We help companies succeed with their most important asset – their people.
Employees determine whether a business sinks or swims. As their employer, you want to treat them right. We can help you stay compliant with employment laws and regulations. We draft employee contracts and handbooks, handle internal investigations, discipline and terminations, help with workforce restructurings and business transfers. We provide effective and pragmatic employment law advice that helps achieve your business objectives.
Since we practice in both the US and UK, we are well suited to help international companies in both countries. We have experience harmonizing policies and procedures between the two countries, taking account of the differences in their laws. Since we have a lot of experience representing plaintiffs, we can make sure your own way of doing business is so well-organized it is less likely to be challenged.
Employment Contracts
We can handle the legal aspects of hiring new people or setting up new operations in the UK or US, including contracts with employees and contractors, confidentiality and proprietary information agreements, employee handbooks and HR guides. We can also draft complex contracts for senior employees including appropriate restrictive covenants.
Settlement Agreements
We can represent you as employees leave, whether by their choice or yours. We can help you avoid disputes and also to resolve them, including terminations for misconduct or poor performance.
Downsizing and Terminations
If you want to downsize or close your operations, we can help you navigate the complex rules that govern changing your employees’ terms and conditions. We can help you follow fair procedures to minimize the risk of potential legal claims.
Disciplinary and Policies
We can help conduct internal investigations, disciplinary proceedings and grievances, advise your HR staff and make sure your policies match best practice in your industry.
Staff Handbooks
We can review your employee handbook and make sure it’s up to date, compliant and effective.
Examples of our work
- A US company wanted to close its UK office which would involve a number of redundancies.
We advised the client what redundancy procedures to follow, including the company’s consultation obligations and the redundancy payments owed to each employee.
- A service accommodation company wanted to take over a similar company with offices in England, Paris and Singapore.
We prepared a due diligence report analysing the company’s liabilities and obligations under TUPE, and liaised with foreign counsel to assess the same under French and Singapore employment laws.
- A senior manager sexually harassed one of his team members at the office Christmas party, who subsequently raised a grievance regarding her treatment.
We advised the company how to deal with the grievance and the resulting disciplinary action that was taken against the harasser.