Dee Masters is an employment, discrimination, artificial intelligence and whistleblowing specialist.

As a recognised expert in her field, her practice primarily consists of multi-week trials involving multiple and complex allegations. She is instructed by employers and employees in high value or important claims. Due to her expertise, she also regularly advises NGOs and government agencies on the development of discrimination law and she has delivered judicial training on discrimination law at ERA in Trier funded by the European Commission.

Over the past 20 years, she has represented and advised clients in the following sectors:

• Technology

• Financial services (including banking and regulatory clients)

• Legal services

• Education (including universities)

• Transport

• Logistics

• NHS

• Private healthcare

• Policing

• Local government

• Retail

She has particular expertise in equal pay having represented both employers and employees in complex equal pay claims since 2006. At the beginning of her practice, she acted as a junior in the public sector equal pay litigation which started in the North of England representing large multiples of female claimants in low paid roles in the NHS. This led to appearing, at appellate level, in some of the defining equal pay cases which arose from the public sector pay disputes such as Bainbridge (no 2). More recently, she has represented banks, local authorities and private companies in valuable equal pay litigation including the recent wave of claims in the retail sector. She also regularly represents female bankers who are suing their employers for underpayment in relation to contractual and bonus pay.

Dee is a leading practitioner in the technology space in relation to the interplay between artificial intelligence, equality law, human rights and data protection:

• In 2023 and 2024, Dee drafted an AI Bill focused exclusively on the employment relationship for the TUC along with Robin Allen KC and colleagues in chambers.

• In early 2023, Dee and Robin completed a project for the DCMS on the impact of a principled based approach to regulation and a survey for the Nuffield funded Ada Lovelace Institute.

• In 2022, they worked with DCMS and CDEI on legislative coherence issues.

• In 2022, Dee at the employment workshop for CENELEC of the European Commission on technical standards in AI.

• In late 2021, Dee and Robin were commissioned by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities and the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in relation to the effects of AI, ML and ADM for persons with disabilities. The Special Rapporteur’s thematic report was then presented to the UN Human Rights Committee on the 14 March 2022.

• On the 25 March 2021, the TUC published a legal opinion by Dee and Robin Allen KC and Dee Masters called “Technology Managing People – the legal implications“. This report has been widely cited in the discussions about future regulation of AI systems in the workspace.

• During late 2020 and early 2021, Robin and Dee devised and delivered a training programme for the Council of Europe, in conjunction with the CDEI, for UK regulators on discrimination and AI. The programme has been rolled out to regulators in France and Spain.

More information about Dee’s work in this area is available here.

Dee has expertise in age discrimination law. She appeared in the Supreme Court in Seldon, led by Robin Allen KC, which was a ground breaking age discrimination case. Subsequently, she has advised the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland (ECNI) and the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) on its response to proposed legislation extending the existing prohibition on age discrimination. She drafted the Technical Guidance accompanying the ban on age discrimination in goods, facilities and services on behalf of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in GB alongside colleagues in chambers.

Dee has particular interest in the education sector having advised on discrimination issues in the employment field as well as claims in the County Court. In 2014, she advised the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the extent to which gender segregation was permitted within university campuses. She has also advised on the use of retirement ages in an education setting. Previously, Dee was a governor for a school in Twickenham.

Dee has conducted independent investigations into sensitive employment matters.

Chambers & Partners 2025: (Employment) "A real favourite of the team." "She does a fantastic job in really tricky cases." "She is top drawer." "The work Dee does is phenomenal." "Her attention to detail in advice and pleading was second to none." "Dee is always my go-to."

Legal 500 2025: (Employment) “A compelling advocate, and a real gem. She is always super prepared and confident.”

Who’s Who Legal 2024: Recommended as a ‘Thought Leader’ for Labour, Employment & Benefits.

Chambers & Partners 2024: (Employment) "Dee is absolutely excellent. She is a pleasure to work with: helpful and supportive, instilling confidence in solicitors, clients and witnesses. She is responsive and always willing to go the extra mile." "Dee is consistently good. Her legal judgement is excellent and her service levels are always very impressive." "Her attention to detail is excellent and she's always available to help and provide strategic guidance." “Dee Masters heads the employment group and has extensive knowledge regarding equal pay and discrimination issues, with a particular focus on age discrimination. She represents both employers and employees.”

Who’s Who Legal 2023: Dee Masters is held in high esteem as “an expert in gender equality” and is “excellent technically as well as having great commercial acumen and fantastic client relationship skills”.

Chambers & Partners 2023: "Dee is very good tactically, incredible with details and great with clients." "She is a very approachable and extremely intelligent barrister." "Dee is technically superb and provides an excellent level of service to the client."

Legal 500 2023: “Dee is an exceptional barrister and advocate, who is very smart, has great client skills, and her cross-examination at trial is superb – better than most KCs.”

Who's Who Legal 2022: "Dee Masters is hailed a 'very well-respected practitioner' who excels in representing high-profile employees and employers regarding equal pay issues."

Chambers & Partners 2022: "A top-quality barrister who pays great attention to detail; she can home in on things that are problematic or difficult and come up with solutions." "She is calm, authoritative and responsive; she has real credibility and clout, and she gets very good results." "She is impressively clear-minded and she can quickly distil complex situations and sets of facts into sound strategy."

Legal 500 2022: "Excellent technically, as well as having great commercial acumen and fantastic client relationship skills. Strategic in her overview of cases and advice, and very insightful. Dee has brilliant knowledge of discrimination law and how it works in practice."

Chambers & Partners 2021: "A very strong advocate, who is determined and hard-working." "She's utterly brilliant - incredibly smart, has a wonderful manner with clients, cuts through complicated facts quickly with precision and is extremely effective on her feet."

Legal 500 2021: “Strategic, insightful and excellent technically, with great commercial acumen and excellent inter-personal skills with witnesses, opposing counsel, judges and panels. A great asset to have on your team!”

Chambers & Partners 2020: "Incredibly intelligent, client-friendly and pragmatic." "A very responsive barrister who gives great client care."

Legal 500 2020: "A committed barrister who understands the nuances of discrimination law in a detailed way."

Chambers & Partners 2019: "Heads the employment group and has extensive knowledge regarding equal pay and discrimination issues, with a particular focus on age discrimination. She represents both employers and employees. "She provides strategic advice and is very insightful". "She possesses excellent advocacy skills and she instils total confidence with her clients. She is a pleasure to work with", "Organised, client-friendly and well rounded".

Legal 500 2019: "An all-round class act and technically excellent in discrimination and equal pay cases."

Chambers & Partners 2018: "A really good advocate", "Very thorough, well prepared and on top of the detail."

Chambers & Partners 2017: "...extensive knowledge of discrimination issues, with particular focus upon age discrimination issues. Clients praise her impressive client-handling skills, especially her ability to outline risks and explain concepts to lay clients. Strengths: "She is practical, diligent and thorough, with a good eye for the key issues at hand." "She is bright, responsive and commercially astute."

Legal 500 2017: "An impressive advocate."

Chambers & Partners 2016: "... she has established a reputation as an adviser with a formidable knowledge of discrimination law."

Legal 500 2016: "She can hold her own against some of the employment silk heavyweights and can create novel arguments."

Chambers & Partners 2015: "Acknowledged for her impressive client service, she is praised for stringently fighting her client's corner. She is very experienced in acting on complex and high-profile cases, and regularly advises on a diverse range of subjects including TUPE and all forms of discrimination". "Very on the ball, she thinks outside the box." "She's thorough and grasps the papers quickly. She's also user-friendly and clients like her."

Legal 500 2015: "She has a rare combination of deep insight, commercial nous and clever tactical ability."

Chambers & Partners 2014: "She's a supremely able advocate, who really charms the tribunal." "She is an expert in age equality law."

Legal 500 2014: "Excellent cross-examination skills."

Chambers & Partners 2013: "... continues to impress sources with her 'thorough preparation, excellent performances in tribunal and the confidence she instils in instructing solicitors."

Chambers & Partners 2012: "… well respected … ‘impressive beyond her years.' She exudes confidence and is able to tackle very tricky arguments and get brilliant results.”

Chambers & Partners 2011: "Confident but never arrogant, Dee Masters has had a great year, topped off by being chosen as the junior on Wilson and Bainbridge."

• Winner of ‘Employment Junior of the Year’ in the Legal 500 awards for 2024 and 2022.

• Recommended by Who’s Who Legal 2024 as a ‘Thought Leader’ for Labour, Employment & Benefits.

• Listed as a leading barrister by Doyle’s Guide London 2024 for employment law.

Chair of the Bar Council's Retention Panel (2024 -)

Member of the Bar Council's Equality Diversity & Social Mobility Committee (2018-2019)

Head of Employment within Cloisters (2016 -)

ELA, ELBA

Member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission panel counsel

• "Technology Managing People - the Legal Implications for the TUC" (2021, co-written with Robin Allen KC)

• "Regulating AI: The new role for equality bodies: Meeting the new challenges to equality and non-discrimination from increased digitalisation and the use of Artificial Intelligence" (2020, co-written with Robin Allen KC)

• "How effective is whistleblowing protection for workers at the centre of the Covid-19 pandemic?" (UK Labour Law Blog, May 2020, co-written with Schona Jolly KC)

• "Artificial intelligence: the right to protection from discrimination caused by algorithms, machine learning and automated decision-making", ERA Form, 20(4), 585-598 (April 2020, co-written with Robin Allen KC)

• "In the matter of automated data processing in government decision making" (September 2019)

• "Algorithms, Apps & Artificial Intelligence: Can data protection laws be used to challenge discriminatory tech?" (July 2018, co-written with Robin Allen KC)

• "Algorithms, Apps & Artificial Intelligence: The Next Frontier in Discrimination Law" (July 2018, co-written with Robin Allen KC)

• "Identifying direct discrimination in “proxy cases” after R (on the application of Coll) v Secretary of State for Justice" (Blog, May 2017)

• "The Conseil d'État in France has recently overturned a ban on “burkinis”: Is French secularism now under attack?" (Blog, August 2016)

• "Identifying secondary victims: discrimination by association vs discrimination by ricochet" (ELA, July 2016)

• "Equal pay: equal value claims and procedure" (PLC, maintained note)

• "CJEU confirms that certain retirement schemes can discriminate on the grounds of age" (Blog, June 2016)

• "Challenging stereotypical assumptions: age discrimination and student loans" (Blog, June 2016)

• "Privacy at work: monitoring employee communications" (PLC magazine, March 2016)

• "Age discrimination and the taxation of pension income" (Blog, February 2016)

• "The European Accessibility Act: A proposed new duty to make reasonable adjustments in relation to services / products for disabled people and certain age groups" (Blog, January 2016)

• "Age discrimination in goods, facilities and services" (Legal Island, 10th Equality Law Update, Belfast, December 2015).

• "Goods, facilities and services: Age discrimination problems arise in unexpected places" (Blog, November 2015)

• "Strengthening protection for all ages: proposals for reform of age discrimination in goods, facilities and services" (Belfast ECNI Conference, August 2015)

• "Taming sweeping discrimination claims: could a staged approach work?" (ELA, July 2015)

• "Indirect associative discrimination: a regressive step?" (Michael Rubenstein blog, April 2015)

• "Moving towards equality: Justifying transitional schemes" (ELA, November 2014)

• "Equality Act Update" (LexisNexis webinar, October 2014)

• "Age discrimination, collegiality and leaver provisions" (Michael Rubenstein blog, September 2014)

• "Leaver provisions in bonus schemes: avoiding age discrimination" (PLC Magazine, June 2014)

• "Proving discrimination: The Shifting Burden of Proof" (Judicial training session at the ERA, Trier, May 2014)

• "Protection for all ages: Protecting Children and Young People against Unlawful Discrimination in Goods, Facilities and Services" (Expert Paper for ECNI and NICCY, April 2013)

• "Handling employee disputes: watch your step" (PLC Magazine, August 2013)

• "Seldon and compulsory Retirement: the final chapter" (PLC Magazine, July 2013)

• "Legal Advice Privilege: an update following Prudential?" (ELA Magazine, May 2013)

• "Discrimination in Employment (a claims handbook)" (co-author, LAG, April 2013)

• "Collective redundancy law shake up: reducing the burden on employers?" (PLC Magazine, Jan/Feb 2013)

• "End to gender based discrimination in the financial sector" (Cloisters view point, 2012)

• "Should retirement ages be linked to pension eligibility?" (ELA Magazine, September / October 2012)

• "Beginner's guide to the ban on age discrimination in goods and services" in the Law Society Gazette (2012)

University College, London (LLB)

London School of Economics (LLM) specialising in employment law

• T W White and Sons [2021] 3 WLUK 500: Reconsideration applications.

• Tesco Stores Ltd v Tennant [2020] IRLR 363: Definition of disability.

• Reuters Ltd v Cole (January 2018, UKEAT/0258/17/BA): Applications to amend.

• Pets at Home v Mackenzie (January 2018, UKEAT/0146/17/RN): Affirmation of repudiatory breaches and the final straw.

• Rochford v WNS Global Services (UK) Ltd (October 2017, Court of Appeal): Interplay between disability discrimination and unfair dismissal.

• Leicester City Council v Sansome (August 2017, UKEAT/0257/16/LA): Whether suspension is a breach of the implied term of trust and confidence.

• Waiyego v First Great Western Limited (February 2016, UKEAT/0298/15/JOJ): Strike out and wasted costs.

• Mist v Derby Community Health Services [2016] ICR 543: Early conciliation procedure, TUPE and applications to amend.

• John Charles v NHS Business Services Authority (December 2015, UKEAT/0105/15/BA): Natural justice and unfair dismissal.

• Fathers v Pets at Home Ltd (June 2014, UKEAT/0424/13/DM): Correct approach towards determining disability.

• Seldon v Clarkson Wright and Jakes [2012] ICR 716 (SC): This ground breaking case was the first time that the Supreme Court considered the law relating to direct age discrimination. It clarifies the conceptual basis of direct age discrimination and the test of justification. Led by Robin Allen KC.

• Sheffield City Council v Gibson (SC): This was to be the leading case of 2011 concerning the burden of proof in equal pay cases. The matter was resolved shortly prior to the Supreme Court hearing.

• Wilson v HSE [2010] ICR 302 (CA): This is the leading case on the impact of the ECJ judgment in Cadman and the use of length of service criterion in pay systems. Led by Robin Allen KC.

• Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council v. Bainbridge [2009] ICR 133 (CA): Equal pay case which examined the lawfulness of pay protection arrangements which perpetuated historic sex discrimination. Led by Robin Allen KC.

• Potter v. North Cumbria Acute NHS Hospitals [2009] IRLR 900 (EAT): Equal pay case which examined whether the introduction of Agenda for Change led to the termination of contracts of employment within the NHS. Led by Robin Allen KC.

• Potter v. North Cumbria Acute NHS Hospitals [2009] IRLR 176 (EAT): Equal pay case which explored the requirement for a “single source” where s.1 (6) of the EPA 1970 was satisfied. Led by Robin Allen KC.

• Shaw v. CCL Ltd [2008] IRLR 284 (EAT): This was a leading case of 2008 involving allegations of indirect sex and pregnancy discrimination.

• Bainbridge v Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council [2008] ICR 238 (CA): Equal pay case which considered whether the claimants could bring an equal pay claim under section 1(2) (b) of the EPA 1970 in circumstances where the male comparators were rated less favourably under a JES. Led by Robin Allen KC.