-employed? You have not been forgotten. 
  • Mar 2020 - Coronavirus – what next?

Memberships & Roles

  • Employment Lawyers Association

Education

  • 2005 – Admitted as a Solicitor in England and Wales
  • 2003 – LPC, University of Exeter
  • 2002 – LLB, University of Kent, Canterbury 
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