Sheetul Sowdagur

Sheetul advises and represents individual professionals facing complaints, regulatory, or fitness to practise proceedings. She acts from the earliest stage of referral, engaging proactively with regulators to seek closure on a no-case-to-answer basis wherever possible. Where matters progress, she makes robust submissions before Investigating committees and case examiners, challenging the sufficiency of evidence, credibility, and statutory thresholds. She also regularly represents professionals at interim order hearings, resisting suspension or restrictive conditions which may jeopardise their livelihood and reputation.

• Advised doctors and lead consultants in respect of alleged misconduct, including where criminal sentences had been received.
• Acted for a lead consultant from the NHS in appealing the sanctions placed on his practice by way of a judicial review.
• Represented health professionals with NHS England and NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) and Police investigations stemming from allegations of misconduct, dishonesty and fraud.
• Advised and represented various professionals across a range of industries on allegations of inappropriate relations, and serious sexual misconduct allegations.
• Advising registrants in respect of safeguarding issues raised with their employers and professional regulators including sports bodies such as English Cricket Board, British Cycling, and Skateboard GB.

Sheetul advises and represents individuals facing a broad range of disciplinary proceedings, including matters arising within universities, professional training institutions, political organisations, and membership bodies. She supports students accused of academic or non-academic misconduct, guiding them through investigatory meetings, and disciplinary hearings, often where allegations carry serious reputational and career implications.

• Represented a university student accused of serious sexual misconduct which risked resulting in not being able to graduate.
• Acted for a member of The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in respect of dishonesty and conduct issues.
• Assisted a university lecturer facing misconduct allegations, including those of antisemitism conduct.
• Advised and successfully represented several politicians and members of political parties in internal party disciplinary processes which resulted in them not being removed from the parties.

Sheetul advises and represents senior professionals across healthcare, financial services, legal services, and other regulated sectors in internal investigations, disciplinary processes, and grievance procedures, often running parallel to regulatory proceedings. She acts on matters involving misconduct, lack of competence, dishonesty, fraud, bullying and harassment, and allegations of inappropriate relationships or serious sexual misconduct.

• Acted for a banker accused of sexual misconduct and ensuring that he remains deemed as being fit to practise according to the Financial Conduct Authority’s fit and proper test as well as assisting with internal investigations.
• Acted for a lead consultant in the NHS on allegations of misconduct and discrimination and assisted in internal processes including disciplinary and appeal hearings.
• Assisted a senior female executive who returned from maternity leave facing discrimination and differential treatment to secure a substantial exit package to allow her to focus on her health and family.
• Acted for a nurse in bringing claims against an NHS Trust.
• Acted for a paramedic who was wrongly accused of fraud to bring claims against his employer.
• Advised and represented clients in respect of grievances.
• Advised senior professionals on disciplinary and grievance processes, discrimination and whistleblowing claims.
• Advised employers on internal investigations.
• Negotiated exit strategies and settlement agreements.
• Represented clients in high-value employment tribunal claims, including unfair dismissal and post-termination victimisation.
• Provided early-stage strategic advice to prevent escalation to tribunal or regulatory proceedings.
• Acted for claimants in employment proceedings both at employment tribunal and employment appeal tribunal.

Sheetul advises regulators on fitness to practise referrals and misconduct allegations, supporting investigations, evidence assessment, and case preparation. She defends clients at substantive fitness to practise hearings, managing complex factual, expert, and documentary evidence, and advancing carefully structured submissions on impairment and sanction.

• Advised the Nursing & Midwifery Council on referrals relating to fitness to practise and misconduct referrals made against registrants.
• Advised the General Dental Council on allegations made against their registrants.
• Advised the Architect Registration Board on policy and processes.

Sheetul advises professionals and regulated organisations in respect of proposed sanctions or regulatory actions by regulators. She advises regulators on enforcement and disciplinary proceedings against legal professionals, including interventions, investigations, and tribunal preparation involving allegations of fraud, dishonesty, and money laundering to protect client interests and funds.

• Advised and represented a physiotherapist when the Health & Care Professions Council made applications for interim hearings to suspend his practice.
• Advised a doctor who was at risk of removal from the register.
• Advised and represented a teacher who was at risk of being banned from the profession for life.
• Ensured no sanctions were placed on a banker following criminal investigations.
• Advised the Solicitors Regulation Authority on interventions to close solicitors’ practices to safeguard client interests and monies.
• Advised on investigatory work gathering evidence of breaches for Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal proceedings, including allegations of fraud, dishonesty, and money laundering.
• Advised the panels at the Nursery & Midwifery Council in respect of the allegations and potential sanctions on regulatory breaches.

Sheetul advises and represents professionals, businesses, and public bodies in complex challenges before the High Court particularly where regulatory, disciplinary, and public law issues intersect. Her work includes judicial review proceedings, statutory appeals, and urgent applications arising from decisions of professional regulators, membership bodies, and public authorities.

• Advised on High Court proceedings where intervened partners challenged regulatory interventions and pursued appeals.
• Advised on preparation for proceedings to recover shortfalls in client monies following interventions.
• Challenging the decisions of regulatory bodies by way of a judicial review.
• Brought a judicial review challenge in the High Court of Justice against a regulator’s decision to impose an interim suspension following criminal proceedings. Secured urgent relief and successfully argued procedural unfairness and disproportionality.
• Drafted grounds of appeal challenging findings of dishonesty and sanction, leading to reconsideration of impairment and reduction of restrictive conditions.
• Advised on and pursued a statutory appeal against a disciplinary tribunal decision, involving complex statutory interpretation and evidential analysis across substantial documentary material.
• Resisted an interim order application where allegations were untested, successfully arguing insufficiency of evidence and lack of immediate risk.
• Managed a cross-border reputational crisis involving regulatory findings and cease-and-desist correspondence, coordinating litigation strategy to mitigate financial and reputational damage.

Sheetul advises and represents individuals and organisations on professional discipline and regulatory matters, including fitness to practise, misconduct, and enforcement proceedings, delivering strategic, evidence-led solutions to protect careers, reputations, and compliance.

• Represented a dentist in fitness to practise proceedings involving alleged dispensing irregularities and record-keeping failures; secured findings of no current impairment following detailed remediation evidence.
• Advised a social worker in a multi-allegation misconduct case involving safeguarding and boundary concerns, successfully narrowing the factual matrix before final hearing and limiting sanction.
• As in-house counsel, challenged enforcement action arising from alleged reporting breaches, drafting representations that prevented escalation to formal disciplinary prosecution.
• Advised a professional sports coach on disciplinary charges brought by a governing body following conduct allegations, coordinating media strategy alongside regulatory defence to mitigate reputational harm.
• Represented a university student (Healthcare degree) in fitness to practise proceedings linked to health and conduct concerns, securing proportionate conditions allowing continuation of studies and future registration.

Sheetul has extensive experience advising healthcare professionals and organisations across the sector, including doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, psychologists, and allied health professionals.

• Represented a doctor accused of misconduct within the NHS which resulted in the death of a baby.
• Acted for a lead consultant at risk of dismissal because of allegations regarding professional integrity.
• Assisted various professionals including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, midwives, psychologists, and allied health professionals in submitted grievances at work.
• Advised healthcare professionals on investigations, including safeguarding matters, NHS England, and NHSCFA inquiries.
• Handled complex misconduct matters for a physiotherapist, including boundary issues, sexual misconduct, lack of competence, and professional integrity concerns.
• Advises on negotiated exits for a number of healthcare professionals.

Sheetul advises financial services professionals on regulatory, disciplinary, and employment matters, including misconduct, compliance breaches, and investigations, delivering strategic guidance to protect careers and reputations and navigate complex regulatory frameworks.

• Represented a client in regulatory disciplinary proceedings arising from alleged audit failings and reporting breaches; secured favourable findings on integrity and reduced sanction following detailed evidential submissions.
• Advised during an FCA-linked internal investigation into systems and controls failures, coordinating responses to regulatory enquiries while negotiating a protected exit.
• Defended allegations of dishonesty and mis-selling and challenging credibility findings and limiting reputational damage.
• Advised on parallel employer and regulatory investigations concerning alleged financial irregularities, managing forensic document review and strategic engagement to avoid referral escalation.
• Drafted appeal submissions challenging findings of misconduct and disproportionate sanction, achieving reconsideration of penalty and preservation of practising status.

Sheetul advises professionals across law, healthcare, education, and other regulated sectors on regulatory, disciplinary, and employment matters, providing strategic, evidence-based guidance to safeguard careers, reputations, and compliance with professional standards.

• Advised during an SRA investigation into alleged conflict of interest and breach of undertakings, preparing detailed representations that resulted in no referral to the disciplinary tribunal.
• Represented a barrister in disciplinary proceedings concerning alleged inappropriate communications, successfully challenging procedural irregularities and securing withdrawal of key allegations.
• Advised on a Teaching Regulation Agency referral involving safeguarding and governance concerns, coordinating parallel employer and regulatory responses to protect continued employment.
• Defended allegations against an accountant of professional negligence and competence failings, managing expert evidence and negotiating proportionate undertakings to avoid suspension.
• Advised a dental practice in a governance dispute involving regulatory scrutiny and internal disciplinary action, achieving negotiated resolution and reputational containment without escalation to formal removal proceedings.

Member of the Association of Disciplinary & Regulatory Lawyers (ARDL)

Member of the Fraud Lawyers Association (FLA)

Member of the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA)