Alex Shellum

Alex acts for both claimants and respondents in preliminary and final hearings in all areas of employment and discrimination law. He appears, for example, in trials relating to claims for unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing detriment/dismissal, equal pay and breach of contract.

Recent and current work

• Reuser v University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust UKEAT/0020/19/BA: appeared for the Appellant before the EAT, led by Nadia Motraghi, in a complex serious procedural irregularity appeal and s.103A ERA protected disclosure dismissal cross-appeal;
• Recently secured strike out of a Claimant’s entire claim on behalf of the Respondent, an NHS Trust, on the morning of the first day of a multi-day final hearing;
• Currently instructed on appeal by the Respondent trade union steward resisting the Appellant employer’s appeal against an adverse finding of s.146 TULRCA trade union detriment;
• Currently instructed by the sole Claimant in her equal pay claim against a prestigious champagne house;
• Currently instructed by the Respondent, one of the world’s leading museums, in a claim made by an employee raising various sex discrimination complaints.

Alex has experience of drafting pleadings in addition to advising at first instance and on prospects of appeal – he has been instructed in his own right to draft submissions to the EAT. Alex has also appeared before the EAT, led by Nadia Motraghi, in the case of Reuser v University Hospitals Birmingham NHS trust.

Between January and April 2020, Alex was on secondment to the employment team at Capsticks Solicitors LLP, during which time he successfully represented several NHS organisations in a variety of different preliminary hearings, in addition to providing written advice and drafting pleadings.

As a pupil, under the supervision of Rebecca Tuck QC and Katharine Newton QC, Alex gained exposure to high-profile and complex employment litigation and sensitive internal investigations, including leading ‘gig economy’ employment status cases, multi-week discrimination complaints, and industrial action injunction applications.

Alex has a particular interest in employment and discrimination cases which engage the Human Rights Act 1998. Alex is currently instructed by the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (‘BAPIO’), led by Nadia Motraghi, who have been named as an interested party to a judicial review challenging the lawfulness of the Government’s PPE Guidance in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.

Alex is regularly instructed on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants in Fast Track trials involving personal injury arising out of road traffic accidents, accidents at work and occupiers’ liability.

Alex regularly advises on personal injury matters and drafts pleadings on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants. He has experience of advising on quantum in relation to Multi Track claims, which he is well-placed to do having gained exposure to a variety of complex and high value personal injury and clinical negligence claims under the supervision of Christopher Edwards during pupillage.

Alex has experience of costs and case management conferences in the Multi Track, in addition to experience of making and responding to a broad range of interim applications on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants.

Alex has a developing practice in this area and welcomes instructions relating to public law and human rights matters. Alex has a particular interest in the intersection between public law, human rights and employment law – a subject on which he has been published in the LSE Law Review.

Alex is currently instructed by the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (‘BAPIO’), led by Nadia Motraghi, in a claim for judicial review of the Government’s PPE Guidance for Health and Social Care workers during the COVID-19 crisis. The challenge raises several public law issues, including breaches of the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010. BAPIO, as the UK’s largest membership organisation for BAME Health and Social Care Workers, has been named by the Claimants, Dr Joshi and Dr Viz, as an interested party to the judicial review.

Before coming to the Bar, Alex read for an LLM in Human Rights Law at the LSE, in which he was awarded a Distinction. He built on this academic experience by spending a year working as a Legal Officer for the Electoral Commission prior to commencing pupillage, before which he worked as one of the original team members assisting with the establishment of the Good Law Project – the strategic litigation initiative responsible for Wightman and others v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union [2018] 3 W.L.R. 1965 and the Cherry appeal in R (on the application of Miller) (No 2) v Prime Minister [2019] 3 W.L.R. 589.

Alex is a member of the Attorney General’s Junior Junior scheme

Alex is keen to develop this area of practice and welcomes instructions relating to inquests and inquiries.

Alex is currently instructed by the London Fire Brigade in respect of its participation in Phase Two of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

Alex is a member of the Attorney General’s Junior Junior scheme.

• Employment Tribunal Procedure in a pandemic: Part 2
• Employment Tribunal procedure in a pandemic: Part 1
• OSC instructed in challenge to PPE Guidance for Health & Social Care Workers in the context of COVID-19
• Old Square Chambers To Welcome Four New Tenants