Don O’Sullivan, former chief executive officer of Battersea Power Station, has filed an unfair dismissal claim against Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC) and four senior Malaysian executives at the business.
O’Sullivan, who joined Battersea Power Station as CEO in June 2024, was dismissed from the role in May 2025. O’Sullivan claims he was dismissed on “trumped-up charges” of gross misconduct after blowing the whistle over alleged financial misreporting.
The case is ongoing in the London South Employment Tribunal and has been listed for final hearing in 2029.
Don O’Sullivan is represented by John Hayes of Constantine Law and Stefan Brochwicz-Lewinski of Nine Chambers in Manchester. Battersea Power Station is represented by Brown Rudnick Solicitors and Jane McCafferty KC of 11 KBW.
John Hayes, managing partner at Constantine Law, said: “Don O’Sullivan’s claim will possibly be one of London’s highest profile and most valuable whistleblowing claims because it involves one of London’s most respected developers taking on a case against an iconic London development, owned ultimately by the Malaysian state. The case raises very important questions about the integrity of financial reporting at Battersea. It is regrettable that the delays in the employment tribunal system have resulted in the case being listed for hearing in 2029, but it is important that the case is now in the public domain. It will be extremely hard fought.”
A Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC) spokesperson said: “We strongly deny and are robustly defending the unfounded allegations made by Mr O’Sullivan in the employment tribunal. There are no claims made by Mr O’Sullivan relating to Battersea Power Station Development Company’s (BPSDC) accounts. BPSDC manages the Battersea Power Station estate ultimately on behalf of Battersea Project Holding Company, the holding company of the 42-acre regeneration project.
“Battersea Project Holding Company appointed highly regarded forensic accountants to independently investigate historic claims. Whilst the two forensic accountants reports deal with confidential matters, the conclusion reached was that Mr O’Sullivan’s concerns were not borne out, no further investigation was warranted and accounting practices employed by Battersea Project Holding Company Limited adhere to international accounting standards. Its accounts have always been audited and signed off by PwC, one of the big four accounting firms.
“With the recent appointment of a master planner to shape the remaining 16 acres of the regeneration project, and with construction of two new Gehry-designed buildings set to commence in the coming months, Battersea Power Station is entering its next chapter and looking at how it can evolve the already thriving neighbourhood for the future needs of London and beyond. Adhering to the confidential nature of employment tribunal procedures, we cannot comment on this matter further at this time.”
