Employment Law

 

Issues in employment law can be particularly contentious. Not only is the law itself complex, but disputes by definition involve people working closely together. Conflict can escalate quickly. Foresight and planning to prevent issues arising is key.
 

We help our clients navigate employment issues including:
 

• Employee contracts 

• Compensation, benefits, incentives & employee share schemes

• Performance management, termination & employee exit strategies

• Confidentiality, competition & non-compete issues

• Redundancy & restructuring

• Bullying & harassment claims

• Visas, immigration & other issues around employing international talent
   

We assist with all aspects of employment law. We offer pragmatic, actionable advice, always focused on commercial benefit to our client. A common theme is the benefit of planning proactively rather than responding after the event. A little preparation can pay off handsomely in the long run.

 

Establishing an Employment Framework
 

Documented policies and expectations, shared with staff, lead to fewer issues and a better process and outcome in dealing with them.
 

We can assist with the development of company policies, employee manuals, handbooks and contracts. This ensures you are prepared to handle challenges including:
 

• Injuries sustained while working

• Information leakage

• An exodus of key staff to a direct competitor

• Confusion or uncertainty about bonus schemes
   

For businesses operating internationally in many cultures, harassment, discrimination and gift-giving are areas of potentially damaging controversy. Clear policies and ground rules are effective options to minimise risk.

 

Employment Disputes
 

We handle many termination-related disputes, where people have resigned and moved to a competitor or opened their own business in the same territory. While employment law is generally supportive of free trade, there are some protections available for businesses facing issues. 
 

Client poaching and data leakage are different but often connected issues, where more options may be available. We can assist with cases including the theft of trade secrets and confidential information.

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Employee Compensation
 

Compensation is a key part of the battle to attract and retain talent, especially in the hi-tech and start-up sectors. 
 

If you are a start-up or early-stage company, employee share options and other benefits structures will help you compete for staff. Getting the formula right is vital. Your agreement must consider not only current conditions and valuation, but many future scenarios, including public listing, mergers and acquisitions. Employee milestones must be carefully defined to drive desired behaviour and performance. Tax implications must also be evaluated.
 

We explore detailed scenarios to ensure your scheme is robust enough to deliver results and protect your business not just today but for the future.

 
 

Our Experience
 

We combine a pragmatic focus on the client’s commercial needs with a proactive approach. 
 

Our recent experience includes:
 

• Advising both employers and employees about post termination trade restriction issues

• Acting for parties in contentious post termination trade matters

• Setting up Employee Share Ownership Schemes for companies, in particular start-up and new ventures with IPO intentions