About
HR support for small businesses in Kent from a solicitor-led HR consultancy
Someone normal who gets it.
Electra HR exists because employers deserve HR support that is practical, commercially minded and affordable — without drowning in jargon or paying law firm rates for every question. We focus on startups and SMEs in Kent and the South East, and we give you the real picture: risks, benefits, warts and all. We help you reach decisions quickly, and we do not leave you hanging while someone ticks boxes.
The tone is informal. The work is serious. We are female-founded and female-led, and we are driven by a strong sense of fairness — which means we will not prop up toxic cultures or help businesses brush problems under the carpet. We focus on building workplaces where people know what is expected of them and feel able to raise issues early.
We work mainly with employers, but we can also help employees who find themselves in a genuine bind and need sensible, straight-talking guidance.
HR advice with legal backup from Bonsai Law
Electra HR is powered by Bonsai Law, a modern, SRA-regulated law firm based in Kent and founded by solicitor Vanessa Challess. You get prevention-first HR with proper legal backup when you need it — not an HR service that has to pass you to a stranger the minute things get difficult.
When something starts to look like it might escalate, Bonsai Law can step in. You do not have to retell the whole story, and your HR and legal strategy stay joined up from the start. This is especially useful when people issues overlap with boardroom dynamics, director exits or shareholder tensions — which happens more often than you would think.
There is a practical advantage here that most people do not think about until it is too late. When you get HR advice from a standard consultancy, those communications may not attract legal professional privilege. If things end up at tribunal, your emails and their advice notes could be ordered for disclosure. Because Electra HR is run by a practising solicitor through an SRA-regulated firm, there is a clear path to privilege protection that most HR consultancies simply cannot offer.
About Vanessa Challess, solicitor and founder
Vanessa Challess is the solicitor behind Electra HR and the founder of Bonsai Law. She is an experienced commercial litigator who has spent years advising founders, owner-managers and SMEs on everything from day-to-day contracts to high-stakes disputes. She has seen how quickly people issues can snowball when they are handled badly, and she would rather help you avoid the mess than clean it up afterwards.
Her approach is straightforward: give you the real commercial picture, help you reach decisions quickly, and be honest about the risks and the benefits. No box-ticking, no leaving you hanging, no "we will get back to you next week" when you need an answer now. Electra HR is a natural extension of how she works — accessible, straight-talking support with legal firepower in reserve if things escalate.
HR sanity checks and ongoing support
Try not to worry. We have got you. Whether you need a full HR health check or just a quick sanity check on something that came up today — send us the details and let us talk.