Our employment team helps clients manage their workforce effectively

Our employment & advisory team provides a complete range of assistance to clients on employment issues from day-to-day advisory matters, to managing project and transactional work.

Our services include disciplinary and grievance issues, terminations, redundancy programmes, enforceability of post-termination restrictive covenants, business restructuring and outsourcing. We assist with the drafting, development and implementation of employment contracts, employee handbooks and company policies. We also advise on working hours, TUPE, data protection issues, equal opportunities and all other workplace discrimination disputes.

In the fast moving area of employment law we are consistently adapting to, and creating methods of dealing with, new employment legislation. In recent years, this has led to the formulation of standard documentation to deal with GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, as well as the changes to the off payroll working rules and to section 1 statements from April 2020. We also report on developments in the law quickly, helping our clients to develop new strategies and approaches to deal with these changes.

We know that employment matters can escalate quickly, and pride ourselves on being available and responsive to our clients. We take a proactive approach, anticipating issues before they arise.

Our Employment & Advisory Work

  • All
  • Asia Pacific
  • Middle East
  • UK & Europe
  • Advised Uber VB on employment matters across the MEA region

    Advised Uber VB on employment legal risks and issues arising from the introduction of new products and initiatives for both the Mobility and Delivery businesses across the MEA region, and provided advice on HR employment matters across the MEA region.

    Egypt

    Reorganisation of GlaxoSmithKline’s R&D Centre

    Advising on the structuring and establishment of GlaxoSmithKline’s R&D Centre in Shanghai, as well as on all employment issues and documentation, compliance and corporate governance issues, and employee inventor remuneration issues and implementation of a formal scheme

    China

    Advising an international accounting firm on the restructure of its workforce

    Advising an international accounting firm on the restructure of its workforce, including introducing reduced hours, sabbaticals, change from full time to part time employment and a reduction in salary and benefits (including drafting communications to employees and contractual documentation effecting the changes)

    United Arab Emirates

    Cross-border restructuring and integration in financial services

    Advising a global financial services organisation across multiple European jurisdictions on the complex cross- border restructuring and integration which followed two major acquisitions, including co-ordination with workers councils, and advice on the interaction between redundancy processes, the implementation of new terms and how to handle dealings with the recognised union.

    United Kingdom

    Employment advice for the acquisition of an insurance company

    Advising an Australian insurance company on the acquisition of a European Insurer involving the coordination of advice in France, Germany and Spain

    Australia

    Employment advice to an international airline

    Advising a major international airline on employment contracts, handbooks and policies, as well as incentives and benefits, and a successful defence of employee claims for unlawful dismissal in relation to breach of company policies.

    China

    Employment law work for a global cosmetics company

    Handling all employment law work across the UK for a global cosmetics company operating under many brands, including providing guidance on how to treat employees who were approaching, or had reached, 65 when the legislation relating to default retirement ages ceased to have effect.

    United Kingdom

    GBP 595 million purchase by Chubb Security with TUPE and collective consultation issues

    Advised on the GBP 595 million purchase by Chubb Security of Rentokil Initial Electronic Security, including all TUPE and collective consultation issues, including rationalisation and integration of management structures

    United Kingdom

    Long term sick leave employee management

    Advising an airline on managing an employee on long term sickness absence where the third party PHI provider declined to continue making payments following surveillance evidence

    United Kingdom

    Multinational fashion conglomerate employment and immigration matters

    Advising a multinational fashion conglomerate on employment and immigration matters pertaining to the staffing of its new jewellery and accessories outlets in Qatar

    Qatar
  • Employment advice for the acquisition of an insurance company

    Advising an Australian insurance company on the acquisition of a European Insurer involving the coordination of advice in France, Germany and Spain

    Australia

    Employment advice to an international airline

    Advising a major international airline on employment contracts, handbooks and policies, as well as incentives and benefits, and a successful defence of employee claims for unlawful dismissal in relation to breach of company policies.

    China

    Reorganisation of GlaxoSmithKline’s R&D Centre

    Advising on the structuring and establishment of GlaxoSmithKline’s R&D Centre in Shanghai, as well as on all employment issues and documentation, compliance and corporate governance issues, and employee inventor remuneration issues and implementation of a formal scheme

    China

    Multiple employment contracts advice

    Advising clients regularly on drafting, negotiation and interpretation of employment contracts, scope of business-critical restrictive covenants and implications of breaches

    Singapore
  • Advised Uber VB on employment matters across the MEA region

    Advised Uber VB on employment legal risks and issues arising from the introduction of new products and initiatives for both the Mobility and Delivery businesses across the MEA region, and provided advice on HR employment matters across the MEA region.

    Egypt

    Multinational fashion conglomerate employment and immigration matters

    Advising a multinational fashion conglomerate on employment and immigration matters pertaining to the staffing of its new jewellery and accessories outlets in Qatar

    Qatar

    Advising an international accounting firm on the restructure of its workforce

    Advising an international accounting firm on the restructure of its workforce, including introducing reduced hours, sabbaticals, change from full time to part time employment and a reduction in salary and benefits (including drafting communications to employees and contractual documentation effecting the changes)

    United Arab Emirates
  • Cross-border restructuring and integration in financial services

    Advising a global financial services organisation across multiple European jurisdictions on the complex cross- border restructuring and integration which followed two major acquisitions, including co-ordination with workers councils, and advice on the interaction between redundancy processes, the implementation of new terms and how to handle dealings with the recognised union.

    United Kingdom

    Employment law work for a global cosmetics company

    Handling all employment law work across the UK for a global cosmetics company operating under many brands, including providing guidance on how to treat employees who were approaching, or had reached, 65 when the legislation relating to default retirement ages ceased to have effect.

    United Kingdom

    GBP 595 million purchase by Chubb Security with TUPE and collective consultation issues

    Advised on the GBP 595 million purchase by Chubb Security of Rentokil Initial Electronic Security, including all TUPE and collective consultation issues, including rationalisation and integration of management structures

    United Kingdom

    Long term sick leave employee management

    Advising an airline on managing an employee on long term sickness absence where the third party PHI provider declined to continue making payments following surveillance evidence

    United Kingdom

    TUPE and outsourcing advice to airlines

    Advising an airline on the implications of TUPE on the transfer baggage handling services from one external provider to a new provider.  Further, advising another airline on the implications of outsourcing for the first time.

    United Kingdom

Our Employment & Advisory team

Christian Alvarado
Christian Alvarado

Partner

Alison Beanum
Alison Beanum

Partner

Ben Brown
Ben Brown

Partner

Carrie Chen
Carrie Chen

Local Partner, Westlink Partnership

Thomas Choo
Thomas Choo

Managing Partner

Emma Higham
Emma Higham

Partner

Robert Hill
Robert Hill

Partner

Chris Holme
Chris Holme

Partner

Gloria Jones
Gloria Jones

Consultant

George Karayannides, Q.Arb
George Karayannides, Q.Arb

Partner

Sara Khoja
Sara Khoja

Partner

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