Sapandeep Singh Maini-Thompson

Year of Call:
2021
Direct Access:
Yes
clerks@outertemple.com Email
+44 (0)20 7427 4908, +44 (0)20 7427 4909
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    Sapan Maini-Thompson practices in employment, discrimination, public law and professional discipline.

    Sapan represents both Claimants and Respondents in statutory and commercial employment disputes. Between January and July 2025, Sapan undertook a secondment in the employment department of a leading London law firm with a focus on business protection and whistleblowing claims in the financial services sector.

    Sapan was appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel of Counsel in his first year of eligibility. He represents government departments across a wide range of litigation including employment, prison law, equalities, social welfare and data protection. His wider public law practice includes successfully defending the English Blackball Pool Federation in a high-profile claim for gender reassignment discrimination in April 2025.

    Sapan maintains a keen academic interest in legal affairs and has written extensively for the UK Human Rights Blog, the New Law Journal and various other outlets.

    Prior to joining the Bar, Sapan worked as a legal representative for the Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers Union (CAIWU) and as a researcher for the Uyghur Tribunal.

    After graduating from Oxford University in History & Politics, he came top of his year in his Master’s degree in Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics before obtaining first-class marks in all papers during his LLM at University College London, specialising in labour law, comparative public law and the conflict of laws in commercial disputes. Sapan received a Queen Mother scholarship from Middle Temple.

    Sapan is a Governing Trustee of the charity Royal Star & Garter.

    Expertise

    Sapan represents both Claimants and Respondents in the Employment Tribunal, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) and the High Court. He has worked with clients across multiple sectors including health & social care, higher education, financial services, local and central government.

    His tribunal experience includes:

    • Acting for HMRC in successfully defending a claim for indirect discrimination concerning office attendance during Ramadan;
    • Successfully acting for an employee in an EAT appeal concerning an employer’s obligations of consultation under Regulation 13 of TUPE;
    • Successfully acting in the EAT in O’Brien v Cheshire and Wirral NHS Trust for an employee in an appeal concerning the “just and equitable” extension of time limits under s.123 EqA and the duty to act promptly under the ACAS code – Judgment available here;
    • Acting successfully for a secondary school teacher against an Academy Trust in a 6-day claim for unfair dismissal and s.15 disability discrimination. The case concerned an alleged safeguarding failure – Judgment available here;
    • Successfully representing a worker against a national parcel delivery company in a 4-day claim for whistleblowing detriment – Judgment available here;
    • Successfully acting for an HR manager against a well-known food company in a 3-day claim for pregnancy & maternity discrimination & constructive unfair dismissal;
    • Successfully defending a university in a 7-day claim brought by an academic for race discrimination & constructive unfair dismissal;
    • Successfully acting for a financial services company in a 7-day claim for sexual harassment, sex discrimination, victimisation and wrongful dismissal;
    • Representing a public sector claimant at a 2-day remedy hearing concerning complex issues of causation, divisibility and apportionment of psychiatric injury following a discriminatory referral to Prevent (obtaining over £50,000 in compensation) – Judgment available here;
    • Acting for a senior financial services manager in a claim for equal pay.

    His commercial employment experience includes:

    • Appearing unled in the High Court for an accounting company in injunction proceedings, in relation to breach of confidence and copyright by an ex-employee (Injunctions, Data Protection; Restricted Reporting Orders);
    • Instructed as sole counsel to an Executive Director in team move proceedings in the High Court & achieving a settlement to a claim for breach of contract and unlawful means conspiracy (Business Protection; Restrictive Covenants);
    • Representing a healthcare company in a County Court claim for breach of confidence and breach of contract by ex-employees (Business Protection; Restrictive Covenants).

    Sapan has also been instructed in County Court discrimination cases in the context of goods & services. Recent instructions include:

    • Successfully defending the English Blackball Pool Federation in a high-profile claim for gender reassignment discrimination regarding the operation of single-sex competition categories (led by Sarah Crowther KC) – Judgment available here. The case was covered widely in the media, including BBC.

    Sapan undertakes investigations and inquiries for both private and public sector clients. Recent instructions include:

    • Investigating a whistleblowing complaint of discrimination arising from disability on behalf of a major legal advice charity (interviewing 8 witnesses);
    • Leading an employment grievance investigation into complaints of race discrimination and gross misconduct at a medium-sized London law firm (interviewing 6 witnesses).

    Sapan’s public law practice spans education, equality law, data protection, prison law and inquests. He has experience representing appellants and public bodies in the First-tier Tribunal, the County Court and the High Court. He is frequently instructed by the GLD (via the Attorney General’s London C Panel) in matters spanning a wide range of government litigation.

    Data Protection & Information Rights

    Sapan represents both Claimants and Defendants in claims concerning breach of the GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and Freedom of Information.

    He has been instructed by Claimants, Local Authorities and the GLD in various proceedings before the County Court and the First-tier Tribunal. His recent instructions include:

    •  Advising the Department for Transport on proceedings in the First-tier Tribunal regarding the national security exemption to freedom of information requests;
    • Advising the Department for Work & Pensions on a claim for breach of the GDPR arising from the disclosure of a service user’s personal information to a fraudulent PAYE scheme;
    • Drafting a defence to a claim against HMRC for an alleged failure to implement an appropriate data security regime to safeguard a service user’s personal information contrary to the GDPR;
    • Representing the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in a County Court claim for breach of the GDPR and the DPA.

    Sapan has lectured on the law regulating facial recognition technology at Royal Holloway, University of London.

    Prison Law

    Sapan’s primary experience in this area is with the GLD, defending claims for judicial review for breach of human rights, discrimination, prison categorisation and Parole Board decisions. Recent instructions include:

    • Successfully representing the Ministry of Justice in a claim for indirect discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in relation to a policy to prevent contact between high-risk prisoners with a similar offending history;
    • Drafting defences to claims for judicial review of prison categorisation decisions;
    • Drafting a defence to an ex-prisoner’s High Court claim for breach of the DPA 2018 and misuse of private information arising from the disclosure of prison intelligence records in the parole board proceedings of another prisoner;
    • Drafting a defence to a claim for direct discrimination on grounds of disability in relation to safety restrictions upon a prisoner’s work opportunities;
    • Advising on liability in relation to a claim for breach of a prisoner’s ECHR Article 8 right to privacy following the interception of postal communications;
    • Drafting defences to claims for delays to Parole Board hearings.

    Sapan has also been instructed by Claimants and has drafted grounds of judicial review in challenges to categorisation decisions and breaches of prison conditions.

    Inquests

    Sapan has been instructed as sole counsel in several inquests and is familiar with both Article 2 and non-Article 2 proceedings. His experience includes:

    • Representing a prison nurse in a multiple week Article 2 jury inquest with a focus on prison conditions;
    • Representing a Local Authority in an Article 2 jury inquest into the death of a patient in a mental health hospital;
    • Representing an NHS Trust in an inquest relating to the death of a patient from a suspected oxygen supply failure;
    • Representing a dementia care nurse in an inquest with regulatory implications for the interested party.

     

    Sapan appears in the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) in appeals against Educational, Health and Care Plans and in claims of disability discrimination, both for parents and local authorities. He is experienced in dealing with high-cost placements, waking-day curricula and bespoke forms of special educational provision, including post-16 provision. He has advised in claims for judicial review against the failure of local authorities to provide suitable education and in appeals to the Upper Tribunal. Sapan is also instructed in school exclusion and admission appeals.

    His recent experience in the SEND Tribunal includes:

    • MAR v Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council [2024] (Instructed by the parent in a successful appeal against Sections B, F, and H]
    • BM v London Borough of Barking & Dagenham [2024] (Instructed by the parent in a successful appeal against Sections F and I, securing a special school placement and extensive SALT and OT provision)
    • ZA v Sandwell Local Authority [2023] (Instructed by the parent in a successful appeal against Sections F and I);
    • CHS v London Borough of Croydon [2023] (Instructed by the parent in an appeal concerning the need for an extended-day curriculum);
    • Representing numerous Local Authorities in various appeals.

    Sapan has a wide-ranging practice in professional discipline representing defendants before various regulators.

    His experience includes:

    • Defending numerous osteopaths before the General Osteopathic Council’s Professional Conduct Committee against allegations of clinically inappropriate treatment, sexual misconduct and breach of professional boundaries;
    • Defending a university college lecturer before the Education Workforce Council against allegations of sexual misconduct;
    • Representing a dentist in an appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Primary Health Lists) against their removal from the National Health Service Performers List;
    • Advising a doctor in relation to proceedings before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service concerning dishonest record-keeping;
    • Defending multiple nurses before the Nursing and Midwifery Council against allegations of professional misconduct;
    • Representing a prison nurse in an Article 2 jury inquest.

    Sapan has also been a case presenter for the Nursing & Midwifery Council and has represented the regulator in multiple fitness to practice proceedings across a variety of misconduct matters. These include harassment and bullying, the mis-administration of medication, errors in record- keeping and dishonesty.

    During pupillage, Sapan also assisted with proceedings before the General Optical Council, the Financial Reporting Council and the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

    Related updates

    Sapandeep Singh Maini-Thompson is regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. If you are not satisfied with the service provided, please click here.

    “Sapan’s advice, preparation and advocacy were excellent. His client service was superb. He made me feel so comfortable during a very difficult period. I highly recommend him."

    Registrant Osteopath following regulatory proceedings

    “Sapan’s judgement, analysis and advocacy are excellent. His cross-examination was very effective and he kept the client at ease throughout the case. I would instruct him again.”

    Employment Partner, Shakespeare Martineau

    To find out more, contact Nick Levett on +44 (0)20 7427 4908 or Sura Mustafa on +44 (0)20 7427 4883 for a confidential discussion.

    ● Junior Counsel to the Crown (London C Panel)
    ● Employment Lawyers Appeals Advice Scheme (ELAAS)
    ● Employment Lawyers Association
    ● Industrial Law Society
    ● Education Lawyers Association
    ● Governor, Royal Star & Garter

    ● French (Advanced)
    ● Urdu (Advanced)
    ● Punjabi (Advanced)
    ● Hindi (Advanced)

    ● Middle Temple: Colombos Public International Law Essay Prize (2021)
    ● Defence Extradition Lawyers Forum: John RWD Jones QC Essay Prize (2021)
    ● Geoffrey Nice Foundation Scholarship (2020)
    ● Middle Temple: Queen Mother Scholarship (2019)
    ● Middle Temple: Harmsworth Entrance Award (2019)
    ● BPP University: Advocacy Scholarship (2019)
    ● Winner of the Leicester University Medical Law Moot (2018)
    ● LSE: Department of Government prize for ‘Best Overall Performance’ (2017)
    ● LSE: Department of Government prize for ‘Best Dissertation’ (2017)
    ● St John’s College, Oxford: Casberd Scholarship (2014-2016)

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