Gearalt Fahy

Gearalt possesses extensive expertise in this field, having managed intricate investigations into whistleblowing, discrimination, and senior conduct matters with careful discretion and exactness.

• Advised a national charity on investigating an executive grievance against its CEO.
• Provided legal advisory support to the CEO and CFO of a listed insurance company, as well as private equity investors, regarding a whistleblowing complaint. This matter arose under tight deadlines during a critical stage of a transaction involving the disposal of their most profitable subsidiary asset and concerned the Managing Director of the subsidiary.
• Appointed by the Chief Executive Officer of a prominent planning consultancy, collaborating with the Human Resources Director and legal team to investigate allegations of sexual harassment involving one of the founding partners, who also held majority share ownership.

Gearalt believes in prevention over cure and that the the best litigation strategy is avoiding litigation altogether. He advises on complex Employment Tribunal litigation and employer-side dispute strategy, including claims involving discrimination, unfair dismissal and whistleblowing to efficient resolution.

• Having advised an Austrian investment company on the fallout from a decision to terminate the engagement of a self-employed contractor, subsequently defending complex Employment Tribunal litigation including discrimination, unfair dismissal and whistleblowing claims, involving claimed losses of £7m.
• Advising a large global client on multiple claims relating to their decision to enforce mobility clauses within contracts including claims for unfair dismissal, redundancy payments, breach of contract and constructive dismissal.
• Advised a manufacturing client in successfully defending multiple claims arising from large scale redundancies, including unfair dismissal, breach of contract and protective awards.

Gearalt successfully designs and project manages large-scale business critical workforce change programmes, including redundancies and changes to terms and conditions and TUPE transfers, that are both legally robust and commercially viable.

• Supported an energy client post-acquisition, running a collective process to implement redundancies and changes to terms and conditions.
• Project-managed a terms and conditions change for an international architectural consultancy affecting 1,500+ staff, with no claims brought.
• Advised a national charity on implementing changes to terms and conditions through a collective consultation process.

Gearalt advises boards, HR directors and senior leadership teams on executive and board transitions, advising on C-suite exits, balancing reputational and commercial considerations leading to negotiated settlements.

• Provided exclusive legal counsel to the CEO of a global manufacturing company regarding the departure of the Managing Director, acting as an extension of their legal team over nine days. Managed dispute risks and ensured sensitive handling of commercial and reputational concerns.
• Supported a FTSE-listed company in resolving a complaint from a subsidiary’s senior leadership team seeking their CEO’s removal. The outcome: the CEO stayed, and 5 team members exited on SOSR grounds. Assisted the legal team in securing favourable, discreet exit terms for all involved (a significant discount on the true value of their claims).
• Advised the HRD of a major energy subcontractor on a senior executive’s exit after 25+ years, ensuring restrictive covenants and confidentiality obligations remained, and securing acceptable commercial terms.
• Providing guidance to the Chief People Officer of a not-for-profit charity regarding the delicate departure of their Head of HR, just weeks before she began her maternity leave.
• Advising on the exit of this listed company’s COO, particularly challenging given that this originated from her presenting a grievance against the CEO.

Gearalt advises senior executives and directors on the full range of issues that arise on departure from a business, including negotiating exit terms, protecting reputation and career prospects and managing ongoing obligations such as confidentiality and restrictive covenants. He works closely with clients to secure pragmatic outcomes.

• Advised three senior executives on separate exits from one company, negotiated improved settlement terms, and secured amicable resolutions.
• Advised the CEO of a subsidiary of a US listed business in achieving a settlement with an increased value to that originally offered of almost 100%.
• Advised the CEO of a leading hardware distributor to the construction industry including his resignation from the board of almost 30 subsidiary businesses, re-negotiated the basis of an earlier loan agreement and modification of enforceable restrictive covenants to ensure he could continue to work for the latter part of his career.

Gearalt advises employers on trade union and workforce relations, supporting clients through collective engagement, consultation and dispute resolution. He works with boards, HR and in-house teams on union recognition and de-recognition, collective bargaining arrangements, industrial action risk and the practical management of employee relations issues, ensuring strategy and communications are aligned with legal obligations and operational priorities.

• Advised a large manufacturer, which has recognition agreements with three trade unions on matters ranging from pay negotiations, industrial action ballots and collective consultation regarding changes to terms and conditions and large-scale redundancy.
• Advisor to an overseas investor company on their establishment of a manufacturing plant in the UK, including resisting the actions of a national Trade union seeking voluntary recognition. This involved responding to a collective grievance relating to pay negotiations and allegations of inducement.
• Retained by a large international business to deal with their employment relations issues, most recently including responding to wildcat strike action, representing a significant commercial risk to the operation of a business-critical contract with a key client.

Gearalt has many years’ experience in advising professional services sector organisations on complex employment disputes, day-to-day HR support and board-level employment risk, including senior exits and investigations.

• Advised the CEO and CFO of a listed insurer (and PE investors) on a whistleblowing complaint involving a subsidiary MD, under tight deal deadlines during the disposal of a key asset.
• Led an investigation for the CEO of a planning consultancy into allegations of sexual harassment against a founding partner and majority shareholder, working with HR and in-house legal.
• Supported a FTSE-listed group to resolve a senior team complaint seeking a subsidiary CEO’s removal; the CEO remained and five senior exits were agreed on SOSR terms, on favourable terms.
• Project-managed a terms and conditions change for an international architectural consultancy affecting 1,500+ staff, with no claims brought.
• Defended multi-claim Employment Tribunal proceedings for a US planning consultancy over a three-year period, instructed directly by the Head of Legal.

Gearalt advises energy sector organisations on workforce change (redundancies, changes to terms and conditions and TUPE), strategic HR risk, senior exits, workplace investigations and Employment Tribunal claims.

• Advised an overseas energy company on establishing a UK plant, including resisting a trade union recognition campaign and responding to a collective grievance.
• Retained by an international energy subcontractor to manage employment relations issues, including blue-collar Employment Tribunal claims and strategic people risk.
• Advised a global client on multiple claims arising from enforcement of mobility clauses, including unfair dismissal, redundancy pay, breach of contract and constructive dismissal.
• Supported an energy client post-acquisition, running a collective process to implement redundancies and changes to terms and conditions.
• Advised an energy client’s HR Director on people strategy, employment risk and board-level/C-suite matters.

Gearalt has advised in the Charities and Not-For-Profit sectors for almost 20 years, providing advice at the highest levels of leading organisations, using his thoughtful and commercial approach to assist in dealing with often sensitive issues.

• Advising a national charity on a process to implement necessary changes to terms, through a collective process.
• Supporting a US not-for-profit in setting up their first organisation in the UK.
• Working directly with the Chief People Officer of a not-for-profit, acting at her request as her ‘thinking partner’.
• Advising the CEO of a national charity on managing the exit of their Chief People Officer.
• Advising the CPO of a leading charity in the exit of the Head of HR.

Recognised by Chambers UK for Employment (Yorkshire: South & West) 2026

“Gearalt is brilliant with clients, has an amazing manner, instils confidence and is very easy to get on with. He has excellent judgement – he is very savvy.” – Chambers UK 2026

Member of the Employment Lawyers Association

University of Law accredited O-Shaped lawyer