Sapan appears frequently in the Employment Tribunal representing both Claimants and Respondents across the full range of statutory and commercial employment matters. He has acquired a diversity of experience across a range of sectors: health and social care, financial services, higher and secondary education, retail and leisure.
Sapan’s experience includes:
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Successfully acting for an employee in an EAT appeal concerning an employer's obligations under Regulation 13 of TUPE;
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Successfully representing an HR manager against a well-known food company in a 3-day claim for pregnancy & maternity discrimination & constructive unfair dismissal;
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Appearing unled in the High Court for an accounting company in injunction proceedings, in relation to breach of confidence and copyright by an ex-employee;
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Successfully defending a university in a 7-day claim brought by an academic for race discrimination & constructive unfair dismissal;
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Successfully acting for a financial services company in a 7-day claim for sexual harassment, sex discrimination, victimisation and wrongful dismissal;
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Successfully defending a mental health care company in a 4-day claim for whistleblowing detriment, religious belief discrimination and unfair dismissal;
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Drafting the particulars of claim for a senior asset manager in a six-figure Equal Pay claim;
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Representing a public sector claimant at a 2-day remedy hearing concerning complex issues of causation, divisibility and apportionment of psychiatric injury (obtaining over £50,000 in compensation);
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Representing a higher education college in a 5-day claim for discrimination arising from disability & unfair dismissal (led by Mugni Islam-Choudhury).
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Sapan advises on liability and quantum and conducts judicial mediations. His advisory practice encompasses ancillary civil matters such as breach of contract and data protection claims. He is a member of the Government Legal Department’s ‘Junior Junior’ Panel and is regularly instructed to assist in employment and public law proceedings.
Investigations
Sapan undertakes investigations and inquiries for both private and public sector clients. Recent instructions include:
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Investigating a whistleblowing complaint of discrimination arising from disability on behalf of a major legal advice charity;
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Leading an employment grievance investigation into complaints of race discrimination and misconduct at a medium-sized London law firm.
Other Experience
In public law, Sapan practices primarily in education disputes. He has appeared in numerous Education, Health and Care Plan appeals and disability discrimination claims. He has also advised parties in relation to civil claims under the Equality Act in the County Court.
Sapan is regularly instructed in professional discipline proceedings. He has acted for dentists and osteopaths before the First-Tier Health Tribunal and the General Osteopathic Council’s Professional Conduct Committee. He has further advised doctors in relation to matters before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service. Sapan has represented the Nursing and Midwifery Council across the full spectrum of regulatory proceedings.
In addition to court work, Sapan provides training and seminars to law firms on a range of employment and equality law matters. Sapan has presented on gender recognition and discrimination law at Mills & Reeve, Shoosmiths, Shakespeare Martineau, Bates Wells, Knights Plc, Freeths, Harbottle & Lewis and various other firms. His presentations have been described by solicitors variously as “excellent”, “thought-provoking” and “very insightful”.
Before practising as a barrister, Sapan worked for the Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers Union (CAIWU), representing members in Employment Tribunal claims, ACAS negotiations as well as internal grievance and disciplinary hearings.
Sapan is accredited to accept instructions on a direct access basis from members of the public.
Testimonials
Sapan has been a pleasure to work with: friendly, approachable and collaborative. He is tenacious and demonstrated a mastery of the facts and issues in the case from the start. His pragmatism and focus helped settle an emotional and difficult case. I would not hesitate to recommend him or to instruct him again.
Publications
Workplace Protections for Trans People under s.7 Equality Act, New Law Journal, January 2024
Languages
Urdu (Professional Proficiency)
Punjabi (Advanced)
French (Advanced)
Hindi (Working Proficiency)
Appointments
Junior Junior Counsel, Attorney General’s Civil Panel Counsel
Governor, Royal Star & Garter
Awards
Defence Extradition Lawyers Forum: John RWD Jones QC Essay Prize (2021)
Middle Temple: Colombos Public International Law Essay Prize (2021)
Geoffrey Nice Foundation Scholarship (2020)
Middle Temple: Queen Mother Scholarship (2019)
Middle Temple: Harmsworth Entrance Award (2019)
BPP University: Advocacy Scholarship (2019)
Winner of the Leicester University Medical Law Moot (2018)
LSE: Department of Government prize for 'Best Overall Performance’ (2017)
LSE: Department of Government prize for 'Best Dissertation’ (2017)
Oxford University: Casberd Scholarship (2014-2016)
Memberships
Industrial Law Society
Employment Lawyers Association (ELA)
Qualifications
2019: University College London, LLM in Labour Law, Conflict of Laws and Public Law (First Class, with Distinctions in all subjects)
2017: London School of Economics, MSc Comparative Politics (First Class, Top of Year)
2016: University of Oxford, BA History and Politics
