In an era of unprecedented mobility, proactive employment advice is crucial. Our “highly professional [and] people-oriented” team deals at boardroom level, acting for employers or for senior directors. We give contentious and non-contentious advice sometimes acting on high-profile cases such as BSkyB’s acquisition of Easynet and the Royal Mail football violence cases.
Whether faced with a routine matter or a one-off complex issue which is of huge significance for our client, we are always prepared to offer practical solutions in everyday language. We never send out long dissertations. When a client presents us with a problem, we respond with a solution.
This expanding team works from our London and Guildford offices, but we can call upon our overseas offices and network when required. We service a roster of household name clients, from sectors including financial services, facility management, media and transport. Examples of our clients are Allianz, DHL, G4S Securicor, Hodder Headline, Malaysian Airlines, Panasonic, QBE, Sky and Sony Ericsson.
Contentious
Tact, sensitivity and strong people skills are prerequisites for good employment lawyers. Our “excellent manner” and capacity for winning extremely difficult cases have allowed us to build up an enviable reputation. We represent clients at tribunals, in the High Court and on appeal. We react quickly in difficult situations, especially around team moves, abuse of confidential information, breach of fiduciary duty and restrictive covenants. Where litigation can be avoided, we find other solutions and are keen advocates for mediation in employment issues.
In the contentious area, we advise on:
• Boardroom disputes and fiduciary duties
• Breach of contract, confidentiality, restrictive covenants
• Complex whistleblowing cases
• Diversity issues (race, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation and religious belief)
• Dismissals and redundancies
• Transfer of undertakings (TUPE)
Non-contentious
A significant percentage of our work is advisory. We draft contracts, handbooks, policies and procedures and provide client-facing education and bespoke training programmes. TUPE issues are also a particular specialism of the group as is immigration via a dedicated partner and team; allowing maximum mobility of workers across the globe. When dealing on corporate transactions or senior employee or team moves, we regularly advise on benefits and share option schemes.
In the non-contentious area, subjects on which we advise include:
• Drafting contracts and agreements for all circumstances and positions
• Drafting employee handbooks and procedures
• Working Time Regulations
• Tax, pensions and National Insurance
• Immigration procedures and advice
• Health and safety regulations
• Maternity, parental leave and flexible working issues
• Transfer of undertakings (TUPE) and collective consultation issues
We also regularly work closely with our company commercial team providing employment advice on restructurings, M&As, MBOs and all kinds of transactions.