Ezra Macdonald
Call: 2012
- Employment Lawyers Association (ELA)
- Employment Law Bar Association (ELBA)
- Property Bar Association
When he gets the chance, Ezra likes to spend the day walking up Munros (with their Welsh cousins as alternatives). He used to be a trustee of The Pituitary Foundation (a medical charity). He lives in Bristol and enjoys cooking – and baking, particularly scones.
Instructing Ezra Macdonald
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Call +44 (0)20 7353 0711 or email clerks@pumpcourtchambers.com.
Ezra Macdonald is an employment specialist, with substantial complementary experience of commercial and property law.
His advocacy experience is extensive, including appearances before the Employment Tribunals, the Employment Appeal Tribunal, the County Court, the High Court, the First-Tier Tribunal (War Pension and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber, Social Entitlement Chamber, Criminal Injuries Compensation Chamber; and Property Chamber); the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber, Immigration and Asylum Chamber, and Tax & Chancery Chamber); the Magistrates’ Courts, the Crown Court, and the Coroner’s Court. He is frequently instructed on behalf of both claimants and defendants in civil proceedings; on behalf of union- and privately-funded claimants in the Employment Tribunals; and by large respondent organisations, including the third sector.
Ezra is Public Access (‘Direct Access’) qualified, and is available to accept instructions directly on matters relating to employment, property, or general civil law.
Before coming to the Bar, Ezra studied Philosophy at the Universities of Cambridge, Bristol, and St Andrews, where he completed a PhD on the foundations of ethics and was employed as tutor and examiner.
Ezra sits as a Fee-paid Employment Judge assigned to the Wales region, and is an advocacy trainer for both The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn and the Western Circuit.
Legal Services
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.
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.
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).
Ezra is Public Access (‘Direct Access’) qualified, and is available to accept instructions directly on matters relating to employment, property, or general civil law.
- Employment Lawyers Association (ELA)
- Employment Law Bar Association (ELBA)
- Property Bar Association
When he gets the chance, Ezra likes to spend the day walking up Munros (with their Welsh cousins as alternatives). He used to be a trustee of The Pituitary Foundation (a medical charity). He lives in Bristol and enjoys cooking – and baking, particularly scones.
Instructing Ezra Macdonald
Would you like to know more?
If you require help or advice please contact our clerking team.
Call +44 (0)20 7353 0711 or email clerks@pumpcourtchambers.com.
