David Sheppard

Partner | Employment & Immigration

David is a Partner in our Employment and Immigration team. He advises employers and employees on all aspects of employment law.

David specialises in advising employers and employees in the public, private and third sectors, including FE and HE education, housing association and local government clients. He regularly represents clients in employment tribunal claims, and also advises on non-contentious issues on all aspects of employment law, including redundancy and reorganisation consultation, changing employees’ terms, conditions and benefits, TUPE issues and consultation arising from the sale of businesses, outsourcing of services and merger of public services, complex disciplinary and grievance matters and advising on senior employee exits.

David is also at governor at his sons’ primary and secondary schools and is familiar with governance and other issues in the education sector.

David regularly provides training, including implementing and calculating the national minimum wage, redundancy consultation, TUPE, employment law updates for HR practitioners, employment/worker status in the gig economy and IR35 issues when engaging contractors. He has also provided training to aspiring managers on discrimination law, managing difficult conversations and disciplinary processes.

David regularly publishes articles on current employment law issues, and has had articles published and has been quoted in the Western Mail, MailOnline, the Guardian, Daily Telegraph and USA Today.

Expertise

  • Employment
  • Business restructuring
  • TUPE
  • Consultation exercises
  • Contract and policy drafting
  • Employment tribunals
  • Senior Executive exit strategies
  • Redundancy programmes
  • Executive service agreements
  • Senior employee/ executive settlement agreements
  • Discrimination issues
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Recent work

NHS Wales
Advising on the employment law, pension and TUPE implications of the proposed NHS Wales Bill and the reorganisation of NHS bodies in Wales.

Charity sector organisations 
Advising key charity sector organisations on the TUPE and consultation obligations of various successful tenders with local authorities in Wales, including advice on pre- and post-transfer consultation and resulting reorganisations and harmonisation of terms and conditions.

Further education organisation
Advising a further education organisation on the TUPE implications of acquiring another institution, including the appropriate information and consultation obligations, and protections to the transferring employees. David has also advised on restructuring of support staff within the organisation, including redundancy consultation.

International airline
Advising an international airline of several employment law matters, including the termination of outsourcing agreements with suppliers, the TUPE implications of this and detailed advice on the necessary information and consultation obligations under TUPE.

South Wales local authority
Acting for a South Wales local authority in several employment tribunal matters, including the defence of a whistleblowing claim brought by a former senior manager which involved highly sensitive evidence and allegations.

Independent financial advice firm
Providing employment law advice on the acquisition of an independent financial advice firm, including due diligence requirements and the implications of TUPE.

FE College
Assisting a major FE college in Wales in the defence of an employment tribunal claim, which has included preparation of its ET3 response and strategy for striking out the claim on jurisdictional points, and negotiated a successful outcome for the college.

SME
Providing advice to a SME on the disciplinary process and dismissal of its CEO for gross misconduct defence of potential employment tribunal claims.
Regularly advising housing association clients on TUPE issues arising from complex outsourcing and re-tendering processes.

Locum Doctors
Successfully representing locum doctors in claiming holiday pay in the employment tribunal against the NHS.

Local government
Representing a local government authority against multiple claims brought by a former employee, including whistleblowing, health and safety detriments and constructive unfair dismissal.

Testimonials

  • David and the team have assisted us successfully conclude a number of employment cases with their no-nonsense straightforward, professional advice and support, enabling us to keep costs to a minimum in what can very often be a costly process. They have displayed a depth of knowledge and negotiation skills that has proved invaluable, and we look forward to working with them again in the future.

    Angela Rogers | HR Manager (Operations) | Torfaen County Borough Council