Courts / Ireland / Report

Financial advisors unfairly fired after boss discovered 'rival' business plans, WRC finds

Summary

A financial advisor, Natasza Korajda, and her daughter-in-law, Natalia Koziol, were unfairly dismissed by Stephen Hamilton Financial Services after their employer discovered they were planning to launch a rival business, according to a tribunal ruling. Ms Korajda had joined the company in 2013 as a JobBridge intern and later became a top performer, earning a six-figure salary. In 2023, she and Ms Koziol set up their own firm, NK Capital Partners Ltd, and registered the business name 'Get Mortgage,' but did not start trading immediately as they needed Central Bank approval. Ms Korajda intended to seek regulatory approval before discussing the plans with her employer. However, the Central Bank contacted Mr Hamilton shortly after, leading to a change in his stance. He initially took a conciliatory approach but later demanded their resignations or faced disciplinary action. The employees were suspended and threatened legal action if their access to systems was not restored. Mr Hamilton argued that the dismissals were necessary due to concerns about client information and competition.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Financial advisors unfairly fired after boss discovered 'rival' business plans, WRC finds. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• August 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
• 15 July Other
• 31 July Hearing Or Sentence
• 11 August Hearing Or Sentence
• 2011 and 2016 Other
• 2026-02-13 Publication

Why: This was because Mr Hamilton made explicit findings of gross misconduct instead and set out his view that dismissal was warranted in the investigation report, instead of making findings of fact only. CNI source report

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report