Sheilah Cummins
Senior Associate
E:
scummins@prettys.co.uk

‘Sheilah Cummins is thorough whilst taking into consideration what client is trying to achieve. The team overall is super supportive, professional and goes above and beyond our expectations.’  Legal 500 [UK 2024]

WORK SYNOPSIS: 

Sheilah qualified as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, in 2011. She has a 1st Class BA Honours degree in religious studies from the University of Wales, College of Cardiff and, before joining Prettys in 2016, worked for a large commercial firm with offices in Cambridge, London and Singapore. Sheilah specialises in Employment Law, working for employee and employer clients across a variety of industries but has a particular interest in the ecclesiastical sector. She advises on a range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters and is also experienced at preparing and delivering training and seminars for clients on a range of employment issues. In October 2017, Sheilah was promoted to Associate and then to Senior Associate in October 2021.

EXPERTISE: 

Areas of expertise include

  • Human Resources and Employee Relations including disciplinaries, grievances and performance management
  • Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal claims
  • Settlement agreements and exit negotiations
  • Redundancy and business reorganisations
  • Contracts, service agreements and consultancy arrangements
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE)
  • Employee benefits and incentive schemes
  • Corporate support

PERSONAL SYNOPSIS: 

In her spare time, Sheilah enjoys going to the gym, and running (having completed two half marathons) and is an “improving”, albeit sometimes reluctant, skier!

RECENT WORK: 

  • Successfully defending a high-value Employment Tribunal claim brought against an employer client, including obtaining maximum cost awards of £20,000 against each Claimant;
  • Successfully defending Claimants’ appeal against Employment Appeal Tribunal’s refusal to extend time for lodging appeal;
  • Acting for high-profile employer client in a successful Judicial Mediation process;
  • Advising on cross-border employment issues;
  • Assisting with legal due diligence and TUPE advice on corporate transactions; 
  • Delivering tailor-made workshop programmes;
  • Undertaking a disciplinary investigation for quasi-public sector organisation. 

TESTIMONIALS:

"Sheilah Cummins was really knowledgeable and helpful throughout the process!
The solicitor was brilliant at explaining the process of a settlement agreement and ensuring that I received a fair severance package. Felt I was in safe hands at all times - always available and responded quickly to my questions".