Rebecca Ford

Full Profile

Rebecca is a partner in the MENA employment team of Clyde & Co LLP, based in Dubai and has worked in the Middle East since 2008.

Before joining Clyde & Co LLP in 2012, Rebecca was a partner in a large regional firm based in Dubai and prior to that was the head of the European, Asia and Australian employment team in a global financial institution based in London.

Rebecca has particular expertise in employment disputes and has managed high profile employment litigation for clients in the High Court of England & Wales in London, as well as the UAE and DIFC courts.  She is a registered practitioner of the DIFC Court.  Rebecca also advises on, and undertakes workplace investigations and advises on the employment aspects arising from multidisciplinary compliance issues.

Rebecca advises on all aspects of employment law and immigration issues arising from employment in the Middle East, in a variety of different sectors, with a particular focus on financial services, oil & gas, and education.  She advises on issues arising across the employment cycle, from employment contracts and policies, employee relations and incentives, to termination issues and disputes. 

Rebecca also advises on the key challenges faced by employers in the modern work environment, including global mobility, working hours, use of social media, the protection of confidential information, and alternative business, incentive and retention structures.

Rebecca is recognised as a Band 1 leading individual by Chambers & Partners and is listed in Who's Who Legal, Management Labour & Employment.

Chambers & Partners report market commentators to have said that Rebecca is "knowledgeable, efficient, practical and a pleasure to deal with" and is recognised for her understanding of "local law and nuances in practice".

She is regularly asked to speak at industry events, in Dubai and abroad, and has contributed UAE chapters to PLC Labour and Employee Benefits multi-jurisdictional guide (2010), Employment and Labour Law, Global Legal Insights (First Edition), Pensions & Retirement Plans, Law Business Research, and Social Media and Employment Law, An International Survey, Wolters Kluwer 2015.

Experience

• Acting on behalf of clients on claims brought in the Dubai International Financial Centre, both in the Small Claims Tribunal and Court of First Instance.Cases in the DIFC Court of First Instance include:
  • Pierre Eric Lys v. Elseco: CFI012/2014
  • BGC Brokers v. Mourad: CFI027/2013
  • Richard Hewitt v. IPRS: CFI012/2011
  • Ghassan Kteily Elias v. Julius Baer (Middle East) Limited: CFI014/2009
  • Michael Killian v. Dubai Aerospace (DAE) Limited: CFI009/2009
• Advising a company on the termination of employment of a number of senior executives for regulatory breaches identified following an internal investigation; managing the litigation in successful defence of the claims brought by two of the executives against the company in the UAE Labour Court.
• Advising a financial service institution in the DIFC following the resignation of some of its staff, on the protection of confidential information and enforcement of post-termination restrictions.
• Advising a large multinational company in the oil & gas sector on a global redundancy programme; advising on its liabilities across the Middle East and fulfilling a project management role in coordinating legal advice across 21 jurisdictions.
• Working with an education provider and advising on its contracts of employment for teaching and administrative staff; guiding the client on the applicable federal and emirate-level laws and regulations
• Advising a consultancy and IT services company on a legal and immigration project, covering the transfer of employees and secondment of employees across free zones and between onshore and free zone entities in the UAE.
• Advising a food manufacturer on a global employee performance incentive plan, including enforceability of post-termination restrictions, clawback and forfeiture provisions