Who? Paul Daniels, employment law solicitor at Slater and Gordon.

Why is he in the news? Represented Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon in a racial discrimination and personal injury claim involving Jeremy Clarkson and the BBC. The case settled last week, with Clarkson apologising to Tymon. BBC News reported the settlement was ‘in excess of £100,000’, but details have not been disclosed. The BBC dropped Clarkson from Top Gear following the incident.

Thoughts on the case: ‘I enjoy representing individuals in workplace matters because there is an opportunity to try and assist people who feel they have been treated unfairly. By doing so, this may encourage employers to raise standards of behaviour generally.’

Dealing with the media: ‘I don’t claim to be an expert on this and am lucky to have a highly skilled media team to help. The key for me though is to try and paint a picture of what happened and why it is important to others.’

Why become a lawyer? ‘I could claim it was because I liked debating when at school in Wales. But in truth it was probably because I had three brothers who were doctors and I wanted more of the attention.’

Career high: ‘I helped out a company director who was sacked immediately after developing a serious health issue, in a long and complex employment claim in the High Court. A year after we won, I had a phone call from him. He said he had learnt to sail and was in Cape Town sailing round the world.’

Career low: ‘Being sacked for gross misconduct on the first day of my first job. I was a “Heinz beans kid” doing a national TV advert and, in an apparently typical fit of pique, I poured a jug of orange squash over the TV director. I was five.’

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