Bianca Balmelli

Bianca represents both claimants and respondents across the full spectrum of employment law. She is regularly instructed to appear at all stages of proceedings.

Bianca’s employment law experience includes:

• Representing clients in:
  • Multi-day final hearings dealing with a variety of issues, including whistleblowing and disability.
  • Preliminary hearings, including substantive preliminary hearings dealing with preliminary issues such as worker status, disability, and time limits.
  • Judicial mediations.
  • The Employment Appeal Tribunal.
• Drafting:
  • Pleadings in both ET and Civil Court matters.
  • Witness statements in a range of employment matters.
  • Opinions on specific issues, as well as overarching merits and quantum opinions.
• Considering restrictive covenants and assessing whether they are enforceable.

As an advocate in South Africa Bianca’s practice principally involved commercial law, acting for both financial institutions and private individuals. Her work ranged from drafting pleadings and opinions to presenting arguments before Judges and arbitrators.

In the UK, Bianca has been involved in a range of commercial law matters, including:

• Appearing in:
  • Various County Court matters; including summary judgments and interlocutory proceedings.
  • Appearing in the winding-up lists and bankruptcy
• Drafting:
  • Pleadings in various civil disputes; including, civil fraud and contractual disputes.
  • Opinions on a variety of subjects, for example:
    • On whether proceedings could be instituted against a director for damages as a result of the Company having been dissolved and struck off the Companies House
    • How to lawfully terminate a contract.
    • The merits of specific cases and prospects of success.
  • Advising clients on the best overall strategy for their matters.

Bianca has a keen interest in sports law and has written a number of articles in this area.

Bianca has experience in:

• A High Court breach of contract claim brought by a football agent against a premier league player.
• Considering internal appeal processes and enquiries of governing bodies of certain sports.

Bianca has a BCom Law Degree (Cum Laude), majoring in accounting and financial management, and an LLB Degree (Cum Laude), both from the University of Pretoria.

Bianca achieved Academic Honorary Colours in 2010 from the University of Pretoria and was on the Faculty of Law’s Dean’s Merit List in 2009 and 2010.

She was admitted as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa in 2012 after having completed her training contract at a leading international law firm.

She was admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa and Member of the Johannesburg Bar in 2012 and established a successful commercial law practice before moving to the UK.

Bianca is fluent in English, German and Afrikaans.

• “You can have your cake but they don’t have to make it” – with Lydia in October 2018 (during pupillage)
• “Does a limb b) worker qualify as an employee for purposes of TUPE?” – 9 December 2019
• Co-author of the Equal Opportunities Chapter in Atkin’s Court Forms with John Bowers KC and Martin Fodder.
• Speaker in Chris Quinn’s “Urgent High Court Employment Disputes” seminar series.

• ELA
• ELBA
• COMBar