Sinead is a Commercial and Employment Law specialist, ranked as a leading junior for Employment at the London Bar by Legal 500. She provides advice and representation to individuals, businesses, public authorities, and unions.
Sinead combines expert knowledge, analysis, emotional intelligence, and pragmatism.
She is particularly skilled at finding the heart of a case whilst demonstrating a profound understanding of each party’s perspective, negotiation, and forensic cross-examination and advocacy.
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Barristers in England and Wales are regulated by the Bar Standards Board
Sinead’s practice is equal parts claimant and respondent work across the range of employment law. Her client base includes private client work involving major companies, and high net worth individuals as well as teaching unions, the police, fire service, local authorities, and medical professionals.
Sinead is highly experienced in all aspects of employment, discrimination and whistleblowing law. She is particularly skilled in cases which combine factual and legal complexity. She has represented high value individuals in city equal pay claims as well as public sector workers in claims against local authorities. She regularly provides advice and representation in complex multi-day whistleblowing claims, most recently providing advice, and representation in a 13 day case involving both victimisation during employment and post-termination detriment.
Sinead has significant experience in providing advice and representation to London Borough local authorities over the last 5 years. Sinead has successfully represented LBLA clients at tribunal, EAT and the Court of Appeal. Local authority solicitors have praised her authority, meticulous attention to detail, and surgical cross examination.
She is particularly praised by her clients for her tenacious advocacy. In one case, Sinead was instructed by a client facing a costs application for pursuing an unmeritorious claim. Sinead successfully applied to amend the claim on the first day of the tribunal hearing, and then succeeded on the merits of the amended case. The tribunal also awarded her client the costs occasioned by the Respondent continuing to pursue their defence after Sinead’s cross examination of their witnesses had revealed the flaws in their case.
In relation to her EAT advocacy she has been praised by HHJBirtles for the “excellence” of her submissions.
Besides providing advice and representation, she also provides training in relation to all aspects of employment, discrimination and whistleblowing law. She has been a speaker at Women In Surgery in relation to whistleblowing in the NHS, as well as providing bespoke training to the LBLA, Metropolitan Police and private clients in relation to matters affecting their practices.
Legal 500: Leading Junior for Employment at the London Bar
Employment Lawyers Association
Employment Law Bar Association
Commercial Bar Association
Employment expert on Bar Standards board advisory board of experts
Gainey & ors v Secretary of State for Education, 2022
Successfully represented the members of NASUWT teaching union in class action involving 424 teachers in relation to direct age discrimination in pension provisions. Advised and represented the NASUWT litigants at all stages of proceedings. The matter was listed for a 10 day remedies hearing in November 2023, and finally settled shortly before the hearing after over 4 years of litigation.
Earl Shilton v Miller, 2023
Successfully represented the claimant in claims of direct sex discrimination, sex-related harassment, and victimisation relating to the claimant’s treatment by her line manager, working conditions and her dismissal, at first instance and appeal.
Headley v London Fire Commissioner, 2022
Represented London Fire Commissioner in 3 conjoined cases of direct race discrimination, pre-termination acts of victimisation relating to events over several years and wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal and victimisation.
Headley v London Borough of Newham, 2022
Successfully defended the respondent school against complex claims of whistleblowing detriment and religious discrimination. Besides involving multiple questions of fact, the case turned on the points of principle regarding the difference between detrimental treatment arising from a particular belief and treatment arising from its inappropriate manifestation.
1. This is a privacy notice that describes how, why and for how long I will process or keep your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’).
2. The GDPR governs how an individual’s personal data is used, and your rights in relation to that data.
3. I, Sinead King, have been instructed by you or your litigation friend (usually a parent), through your solicitor or agent, or via the Bar Pro Bono Unit.
4. It is necessary for me to process your personal data in order for me to provide you with legal services, for example:
5. Processing means anything done to data such as: recording, organising, adapting, altering, copying, consulting, transmitting, combining, erasing or storing it.
6.The processing for the purposes listed above will take place in accordance with either Article 6(1)(a) GDPR or Article 6(1)(b) GDPR, depending on how you instructed me.
7. If you have instructed me on a direct access basis, or engaged a solicitor (or legal agent), to assist you in bringing or defending a claim then the processing is necessary to perform a contract to which you are a party (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR). To give effect to that contract (i.e. to bring a claim) it is necessary for me to process your personal data for litigation purposes.
8. If I am assisting you on a pro bono basis, it will be necessary for me to seek your consent to be able to represent you (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR). In this scenario, you will be sent a consent form.
Recipients of your data
9. I may also be required to share your data with others, depending on the nature of your case. This may include:
(i) Courts and other tribunals to whom documents are presented;
(ii) Your solicitors, or agent representing you, through whom I have been instructed;
(iii) Potential witnesses, experts and other persons involved in the case;
(iv) Solicitors, barristers, or other legal representatives;
(v) Ombudsman and regulatory authorities;
(vi) Education and examining bodies; and
(vii) Current, past or prospective employers.
Special Categories of Data
10. In some cases I will have been given your personal data that is within the ‘special categories’ of data described in GDPR Article 9(1). For example, personal data that reveals your race, ethnicity, sexual preferences, political or religious beliefs, trade union membership or health. There are also restrictions for processing information regarding criminal convictions.
11. This type of personal data will only be processed where it is necessary in order to represent you in your legal claim, or advise on the prospects of a legal claim.
Retention
12. I will retain your personal data for no longer than is necessary, and where it is possible, I will anonymise your data.
13. How long your personal data is kept will depend on a number of factors. The retention period will be reviewed when the service I am providing you with is complete. However in general, I am obliged by the Bar Code of Conduct to retain records of my cases, and by HM Revenue and Customs to retain records for 6 years.
14. Once your case has concluded and fees have been paid, I shall retain only the personal data necessary for the following purposes:
(i) The legal and professional obligation to retain information relating to my cases;
(ii) To check for any potential conflict of interests that may arise in the future when I am instructed on other cases;
(iii) For use in the defence of potential complaints, legal proceedings or fee disputes;
(iv) To refer back to in future cases which raise similar legal, factual, or procedural issues.
15. The processing for the purposes listed in paragraph 14 (ii), (iii), and (iv) above, will take place in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. That is, for the purposes of legitimate interests that are not outweighed by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms.
16. The processing for the purposes listed in paragraph 14(i) above, will take place in accordance with Article 6(1)(c) GDPR. That is, the processing is necessary for me to comply with a legal obligation.
Your Rights
17. Where processing of your personal data was based on your consent (see paragraphs 6 and 8) you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of the processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
18. Withdrawal of your consent to process such data will most likely mean that I am no longer able to provide you with the legal services you seek.
19. You may request confirmation that your personal data is being processed by me and details about the personal data, the source, the processing, the purposes of the processing, the recipients and the retention period.
20. You may request a copy of your personal data that is being processed by me. You may also request rectification (i.e. correction) where there are inaccuracies in the personal data.
21. You have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time, to processing of your personal data in paragraph 14 of this privacy notice. Should you object, the processing will only continue where there are compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your fundamental rights, freedoms and interests.
22. Where the processing or retention of your data is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, it will not be possible to object.
23. You have the right to request that your personal data is erased where any of the following apply:
(i) The personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed;
(ii) You withdraw your consent where the basis of processing was based on consent and where there is no other ground for the processing;
(iii) Where your fundamental rights, freedoms and interests override the legitimate interests of processing in paragraph 14;
(iv) The personal data has been unlawfully processed; or
(v) The personal data have to be erased to comply with a legal obligation.
24. You have the right to request that your personal data is restricted from processing, so that it is simply stored, for the following reasons: as an alternative to deletion; so that it can be corrected; for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; to verify if a legitimate ground exists (paragraph 14).
25. Where it is necessary to correct your personal data, or you have requested the restriction or erasure of your personal data, I shall endeavour to contact the recipients of the personal data, unless this involves disproportionate effort.
Security
26. I take appropriate physical and technical procedures to safeguard your personal data to prevent it from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way.
Complaints or Queries
27. If you have any questions regarding this privacy notice, or how I use your personal data please email me: mailto:sinead.king@tbgbarrister.co.uk, or my clerks: clerking@thebarristergroup.co.uk telephone 01823 247 247.
28. I shall aim to respond as soon as possible, and within 30 days.
29. You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe I have not handled your request in an appropriate manner. For information on contacting the ICO please go to: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/
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If you’d like to work with Sinead King or any of our other specialist barristers, send us your details and we’ll get back to you.
