Employment - London - McDermott Will & Emery

Employment - London

“McDermott offers consistently high-quality advice and efficient case management. It has been involved in some of the biggest employment cases within the financial sector, advising BGC Brokers on injunction proceedings brought by Tullett Prebon and assisting Dresdner Kleinwort with its sale to Commerzbank.” Chambers UK 2011

We work in partnership with our clients to identify the potential legal implications of workplace issues, to develop comprehensive programs that will limit legal exposure and to defend clients in litigation effectively.

Our experience is broad because our clients are diverse and include corporations, large and small, across a wide range of industries such as finance, facilities management, property, sport and leisure, construction, manufacturing, media and publishing, retail, technology and others. Such breadth of experience allows us to provide insightful advice.

We also provide clients with in-house training workshops and networking seminars. Our clients also receive Employment Alert, a customised e-mail service identifying the impact of major employment law developments as they happen.

Our practice covers all areas of employment law:

Day-to-day employment law advice and support
This forms the backbone of what we do, and is the basis of our relationship with our clients, allowing us to understand the structure of their businesses, and learn which issues are key to their values and what matters to their business and its success. We regularly advise on matters relating to recruitment, as well as the ending of employment, including unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, severance strategy and negotiation and compromise agreements.

We work with clients to find methods of working through internal grievances and addressing disciplinary matters with the least business disruption. We have a wealth of experience defending our clients against claims, including discrimination claims. Therefore, we have the experience to know how certain employer actions and reactions would be perceived by a Tribunal and so can guide and support our clients through the relevant process to best prevent or defend claims against it.

Contract amendment and negotiation
We routinely draft and assist our clients with the negotiation of the terms of employment documentation, including service agreements, standard terms and conditions, and employment policies. We can assist our clients to plan and carry through a program of contract change.

Re-organisation and disposal
The team regularly advises on the employment aspects of business change, including disposals, acquisitions and outsourcings, including all aspects of the TUPE analysis and process, collective consultation, minimising severance liabilities, plant closures and relocations, changing terms and conditions, and the integration of businesses/workforces.

Our lawyers also have the experience and knowledge to assist clients in conducting effective and streamlined collective redundancy processes.

Protection of company assets
We have cutting-edge experience in the process of protecting a company’s assets, including its confidential information and trade secrets, client base and workforce, through the use of restrictive covenants, springboard injunctions and invoking the obligations derived from fiduciary duties.

Disputes
We have defended our clients in some of the most high-profile and difficult High Court and Employment Tribunal litigation in recent years. Once the decision is taken to defend we are known as being one of the hardest fighters for our clients. We take responsibility for delivering the outcome the client seeks in the case.

Collective issues
We are experienced in the complete range of collective issues, including employee consultation structures, UK national and European works councils, industrial disputes, electing employee representatives and union recognition.

Data protection
We advise on data protection and privacy issues concerning employees, including restrictions on the use and storage of personal data and monitoring of employee activities (e.g., via telephone and e-mail or use of the internet).

View the London Employment brochure