Our people

Tim Archer

Tim has unparalleled experience as a litigation and employment lawyer. He qualified in 1969 and has been associated with the international law firm Richards Butler (now Reed Smith) for over 40 years, where he was a partner for 28 years. He was Head of the Commercial Litigation Department and Head of the Employment Group. He was Senior Partner of the firm between 1991 and 2000.

In particular, Tim has enormous experience of employment tribunal litigation and was a part time Chairman of Employment Tribunals (now Employment Judge) from 2002 to 2006. He has co-authored two seminal legal texts: Trade Unions, Employers and The Law (1st edition Blackwells 1992 and 2nd edition Butterworths 1993) and Collective Labour Law (Hart Publishing 2000) and was a contributor to the International Handbook on Contracts of Employment (Kluwer).

Tim's previous public appointments have included being a member of the Exeter University Legal Practice Management Committee, Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Director of the Harefield Research Foundation. He is currently a Director of Philharmonia Orchestra Trust Limited and an adviser to other orchestras.

Summary CV

Education

Merton College, Oxford (M.A.Oxon)

Colleges of Law, Guildford (Law Society Part1-Alfred Syrett Prize) & London (Law Society Finals)

Career History

1965 - 1969: Trainee Richards Butler

1969 - 1973: Associate Richards Butler

1973 - 2001: Partner Richards Butler

2004 - date: byrne·dean