Clerking team

Chris Shaw
Chris Shaw

Senior Clerk – Civil, Commercial & Employment Clerk

Rob Lang

Assistant Senior Clerk

Gemma Eachus

Civil Clerk

Xanthé Young

Civil Clerk

Adam Parker

Civil Clerk

Diarmuid (Dermot) is thorough, professional, and personable. He prepares meticulously for his court work. His advice is thorough and pragmatic.

His main specialisms are Employment, Equality and Regulatory Law. He also receives frequent instructions, generally from Government Departments, in Inquests and Personal Injury claims.

He acts for and against a broad range of individuals and organisations including large corporations, educational institutions, trade unions and individual litigants. Having previously worked as a solicitor, he is conscious of the workload and pressures under which those who instruct him operate. He offers practical guidance and is able to assist throughout the lifespan of a case. He is happy to provide training to solicitors and other professionals.

Diarmuid is authorised to receive instructions directly from members of the public under the Public Access Scheme.

Employment

Diarmuid has an extensive knowledge of employment law and a broad practice. He acts for Claimants and Respondents. He has significant experience in unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing and TUPE disputes. His practice also encompasses contractual issues like restrictive covenants.

His recent experience includes:

  • Defending a government department in a whistleblowing claim
  • Defending an Academy in a trade union detriment claim
  • Representing an individual who had suffered sex discrimination and victimisation
  • Acting for a public sector employee in a claim for a failure to make reasonable adjustments
  • Defending a Higher Education College in a race discrimination claim
  • Acting for a Claimant in a TUPE claim against a well-known bookmaker
  • Providing written and oral advice on liability, quantum and tactics
  • Drafting various pleadings
  • Obtaining a strike out order in a High Court claim for breach of contract, harassment and various other complaints
  • Pleading and advising on merits and tactics in interim injunction proceedings before the High Court
  • Drafting and advocacy in the Employment Appeal Tribunal

In addition to frequently appearing in lengthy hearings in the employment tribunal, he conducts substantive preliminary hearings, including in relation to time limits and other jurisdictional issues, as well as strike out and deposit applications.

He can advise and assist with professional disciplinary matters when they arise in employment, such as when health professionals are facing internal disciplinary matters which may be referred to their professional regulatory body.

He undertakes written and advocacy work in respect of Employment Tribunal, County Court, High Court and Employment Appeal Tribunal cases.

Diarmuid has also been instructed in numerous Judicial Mediation hearings, which he finds particularly satisfying.

Professional discipline

Diarmuid is instructed in a range of professional disciplinary matters and appears before the following regulators:

  • MPTS (GMC)
  • NMC
  • HCPC
  • ICAEW

He attends interim orders, review and fitness to practices hearings as well as related High Court applications.

Diarmuid also provides advice on professional disciplinary cases, often on a direct access basis, including in relation to tactics and evidence.

He has been appointed by the Department for Education to sit as a Panellist on the Teaching Regulation Agency’s Professional Conduct Panel (which determines misconduct cases against teachers).

In addition to his professional disciplinary work, Diarmuid undertakes advocacy and advice work in appeals against Notices (e.g., to impose conditions, suspend or cancel a person’s registration) issued by:

  • Ofsted
  • The CQC

Personal injury

Diarmuid has developed a broad civil practice in his Government Legal work, with an emphasis on personal injury work. He undertakes written and advocacy work in employer’s liability, public liability and occupier’s liability claims.

Diarmuid’s recent court work includes:

  • Fast track and multi-track trials
  • Acting for various Government Departments
  • Application hearings in the County Court and High Court
  • Costs case management

He also provides written and oral advice on liability, evidence, quantum, and tactics.

Inquests & coronial

Diarmuid accepts instructions from various interested persons, including medical professionals, family members and Government Departments.

In addition to advocacy at pre-inquest reviews and inquests (including those with Article 2 considerations), he is able to offer proactive advice during the course of the Coroner’s investigation. He has a particular interest in matters with a clinical element.

In addition to working for professional clients, he is open to accepting instructions from family members and others under the Public Access Scheme.

Memberships

  • Employment Lawyers Association
  • Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
  • Personal Injury Bar Association
  • Northern Circuit

Appointments

  • Junior Counsel to the Crown – (Attorney General’s Regional Panel) – April 2018 to October 2023
  • Welsh Local Authority and Public Sector Panel
  • Professional Conduct Panellist for the Teaching Regulation Agency.

Education

  • LLB (Hons) Queen’s University Belfast
  • BVC Manchester Metropolitan University
  • Admitted to Roll of Solicitors