International Employment
Our experienced International Team of employment lawyers are dedicated to assisting employers with navigating the full life cycle of employment. We understand the complexities and challenges that come with expanding your business internationally and managing a global workforce, and we are here to provide expert guidance and tailored commercial solutions to help you manage staff with confidence.
Our services
UK market entry: For businesses looking to expand their operations into the UK, we offer strategic advice on how to engage workers effectively. Whether you choose to employ directly, establish a UK entity, or engage an employer of record, we provide guidance on the legal requirements and best practices to help you succeed.
Legal compliance: We advise on all aspects of UK employment law, including salary, sick pay, annual leave, working conditions, discrimination, and termination of employment. Our goal is to ensure that your business operates in full compliance with the UK employment law while fostering a productive and harmonious workplace environment.
Contracts and policies: Compliance with local regulations is crucial. Employment law in the UK requires businesses to provide employees with a written statement of terms of employment. We review and draft contracts and policies tailored to meet the requirements of UK employment law, ensuring that your business remains in compliance while protecting your interests.
TUPE Transfers: Transferring employees between jurisdictions can present complex legal challenges. Our team has extensive experience advising on Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations, ensuring a smooth transition for both employers and employees.
Global network
We collaborate with specialist employment firms globally to provide comprehensive advice tailored to your specific needs. Whether you require guidance on local regulations or assistance with cross-border employment matters, our network of trusted partners ensures that you receive the support you need, wherever you may operate.
We are proud to be a member of illn, an international network of employment law specialists. Through illn, we offer a full range of contentious and non-contentious employment services tailored to the needs of international businesses. With coverage across Europe, our network ensures that you have access to expert advice and support across multiple jurisdictions. Sarah Bull, our nominated international employment expert, is here to serve as your main point of contact for accessing the illn network.
In addition to our partnership with illn, we are proud members of IAG Global. This affiliation grants us access to a vast network of contacts and resources around the world, ensuring that we can meet your needs wherever they may arise.
How we work
We are your “one stop shop” for international projects. We work with a network of carefully selected and trusted firms whom we know well and with whom have established and trusted relationships. We can project manage your international requirements or facilitate introductions, based on your needs.
Recent examples
- Assisted a Dutch law firm by acting as an intermediary for instructions including:
- for a US based client on a restructure for a team that was based in the UK and a subsequent redundancy and settlement advice;
- preparing contracts compliant with the UK for overseas companies based in Europe and the US; and
- providing advice on parental rights for overseas clients.
- Acted for a French communications company co-ordinating a pan European project advising on employment law requirements for engineers working on client sites.
- Assisted a digital publishing business and its US legal counsel with advice regarding a redundancy process and the resulting settlement agreements.
- Act on multiple matters including employment tribunals, exits, major projects and day to day advice, for a well-known specialist travel insurer, including advising on a major project involving realignment of employees and outsourcing of up to 300 employed staff, as well as the transfer of third-party supplier contractors involving another approximately 300 employees of those suppliers to the same outsourced service provider. The second tranche of the exercise involves the new service provider to outsourcing much of the work to South Africa. We have advised on the existing contracts and drafted bespoke employment indemnities and TUPE provisions in the service agreement.
- Acted for a management consultancy which operates in East Africa, and its directors, in defending a significant claim by its former Finance Director for race discrimination, unfair dismissal claim, whistleblowing and unlawful deductions / breach of contracts.
- Acted for a US headquartered investment management firm co-ordinating all their employment law advice across Europe and collaborating with their US counsel on global projects such as a global handbook.
- Advised a German mining client on the transition of circa 150 employees. Advice included:
- negotiating and managing employee documentation and employment provisions on the commercial documentation; and
- attending on site to assist with consultations and working with owner’s lawyers to coordinate all employment documents.
