Day in the Life: Anne Nicholson, employment lawyer

0700 The alarm goes off at 7 or 7.30am depending on how absurdly optimistic I was being the previous evening about getting up early.

I am not a good morning person and it is always an effort getting moving. My routine is pared to military speed so I can sneak the extra minutes in bed.

I listen to the Today programme on the radio, which usually wakes me up as I find the interview techniques and lack of detailed information frustrating, but still haven't found a better alternative.

If the Northern Line on the underground is working properly mu journey to work is straightforward. If I get a seat, I either catch up on new cases and legislation or bury myself in a novel.

0930 The working day at Fox Williams, like many City law firms, officially begins at 9.30am. I start the day with a fruit tea. I am trying hard to like these, as I have tried to reduce my caffeine intake (six double espressos a day, apparently, are not good for you).

I check emails, voicemails and post and prioritise them in terms of responses needed. Almost all communications come electronically now, but employment tribunals still correspond by post, so the arrival of this at around 10am is still significant.

If I have a case in the tribunal, I go straight there. Hearings usually start at 10am, but I arrive earlier to meet up with witnesses and deal with any last minute issues. There is also the chance of meeting the other side, and reaching an eleventh hour settlement, if that's what the clients want.

1100 As I advise both employers and employees, I might go within a morning from a meeting a female banker who believes she has not been promoted because she is a woman or a mother, to assisting an HR officer in a City firm in avoiding claims in a redundancy process.

This morning I'm visited by a City worker looking for advice about redundancy. This is not unusual. Many employers are not following legal procedures; sometimes an individual is selected for redundancy in suspicious circumstances.

As a result, banks may face claims for unfair dismissal, failure to follow collective consultation procedures, or even discrimination or whistleblowing.

There are also claims for unpaid or underpaid bonus. Bonus claims are increasing. Case law has turned a little in employees' favour over recent years, but the chances of success still depend very much on individual circumstances.

I tell her the litigation process cannot guarantee success for either party. Both sides have to balance their position. Much of our advice is about the tactical considerations, not just the legal analysis.

Bringing a claim takes courage, particularly in the case of whistleblowing and discrimination. It's a stressful process. Your performance and behaviour are put under a public microscope in cross-examination.

Although individuals who have brought complaints of discrimination are protected by law against victimisation, many of the City women for whom I have acted find it difficult to get work in the City again

1300 One or two days a week, I may have lunch out with a client or contact, or with a colleague.

Usually however, I don't have lunch until 2.30 or 3pm. Our office is right next to Marks & Spencer and I can now recite their sandwich selection in my sleep.

I normally eat lunch at my desk, while reading up background documents, or preparing for afternoon meetings.

As most of our written documents are dictated, this is also a chance to check the drafts typed by my secretary, Joanne, that morning, and amend them on screen if I have changed my mind about wording.

1500 I go out to meet a banking client, a company that is defending a claim, in order to meet witnesses and take statements. Employers are increasingly willing to defend claims to the hilt, as a matter of principle and to send a firm message to the workforce.

Sometimes an individual will threaten proceedings which have no merit, and my advice will be call to their bluff. On some occasions, an employer will offer a very low "nuisance" payment just to avoid the management time and cost of defending a claim.

In this case, the employer is facing a claim of constructive unfair dismissal and disability discrimination, having disciplined an employee who was repeatedly off sick for short periods.

1900 Like many lawyers, I tend to work a "late shift".

No matter how early you start in this job, you are often obliged to work late, as employment problems will crop up for clients as the day progresses, and clients often want to feel that they have sorted out the problem before the day is out, and/or want advice or documents on the email by the time they get back into work the next day.

This is also an opportunity to spend time on drafting complex documents without interruption, as well researching and writing presentations, and catching up on non-urgent tasks.

2000 The working day ends anywhere between about 7pm and 10pm, depending on what I need or want to get done. I may attend a reception or seminar given by a barristers' chambers, or other contacts.

We are involved in a number of HR and lawyers' associations, and there tend to be a number of evening events. I try to meet up with my partner, Sanjay, or other friends. He is a lawyer too (as are many of our friends) so we have to ensure we do not talk shop.

2200 R&R. I rarely get home before 10pm. If I'm not working, I go out for drinks. When I do get back, I open the interesting looking post, but try to leave most things to the weekend.

I have a range of meals which I can prepare in 15 minutes or so, and I flop on the sofa with Jeremy Paxman. I try to get to bed by midnight, but that too often doesn't work to plan.

At weekends I potter about and continue the slow redecoration of my flat, which I really enjoy, but DIY takes forever and my success rate is mixed.

If we are not seeing friends or family, we almost always go out on Saturday evening. This is rarely planned so we will try to see whatever we can get tickets for at the National Theatre, or for a concert, or at the cinema.

We like to eat late, preferably around 10 or 11pm, which was great when we were on holiday recently in Spain, but London restaurants are still a bit stuck in a timewarp on that front.

I've barely done half of what I wanted to do, when it's suddenly Monday morning again.