Ezra Macdonald

Call: 2012

"Ezra is quite possibly the most intelligent barrister around. His knowledge borders on encyclopaedic and he is also seemingly completely unflappable. More generally he is a very affable character."

Legal 500 2026

"Ezra displayed all the talents that one would want from a barrister, copious preparation and an infectious sense of calm."

Ezra is an employment specialist.

He has particular interest in disability discrimination, and – more specifically – neurodiversity, autism, and affective disorders, as well as long COVID (on which: there are worse places to start than this paper, although there’s also this one, as well as this earlier panoptic).

He thinks that some of the contemporary research into autism is interesting. He considers that the (pseudo-)Aristotelian Problems XXX.1 refers to autism. If he is right about this, it might be significant. He is currently working on a paper dealing with Aristotle’s Problems XXX.1, which he thinks demonstrates that autism – if, indeed, it is a natural kind – was identified as far back as the 4th century BCE.

He is mindful of the link between bipolar affective disorder and autism. He is also interested in the overlap between autism and LGBTQ+ identities. He wonders whether the efficacy of certain forms of advocacy turns on a match (or mismatch) between cognitive styles.

He still thinks the notion of autism as a diagnostic category somewhat curious. He thinks that Milton’s “double empathy problem” might have something to it.

His PhD is in metaethics. His thesis (“Two Sources of Moral Reasons”) argues that we should be realists about value, constructivists about “ought”. If he had known about the common law before he started that particular project, it would have been an awful lot shorter.

In Tribunal, he is an effective advocate. He errs on the side of precision. He tries to be compassionate (and has been accused of compassion on more than one occasion). He thinks that law is genuinely interesting. He sits as a fee-paid employment judge assigned to the Wales region (and therefore is not able to accept cases proceeding in Wales).

Expertise

Property Law

Ezra regularly provides advice and representation in property disputes, both residential landlord & tenant, and disputes involving commercial property. His practice has an emphasis on real property disputes. He has substantial experience of boundary disputes, and of their resolution both in and out of Court; easements and rights of way; as well as litigation involving property damage.

On the residential side, Ezra primarily acts for landlords, often dealing with possession proceedings and notices under s 21 Housing Act 1988, and addressing breaches of covenant (whether of the landlord’s covenants or of the tenant’s), with related litigation involving disrepair claims and and disputes over the interpretation of leases. He is used to dealing with disputes over service charges, whether for tenants or landlords; and with management companies and the specific difficulties which can arise in their operation.

In commercial property, Ezra has a focus on the correct interpretation and application of commercial leases, the enforcement of leasehold covenants, and dilapidations. There is an overlap here between Ezra’s commercial, property, and employment practice in cases where businesses are sold as a going concern (hence, transfer of property as well as workers).

He has a particular interest in procedural matters, such as the requirements for valid service of notices, and is happy to advise clients at any stage of litigation.

Employment & Discrimination

Ezra has a busy employment practice, covering both paperwork and representation.

He has advised and represented clients across a range of issues, including claims relating to unfair dismissal; redundancy, including selection for redundancy and entitlement to enhanced redundancy payments; all forms of disability discrimination, including ‘associative’ discrimination and discrimination by perception; TUPE (including ‘TUPE-analogous’ cases in the public sector and the Henke exception); contracts of employment (including implied terms); and application of the Working Time Regulations. He has delivered seminars covering the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 (in their entirety); the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (“TUPE”); the Employment Rights Act 1996; and the key provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. His experience extends to complicated pension calculations (involving substantial defined-benefit schemes), share options, and complex tax issues arising in high-value claims. He is able and willing to address any legal issue in employment law, no matter how niche.

Ezra has detailed knowledge of COVID-19 and Long COVID, and a particular interest in the relationship between Long COVID and disability discrimination. His slides on Long COVID as at August 2023 are available to download and/or view here.

Ezra has extensive experience of personal injury law, and uses that experience to inform his employment practice – for example, when pleading claims, or drafting schedules of loss, in cases where personal injury is alleged as a consequence of unlawful discrimination.

At the interface between employment and property law, Ezra has dealt with cases involving disputes over “tied” accommodation. He also deals with matters involving issues of both commercial and employment law (e.g. sales of businesses involving transfers of both property and personnel).

His drafting experience includes all manner of pleadings, schedules of loss, applications to amend statements of case, applications to strike out, applications for review, and responses. He routinely provides advice on settlement agreements.

Ezra is frequently instructed to represent both claimants and respondents, in single- and multi-day hearings in the Employment Tribunals, and before the Employment Appeal Tribunal. His clients have included multi-national manufacturing and retail corporations, individual claimants from all walks of life, and charitable organisations.

Business & Commercial

Ezra has a well-developed interest in contractual disputes, and his commercial practice often relates directly to issues in employment law. He has advised parties on directors’ liabilities, post-termination restrictive covenants, entitlements regarding share options, fiduciary duties, and share purchase agreements.

He has advisory experience in disputes relating to consumer transactions, the sale of goods, and the enforceability of contractual terms in consumer contracts, contracts for the supply of services (gas, electricity, and so on).

Direct Access

Ezra is Public Access (‘Direct Access’) qualified, and is available to accept instructions directly on matters relating to employment, property, or general civil law.