Zafar Ansari

Acting for the Thirteenth Defendant, a reinsurance broker alleged by his former employer, Aon, to have coordinated an unlawful team move to his new employer, Howden Re (led by Craig Rajgopaul KC).

Appeared in the Court of Appeal for HSBC Bank in respect of an appeal concerning the application of limitation provisions under the Equality Act 2010 (led by Diya Sen Gupta KC).

Acted for predominantly female employees in a mass equal pay claim against the supermarket chain, Morrisons (led by Karon Monaghan KC).

Successfully acted for an individual challenging the enforceability of a lengthy non-compete clause (with Tom Croxford KC and Hugo Murphy).

Acted for a leading investment management firm defending allegations of sex and race discrimination brought by an individual who had been dismissed for gross misconduct having been found to have sexually harassed a colleague (led by Diya Sen Gupta KC).

Defending a claim of harassment, direct discrimination, victimisation and constructive unfair dismissal brought by an academic with gender critical beliefs (led by Jane Mulcahy KC).

Acted for a retired senior executive in a claim for breach of contractual/fiduciary duties and unlawful means conspiracy (led by Thomas Croxford KC). 

Successfully applied to strike out a disability discrimination and unfair dismissal claim brought out of time.

Acted for a leading global business defending allegations of direct disability discrimination, discrimination arising from disability, and the failure to provide reasonable adjustments (led by Diya Sen Gupta KC).

Zafar assisted Catherine Callaghan QC who acted for the Appellants in this appeal concerning the scope of the ET's power to prohibit the disclosure of information under Rule 50 of the ET Rules of Procedure. The Appellants made an application to prohibit the disclosure of certain information in ET proceedings, relying on all three limbs of Rule 50, namely, the interests of justice, Convention rights and confidentiality. The Appellants successfully argued in the EAT that the proposed derogation from the open justice principle was necessary to protect the safety and security of non-participants in the litigation located outside the UK, in a country that was not a signatory to the ECHR. 

Advised a law firm on whether the terms of a previous settlement agreement prohibited the firm from representing future potential claimants in employment-related claims.

Acting for a claimant who had been unfairly dismissed purportedly on the grounds of redundancy.  

Acting for the FCA in proceedings against three former directors of Carillion plc in relation to allegations of market manipulation (with Javan Herberg KC and Ajay Ratan). Further information available here.

Advising a mortgage provider regarding potential claims by borrowers that terms in their mortgage agreements were unfair (assisting Hanif Mussa).

Advising on the impact of LIBOR ceasing to be a representative benchmark rate on a lender’s standard mortgage origination documents (assisting Hanif Mussa).

In June 2021, Zafar was appointed as one of four Commissioners on the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, set up by the England and Wales Cricket Board to investigate issues of inequity and discrimination across the sport.

The ICEC's Report 'Holding Up a Mirror to Cricket' was published in June 2023.  

Conducting investigations into the regulatory compliance of transfers involving academy players at Premier League clubs.

Acting for UK Athletics in safeguarding proceedings brought against a coach.

Acting for a Premier League football club in arbitration proceedings.

Successfully acted for UK Athletics in disciplinary proceedings brought against a coach for breaching a term of his suspension.

Represented a senior sports administrator in a challenge against the decisions of a foreign domestic sport governing body and the sport's international governing body. The challenge concerned the misapplication of powers by these bodies, and involved a number of complex procedural and jurisdictional questions.

Provided legal and strategic advice to a sports governing body on responding appropriately to an allegation of discrimination by a participant in the sport. 

Advised a sports governing body on the interpretation and application of a number of sport-specific legislative provisions.

Acting for the FCA in proceedings against three former directors of Carillion plc in relation to allegations of market manipulation (with Javan Herberg KC and Ajay Ratan). Further information available here.

Successfully challenged the decision of The National Archives to withhold police files concerning the unsolved racist murder of a black man, Kelso Cochrane, in 1959 (led by Tom Hickman KC).

Between October 2022 and April 2023, Zafar was seconded to the UK's energy regulator, OFGEM.

Acting for a large advertiser in a challenge to an adverse decision by the ASA.  

Advice on the lawfulness of arrangements between NHS England and the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust for the provision of Gender Identity Development Services for children (assisting Jason Pobjoy).

Assisting Jason Pobjoy who acted for Detention Action intervening in a claim for judicial review concerning the status of asylum appeals which were determined under ultra vires procedural rules.

A claim for judicial review concerning whether the omission to make further provision in legislation to assist blind and partially sighted voters in time for the general election in December 2019 breached human rights (assisting Hanif Mussa).

A claim for judicial review concerning whether the government was permitted to authorise the use of identification requirements at the local government elections in May 2019 (assisting Hanif Mussa).

A claim for judicial review concerning the lawfulness of the withdrawal of regulatory accreditation granted to solar photovoltaic generating station, which enabled the station to claim renewable obligation certificates (assisting Hanif Mussa).

Assisting with the asylum application of an individual with a well-founded fear of persecution in the country of her nationality as an LGBTQI+ person.

A first-tier tribunal challenge to the decision by the Secretary of State for the Home Department to issue the Appellant a deportation order under regulation 23(6)(b) of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016 (assisting Jason Pobjoy).

Advice on the application of article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights in the context of satirical news content (assisting Jason Pobjoy).

A claim for judicial review concerning whether the solitary confinement of persons under 18 years of age is inherently inhuman and degrading, contrary to article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and whether there must exist “exceptional” circumstances in which such treatment is “strictly necessary” for it to be article 3-compliant (assisting Jason Pobjoy).

A claim for judicial review concerning whether the omission to make further provision in legislation to assist blind and partially sighted voters in time for the general election in December 2019 breached human rights (assisting Hanif Mussa).

A claim for judicial review of the Secretary of State's ongoing decision that parents and siblings of refugee children are not entitled to family reunion on the same basis as the spouses and children of adult refugees under the Immigration Rules (assisting Jason Pobjoy).

A claim for judicial review concerning the UK Government’s decision not to order an investigation into Russian interference in the UK’s democratic processes during and after the EU Referendum in the 2016, and the adequacy of the UK’s legal framework with respect to protecting the electoral process from foreign state interference (assisting Jason Pobjoy).