Barry Cullen
Recruitment Lawyer
Barry Cullen is a UK solicitor, Partner at recLAW and a recognised legal voice within the recruitment industry.
He advises organisations across the recruitment industry on debt recovery, dispute resolution, terms of business, employment law, commercial law and corporate law.
Since helping establish recLAW in 2021, Barry has supported thousands of organisations across the recruitment industry, combining legal expertise with practical commercial advice. As one of the leading lawyers for recruiters, he regularly shares legal insight through podcasts, industry events and media commentary.
Invite Barry to Speak, Collaborate or Comment on…
Debt Recovery
Late payment doesn’t just affect cashflow, it affects growth. Barry helps organisations recover unpaid invoices quickly and commercially, using the right legal strategy to maximise recovery while protecting valuable business relationships wherever possible.
Dispute Resolution
Commercial disputes can be disruptive, costly and time-consuming. Barry helps organisations resolve disputes efficiently, protecting their interests while keeping the focus on practical, commercially sensible outcomes.
Employment Law
Employment issues can escalate quickly without the right advice. Barry supports employers with contracts, policies, workplace disputes and restrictive covenants, helping businesses protect their people and their future.
Topics to discuss
GETTING PAID | Most recruiters write off unpaid fees long before they legally have to
The claim window on an unpaid recruitment fee runs to six years, yet most agencies give up within months. Barry covers why that happens, what makes an invoice recoverable long after everyone assumed it was dead and what to do when a client suddenly can’t find the terms they signed.
BACKDOOR HIRES | The evidence is usually already sitting in the CRM
Barry’s specialist area. How placements get hidden, what actually counts as proof, and why “the candidate applied directly” rarely survives scrutiny once the paper trail comes out. Includes rebate disputes and introduction fee arguments more broadly.
RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS | A non-solicit and a non-dealing clause are not the same thing
Consultants leaving with a client list, directors leaving with the team. Barry covers what makes a restraint enforceable, why vague drafting turns leverage into a debate and what an agency owner should do in the first hour after a resignation lands.
TERMS OF BUSINESS | Discounting your fee without making it conditional is an invitation
Where standard terms quietly fail, what happens when procurement turns up late in the process and the clauses recruiters discover they needed only after they needed them.
EMPLOYMENT LAW | Most claims start with a conversation, not a contract
Quiet firing, maternity return disputes, probation dismissals, WhatsApp resignations, settlement agreements. Barry covers where the line sits between a legitimate restructure and a claim, and why so many of these disputes turn emotional before they turn legal.
SHAREHOLDERS' AGREEMENTS | Nobody drafts for the day the founders fall out
Most recruitment businesses are started by two people who trust each other, which is exactly why the agreement gets left until later and later never comes. Barry covers what should be in one, what happens when there isn’t one and how director and shareholder disputes usually end once the billings and the team start moving.
Real Recruiters. Real Feedback.
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