Full Profile

Emma has been based in Qatar for over 16 years and prior to becoming a lawyer, she was an accountant working with a Big 4 firm. During her extensive career in the region, she has seen and contributed to clients’ growth and strategic planning. Emma’s practice covers all aspects of Qatar employment and immigration law in both the State and the QFC. She has a diverse global mobility immigration practice for multinational clients assisting with all aspects of their people mobilisation schemes (and dependants).

In addition, to her Qatar practice, she also oversees the regional team’s Oman work.

Clients in this year's Legal 500, referred to "The 'absolutely outstanding' Emma Higham focuses on employment issues and 'goes above and beyond' for her clients, providing 'in-depth knowledge of the law and practice in Qatar'.”

Experience

• Advising an international Qatar based consultancy in relation to the termination of two employees' employment and one consultancy agreement for breach of confidentiality and use of employer knowhow and Intellectual Property Rights.
• Advising a Qatar based regulator in relation to HSE regulatory amendments post COVID 19 office working restrictions.
• Advising an international Qatar based aviation specialist joint venture in relation to the actions which it needed to undertake regarding the detention of its public relations officer (PRO) and authorised immigration signatory for visa trafficking; we also provided immigration support in the short term whilst the PRO was being detained.
• Advising a global information technology client to mobilise its Qatar start-up team following on from the work undertaken in the previous year to draft the start-up team's employment contracts and review and amend international policies and procedures for use by the Qatar business.
• Advising an international aviation consultant on its Qatar Financial Centre and State branch's company secretarial, immigration, employment and other commercial matters, including in relation to banking services, change of signatory and change of name.
• Advising a Qatar based international Embassy in relation to employee termination for misuse of social media, including advising in relation to the internal investigation, documents to be drafted and circulated and subsequent cancellation of visas and repatriation.
• Advising an international higher education provider in relation to jurisdictional restructuring and withdrawal, including drafting “change” documentation, cross border compliant settlement agreements, instructing local counsel and supervising the management of labour claims and instructing UK counsel in relation to a cross border dispute.
• Adjudicating on a complaint made by an ex QFCA employee to the employment standard office (ESO) in relation to the calculation of his termination monies; Clyde & Co instructed in order to provide an independent adjudication.
• Acting as the ESO in relation to a complaint made by a current QFCA employee in relation to his annual recreational membership purchase and reimbursement.
• Advising the QFCA on an application for interim relief in the QFC Civil and Commercial Court.
• Advising a QFCA licensed bank on matters concerning an internal audit investigation and related disciplinary process against authorised employees in the context of its wider regulatory structure and obligations.