Camilla Palmer has specialised in discrimination law for over 15 years.  She joined Leigh Day & Co as a partner in April 2009 and leads the Employment Discrimination Team.  From 2002-2009 she was a partner in Palmer Wade which established a high reputation as a niche employment discrimination firm, specialising in discrimination and harassment on grounds of sex, pregnancy, race, disability, sexual orientation and age. She has also worked in the public sector (Camden and Islington Councils) and the voluntary sector (law centres, the National Council for One Parent Families and Maternity Alliance).  She has been an Employment Tribunal Judge since 2001.

In 2008 Chambers and Partners said that Camilla was recognised as a leading authority on discrimination law. In 2009 it said ‘she is an effective communicator who gets to the nub of the issue fast and is upfront about fees’.  One client said ‘her outstanding advice preserved my career…’

Camilla is probably best known for her work on maternity, parental and family friendly employment rights.  She has conducted test cases in this area (including to the European Court of Justice) and advised the Equal Opportunities Commission (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission) on their Formal Investigation into pregnancy discrimination.

She has written the leading books on discrimination including the Discrimination Law Handbook (2007 Legal Action Group: 2nd edition) and Maternity and Parental Rights, (2006 Legal Action Group 2006).  She trains extensively on discrimination law including the Certificate of Discrimination Law. 

Camilla is a member of the Equal Treatment Advisory Committee of the Judicial Studies Board which seeks to integrate diversity and fair treatment issues into relevant aspects of training for judges.