Ashley Serr from Exchange Chambers in Leeds has been appointed as a deputy district judge for the North Eastern Circuit.
Serr has also been appointed as a fee-paid, part-time judge of the first-tier tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber) and the employment tribunal (Northwest region).
He will continue to practise as a barrister at Exchange Chambers alongside his judicial appointments.
Called to the Bar in 1996, Serr provides expert legal advice to businesses of all sizes, government departments and individuals.
While originally known as one of the leading employment juniors in the country, his practice has grown in recent years and now also encompasses contract disputes, restrictive covenant cases (involving employees, directors and shareholders) director disqualification (both for directors and the secretary of state), personal/corporate insolvency and judicial review.
He routinely appears in the appeal courts on behalf of central government departments, local authorities. small- and medium-sized enterprises, and FTSE 250 firms. Serr has experience in restrictive covenant cases, including intellectual property/database issues that require forensic IT examination.
In May, Exchange Chambers in Leeds has launched an independent adjudication service for personal injury claims, in response to the Covid-19 crisis.
The new initiative will effectively act as an alternative to the court service at a time when claims cannot be processed through the traditional court system as quickly as before. It enables claimants and defendants to opt out of the court system and to seek a resolution via a quicker and potentially less expensive alternative.
