We're excited to welcome Rachel Mills to our Derby office as a Managing Associate in Employment Law.
Rachel brings with her a deep understanding of the challenges faced by both employers and employees, offering expert guidance through the often-complex world of employment law. Since joining Rothera Bray in March 2025, she's already proving to be an asset to our team.
What has your career journey been?
Having been born and bred in the South Wales Valleys, I ventured to the East Midlands at the age of 18 to attend University to study law and have remained in the Midlands ever since! I trained at a local Nottinghamshire firm and as soon as I qualified, started practising in the world of employment law and have been a specialist in this area ever since then.
My first exposure to law generally was on a work experience placement when I was at school. I really enjoyed watching others at work, helping people solve problems over a variety of subjects. I am a "people person" and so employment law was a good fit for me as it involves dealing with both individuals and companies, trying to find (where possible) a pragmatic solution to any current problem. Since those early days I have worked for a number of firms in the Midlands, dealing with both local and national clients.
What do you enjoy about employment law?
I really enjoy employment law as it is an ever-changing subject and each year, we see either changes to the law or new cases which have a major impact on the day-to-day practice in the workplace. I relish the opportunity to look at how those changes then play out in organisations, how we can encourage our clients to have best practice and to sort it out when it hasn't gone as planned.
Employment law has a rare mix of looking at non-contentious matters such as drafting policies/handbooks to contentious matters where the matter then reaches the Employment Tribunal stage, and I thoroughly appreciate dealing with both sides of this work.
What do you do outside of work?
Outside of work, I am a keen photographer and can often be found snapping pics of local wildlife and interesting sights in the locality! I also attend a local church and am involved with a café there designed to help international students as they arrive in the UK and enjoy trying foods from different parts of the world. I also enjoy travelling lots and love a city break in particular!