Employment and Professional Discipline Barrister

Giles is an employment and professional discipline barrister and an accredited mediator, acting in London, Bristol, Cardiff and across the UK. He regularly appears in the High Court and the appellate courts, in employment tribunals, in regulatory tribunals, and in tribunals in the Isle of Man, where he has a substantial practice.  He has advised on matters in other jurisdictions, including the Cayman Islands, France, Hong Kong, Jersey, St Kitts and Nevis and the UAE.

His practice centres on employment law and on regulatory and professional discipline, particularly where the two meet: doctors, dentists, solicitors, bankers and sportspeople facing disciplinary or fitness-to-practise proceedings alongside employment disputes. He also acts in partnership and company disputes where they overlap with employment issues, in public and administrative law including judicial review, in data protection, and in sports law. He advises and represents in contentious matters from first instructions through to trial and appeal, and advises on non-contentious matters.

Giles undertakes investigations, inquiries and reports in each of these fields. His experience as an advocate, combined with his accreditation as a mediator (ADR Chambers) and workplace mediator (CEDR), makes him well placed to conduct them independently and to help parties resolve disputes without litigation.

Giles was a member of Old Square Chambers for fifteen years before establishing an independent practice. He has been ranked by Chambers and Partners in professional discipline for fourteen consecutive years, currently in band 3, and was ranked by it in employment law. He was ranked by the Legal 500 in professional disciplinary and regulatory law and by Who's Who Legal in employment. Since 2010 he has led, with a junior, in most of his high-profile cases. He has appeared in over fifty reported cases, including twelve in the Court of Appeal and a similar number in the EAT. 

Giles sits on the Welsh Rugby Union disciplinary panel. 

He served for over ten years on the committee of the South Eastern Circuit, including as Treasurer, was a member of the Bar Council, and for six years organised the Circuit's Florida advocacy course, at which he has also trained advocates.  He is a Gray's Inn advocacy trainer.

The directories have described him as "a fantastic advocate who is completely uncompromising in his approach to fighting a case, and an excellent cross-examiner" and "a silk in waiting". Recent comments include:

• "His legal knowledge is extremely good. Giles is a very hard worker and he's a tenacious advocate." (Chambers and Partners, professional discipline)
• "He is a fantastically tenacious junior and is ferocious." (Chambers and Partners, professional discipline)
• "I rate Giles very highly for his tenacity and legal knowledge, particularly in employment law." (Chambers and Partners, employment)
• "A tenacious and knowledgeable advocate." (Legal 500, professional discipline)
• "A skilled advocate, who is very experienced in employment litigation in the medical professional field – very effective in court." (Legal 500) 

Chambers and Partners profile

Giles accepts instructions from solicitors and, where appropriate, directly from clients under the Bar's Public Access scheme. To discuss a matter please contact Giles by email or telephone:

E: gilespowell@gilespowell.co.uk

T: +44 (0)203 089 6996

M: +44 (0)7903 830083

Tyrrhyddid Chambers takes its name from the Welsh Tŷ Rhyddid, "House of Freedom". It reflects Giles's roots in Wales and the work itself: freedom to pursue a career or a profession, freedom from unfair treatment at work, and freedom from regulatory or disciplinary proceedings that are unjustified. Giles established the chambers as an independent practice after fifteen years at Old Square Chambers, and practises from it in London, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff, the Isle of Man and across the UK.