Hannah Crisp
Image of Hannah Crisp

Hannah Crisp

Counsel

Hannah is an employment litigator with extensive experience gained over more than a decade protecting businesses in the face of complex, high-stakes employment disputes.

Hannah’s main expertise lies in bringing and defending claims in the High Court arising out of team moves and the alleged misuse of confidential information by employees, and defending high-value whistleblowing and discrimination claims in the Employment Tribunal. Her practice spans multiple sectors: she has acted for clients in the banking, financial services, insurance, TMT, life sciences, and consumer sectors, including in several high-profile disputes and appeals.

Hannah’s expertise has been recognised in Chambers where she is ranked for both Employment and High Court Employment Litigation. She is one of only two ‘Star Associates’ for Employment and one of only 16 individuals in the market ranked for High Court Employment Litigation.

In addition to her disputes practice, Hannah regularly advises on issues that carry the highest risk of employment litigation. She supports clients with investigations involving senior and board-level individuals, and with negotiating and managing the departure of senior executives and board members.

Hannah brings a multidisciplinary approach to complex disputes, drawing on the firm’s deep expertise across intellectual property and contentious financial services regulation in relation to investigations and claims arising out of the employment relationship – including collaborating with colleagues on copyright infringement claims, misuse of trade secrets claims, and whistleblowing investigations.

Expertise

Experience

Representative matters

  • A multinational fintech in the pursuit of claims related to alleged misuse of confidential information and copyright infringement, and solicitation of employees in the High Court. 
  • A global financial institution in the defence of a whistleblowing and unfair dismissal claim, including the successful defence of an application for interim relief.
  • A multinational wealth management company on a complex investigation into anonymous whistleblowing allegations regarding historic advice.
  • A bank in the successful defence of a high-profile, complex whistleblowing claim brought by a former compliance professional, working with colleagues in our regulatory team on related advice. 
  • A global financial institution in the defence of discrimination and victimisation claims by a job applicant in the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal.

Pro bono

  • Advising on the employment aspects of the merger of four Welsh mental health and substance misuse charities and the creation of a new charity, Adferiad Recovery.
  • Advising a disability charity on obligations under UK discrimination law to support a project encouraging third parties to make reasonable adjustments.

Published Work

  • “Innocent until proven knowing” (2020), Article in ELA Briefing

Speaking Engagements

  • Guest speaker, Introduction to the UK SMCR, Financial Services Lawyers Association (Junior Lawyers event), January 2023

 

Leadership Positions And Professional Affiliations

  • Member, Employment Lawyers Association (UK)

Recognition

Hannah has a great commercial mindset and is an encyclopaedia of information in terms of the law
Chambers & Partners, 2024
She is really detail-oriented and has great judgement
Chambers & Partners, 2024

Qualifications

Admissions

Solicitor, England and Wales, 2014

Academic

LLB (Hons), Law, College of Law, 2011

BA (Hons), History, University College London, 2009

Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.