Alessandra Gettins

Aley is a Partner in the employment and pensions department and is head of Emergency Services in the firm. Aley manages a team of lawyers providing the full range of employment law advice to health, police, local government clients. Aley has a particular focus on working with emergency services and local government clients, leading the firm’s development of these sectors in the employment team.

Expertise

Aley has particular expertise in issues arising from the implementation of GDPR in relation to workforce matters, workforce streamlining, collaboration and efficiency projects. She also regularly advises on contractual pay disputes, including several large scale multi-party disputes concerning national terms and conditions and the impact of local policies.

She and her team also manage a very high volume of Tribunal litigation work, covering all types of claims and complexity across her clients, ranging from small pay claims and unfair dismissal to high value multi-week discrimination claims.

Notable projects

• Kuteh v Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust [2019] EWCA Civ 818 (religious discrimination claim)
• Andrews v Kings College NHS Foundation Trust & Anor UKEAT/0304/13/RN (part time employee pensions claim)
• Obaidi v Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust [2019] EWHC 2357 (QB): successfully defended an application for a final injunction to prevent a disciplinary investigation taking place.
• Instructed in three linked discrimination Tribunal claims against a police service listed for a total of 13 weeks.
• Advised a consortium of Trusts on a workforce portability project which went on to win the HPMA Award for Innovation 2018.
• Advised on a Part 8 High Court claim concerning the correct interpretation of NHS national terms and conditions.
• Kalar v The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (Tribunal claim: 2201372/2022) – successfully defending this race, disability and discrimination claim which was widely reported in the press, comprising over 270 allegations. Aley and her team secured a costs award against the Claimant.
• Benitez-Gallo v South London and Maudsley NHS FT (Tribunal claim: 6003336/2025) – concerning the correct interpretation of the Medical Act 1983 in circumstances where a doctor has been suspended by the General Medical Council. Aley and her team successfully defended a claim for unfair dismissal, with the judgment confirming that the doctor’s contract had ended by operation of law by virtue of his final GMC suspension for misconduct; he had not been dismissed.

Memberships

• Employment Lawyers Association

Qualifications

• Legal Practice Course, BPP, Distinction, 2008
• LLB Law with French, First Class, University of Hull, 2007
• Diploma in French Law, Mention Bien, Université Grenobles Alpes, France, 2006
• Training contract qualification date: 15 September 2010
• Progressed to Partner: 1 May 2019

Chambers/ Legal 500 rankings

• Legal 500, 2021: ‘Alessandra Gettins has very considerable ability and promise. Very familiar with employment disputes in the NHS. A person of mature judgement.’ (London: Employment: Employers)
• Legal 500, 2024: 'Alessandra Gettins is superb and astute on all matters employment.’ (London: Employers)