Cross-Border Employment Law Issues

Orrick's Global Employment Law team represents many of the major multinational employers of the world across a broad array of employment law and human resource counseling matters in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Our lawyers provide strategic and results-oriented advice on all aspects of employment disputes and contentious matters before agencies, tribunals and in the courts, with special expertise on discrimination matters, wage-and-hour issues, cross-border trade secret protection and wrongful termination actions. Working with Orrick’s Global Corporate Solutions team, we also provide advice on data privacy and protection issues, employee benefits matters and global equity compensation programs. We have innovative single point of contact representations which allow companies with operations throughout the world to benefit from consistent and high quality advice delivered efficiently and economically.

Counselling

Our cross-border team provides "surgery-style” counselling and drafting assistance to clients on day-to-day employment issues, specific problems and long-term strategies. Examples include employee and executive recruitment and termination; employment contracts, handbooks, policies and procedures; consultancy, secondment and compromise agreements; TUPE transfers on acquisitions, disposals, outsourcing and transfers of leases; downsizing, restructuring, plant closure and relocation exercises (including pan-European and global exercises); union recognition, collective bargaining and works councils issues; restrictive covenants and confidentiality; disciplinary and grievance procedures and performance or absence management; equal pay and all types of discrimination; bonus, share options and other breach of contract claims; wrongful and unfair dismissal allegations; and family friendly rights and applications.

Litigation

Where litigation cannot be avoided, we represent clients in the employment state, federal, tribunal, High Court and on appeal to the higher courts. We recognise that tribunal and court proceedings are extremely stressful and so we work closely with clients and witnesses to minimize the disruption to the business and to ensure that they understand what to expect and how to manage the process. We use valuable settlement tools like mediation where appropriate.

Training

We provide tailored training packages to clients to help them to operate best practices and to manage their workforce most effectively. We also keep clients informed of major developments in employment law as they happen.

Transactions

Our employment experts work with our transactional and real estate lawyers, providing support on the employment aspects of corporate and finance transactions and real estate deals, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity deals, IPOs, joint ventures, outsourcing and service provision changes, lease transfers and commercial property purchases.