Department profile
Appleby

Offshore: Employment

UK Guide 2026 : Guernsey

Share profile

Appleby

Rankings

About

Provided by Appleby

  • The team continues to enjoy its position as one of the leading firms advising major corporations and large financial institutions on complex, often cross-border, employment issues across the Channel Islands
  • The team is led by practice group head and partner Richard Sheldon, with partner Niall MacDonald, albeit with the team working with clients on a pan-island basis, rather than jurisdictional silos like all of our competitors
  • Appleby are one of the very few firms who have two specialist employment law partners who can advise on Guernsey employment law issues, and appear before the Tribunal
  • Appleby are the only firm with specialist employment law partners working in all three Crown Dependencies
  • Appleby were appointed following a competitive tender process to draft the Official Statutory Guidance to accompany new Discrimination Ordinance
  • We have been particularly busy in the Tribunals this year acting for major employers on a number of high value or complex discrimination claims
  • The majority of the team’s workload continues to revolve around dealing with high profile and high value executive severance work and advisory work for regulated clients
  • We have been engaged to advise on a number of employee share schemes by key UK referrers, such as CMS or boutique firm Tapestry 
  • One growth area for the team over the last 12 months has been in the area of pensions
  • The firm has continued to advise the Office of the Guernsey Data Protection Commissioner on data protection legislation

Industries (18)

  • Employment
  • high value disputes
  • Employment Tribunals
  • restructuring
  • executive severance
  • discrimination claims
  • Privacy and Data Protection
  • Arbitration & Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • shareholder disputes
  • directors’ duties
  • regulatory issues
  • obligations as a trustee
  • employee share schemes
  • pensions
  • subject access requests
  • salary pension scheme
  • discrimination legislation
  • immigration

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Offshore: Employment - Guernsey

Band 2

What the Team is Known For

Appleby maintains a highly regarded employment team with strong expertise in areas including pensions, M&A activity and investigations. The team has experience in acting for both employers and employees.

View ranking table

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Appleby has a client-centric approach that ensures support is tailored to the client's needs and a friendly approach that is applied throughout interactions with clear communication of expert advice.

    Offshore: Employment respondentUK

  • Appleby is technically excellent and can identify key issues and explain complexities in a simple way. The team provides sensible, commercial legal advice.

    Offshore: Employment respondentUK

  • The Appleby's team is very commercial, understand what businesses need and has a good awareness of the legal position in Guernsey and how it relates to other jurisdictions.

    Offshore: Employment respondentUK

  • Appleby has longstanding experts who are very helpful. They are pragmatic, commercial and deliver good advice.

    Offshore: Employment respondentUK

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Richard Sheldon
    Richard Sheldon

    Richard Sheldon

    Richard Sheldon is Appleby's managing group partner in Guernsey and heads up the firm's pan-island employment practice. He is distinguished by the breadth of his experience and ability to provide expert advice across a full range of employment matters.

    • Richard's level of client support is excellent.

      Offshore: Employment respondentUK

    • Richard Sheldon is outstanding. He is personable and explains legal concepts in a quick and commercial way.

      Offshore: Employment respondentUK

    • Richard Sheldon is responsive, commercially minded and very experienced.

      Offshore: Employment respondentUK

    • Richard Sheldon's no-nonsense, pragmatic and commercial approach is invaluable in focusing on the key arguments in complex matters.

      Offshore: Employment respondentUK
    View profile

Ranked Individuals at Appleby (1)

Guernsey

Members

Provided by Appleby

Appleby has rankings in the following guides

What success is built on

Chambers is the leading data and intelligence partner for the legal sector.

Explore thought leadership