Sarah Shiels

Employment

Partner in Employment Department. Sarah provides advice and representation to employees and workers. She specialises in contentious employment disputes and provides advice to our trade union clients. 

Sarah has been a qualified solicitor specialising in employment and discrimination law for more than 10 years. She manages a busy contentious caseload, regularly appearing at Tribunal on behalf of her clients in unfair dismissal, discrimination, TUPE and whistleblowing cases. Sarah also advises our union clients and their members in relation to all aspects of trade union and collective employment law. Sarah also works closely with BALPA in respect of industrial and trade union law including redundancy disputes, proposed changes to employees’ terms and conditions of employment and advice regarding balloting for industrial action. A strong negotiator she has previously participated in conciliation talks with ACAS, and a number of successful mediations to resolve disputes.

Sarah has pursued cases in the Court of Session dealing with breach of contract, personal injury and professional negligence claims. She has appeared in the Employment Appeal Tribunal successfully overturning decisions of the Employment Tribunal and has pursued Employment Appeals to the Inner House of the Court of Session. Sarah has been successful in obtaining interim interdict from the Courts in order to protect her clients from unlawful actions.

Her experience in personal injury work has enabled Sarah to developed a niche practice area between employment and personal injury.  In particular, she is continuing to develop a case load in Injury to Health claims caused by discrimination at work. Sarah has successfully settled a number of psychiatric injury claims related to the treatment of employees at work. She has been involved in, and dealt with sensitively and supportively, a number of serious sexual harassment cases occurring at work, following the #metoo campaign.

University of Edinburgh LLB (Hons), 2004; Diploma in Legal Practice, 2005