Hi Eric
You may well be misquoting your solicitor, but if he told you that, he does not sound great. There is no judge present. The tribunal chairman is an independent person, usually a barrister.
I am sure that the Trade Union guy does sometimes side with the worker, but my understanding is that many cases are very clear and the decision is unanimous. The person who loses thinks it's unfair, but in reality, most decisions are fair enough.
The EAT hearings are open to the public. Go down for the day and listen to a hearing from start to finish.
I remember a former chairman telling me that a lot of people make some fundamental mistake in relation to evidence. Unfortunately, I can't remember what that error was. It was something to do with bringing up some matter too late to be admissable. In other words, they had to bring it up in their opening statement.
Having said that, the process is designed to be less formal than the courts.
The most likely outcome is that your solicitor will get a call with an offer about two weeks before the hearing.
Brendan