(1) RBL Law Ltd and Others

Case Summary

This is an EAT preliminary hearing determining whether the appellant (an employment solicitor) should be permitted to amend his notice of appeal and whether any amended grounds raise arguable errors of law. The appellant worked as a salaried partner at a law firm and claimed race discrimination (including allegations of a greeting based on racial stereotype and the CEO's use of a racial slur) and made protected disclosures concerning tribunal disclosure obligations. The appeal concerns procedural requirements for grounds of appeal and amendment in the EAT.

The EAT Practice Direction requires that applications to amend grounds of appeal must be made as soon as the need for amendment is known, and any amended grounds must raise a point of law giving the appeal reasonable prospect of success. The proposed amendments did not meet these requirements.

• •Whether the claimant should be permitted to amend the Notice of Appeal by adding substitute grounds of appeal
• •Whether there are arguable grounds of appeal that should proceed to a full hearing
• •Requirements for grounds of appeal in the EAT and test for amendment
• •Race discrimination allegations (fist bump based on racial stereotype, use of racial slur by CEO)
• •Protected disclosure claims concerning disclosure obligations in tribunal proceedings

Judgment approved by the Court for handing down Deans v RBL Law Ltd and others © EAT 2026 Page 1 [2026] EAT 76 Neutral Citation Number: [2026] EAT 76 Case No: EA-2024-001512-JPD EMPLOYMENT APPEAL TRIBUNAL Rolls Building, Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 1NL Date: 22 May 2026 Before : HIS HONOUR JUDGE JAMES TAYLER - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Between : Noel Deans Appellant - and - (1) RBL Law Ltd (in liquidation) (2) Nicola Foulston (3) Ian Rosenblatt (4) Anthony Field Respondents Christopher Milsom (instructed by Blaser Mills LLP) for the Appellant No attendance or representation for 1 st Respondent James Bickford Smith and Amany Jabir (instructed by Constantine Law) for 2 nd Respondent Richard Leiper KC (instructed by Rosenblatt Law Limited) for 3 rd and 4 th Respondent Preliminary Hearing – All Parties Hearing date: 31 March 2026 and 23 April 2026 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - JUDGMENT Judgment approved by the Court for handing down Deans v RBL Law Ltd and others © EAT 2026 Page 2 [2026] EAT 76 SUMMARY Practice and Procedure The proposed amended grounds of appeal do not raise arguable errors of law. The appeal is dismissed. The EAT’s requirements for grounds of appeal and the test for amendment are considered. Judgment approved by the Court for handing down Deans v RBL Law Ltd and others © EAT 2026 Page 3 [2026] EAT 76 HIS HONOUR JUDGE JAMES TAYLER The issues 1. The issues determined at this Preliminary Hearing are whether the claimant should be permitted to amend the Notice of Appeal by adding substitute grounds of appeal, and whether there are arguable grounds of appeal that should proceed to a full hearing. The parties 2. The first respondent, RBL Law Limited, was a commercial law firm. The first respondent was liquidated by an Order made on 16 April 2025. The parties agreed that if the claimant withdrew his …