£76 million employment tribunal claim
In this case Charles defeated the application for a deposit order on an extraordinary schedule of loss
September 2026
Charles Price, of No5 Barristers’ Chambers, represented Shannon Burns in employment tribunal proceedings arising from her dismissal from Gitpod, in a case which has allowed her to pursue a claim for compensation in excess of £76 million.
Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g8-pxbtW
For any further information about counsel’s practice, or to instruct Charles, please contact the clerking team at employment@no5.com.
Shannon Burns, a senior technology executive and former Vice President of Engineering at Gitpod, filed claims stemming from the way she was treated during her employment and the events surrounding her dismissal.
Ms Burns worked for Gitpod on a salary of roughly £220,000, along with a considerable annual bonus. She had earlier occupied senior roles in the technology industry, including positions at companies such as Slack and Lyft.
The case dealt with, among other things, matters relating to Ms Burns’ disability and the way she was treated after an off-site company event in Austria in April 2023. Ms Burns has ADHD and argued that issues arising from the trip, including an incident in which she could not get into her accommodation and later slept in a sauna, were subsequently relied upon in the circumstances that led to her dismissal.
In the earlier case, The Employment Tribunal ruled in Ms Burns’ favour on her disability discrimination claims.
The case has now progressed to the issue of compensation. Ms Burns’ Schedule of Loss values her claim at approximately £76.07 million, including substantial alleged future losses resulting from the effect of the dismissal on her career in the technology sector.
The Respondents then attempted to cap the value of the claims through a deposit order. The Employment Tribunal refused that application, permitting Ms Burns to continue pursuing her claim at the level set out in her Schedule of Loss.
The Tribunal has also addressed applications relating to costs and disclosure. In particular, Gitpod was ordered to supply information about the value of its acquisition by OpenAI, which is relevant to Ms Burns’ claims regarding her interests in the company.
The possible value of the compensation claim is unusual by employment tribunal standards. Ms Burns’ case raises complex issues involving future loss, career progression, remuneration in the technology sector and the value of equity interests.
The claim is still to be decided at the compensation stage. The £76 million figure is the compensation Ms Burns is seeking and is not an award made by the Employment Tribunal.
Charles Price has around 25 years’ experience advising and representing claimants and respondents in employment tribunal proceedings, with particular expertise in complex employment litigation involving discrimination, whistleblowing, unfair dismissal and high-value compensation claims.
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