Employment

Employment law is ubiquitous.  As an area of law that is intrinsic to all organisations and affects every working member of the public, it is a highly political arena.  There has been an increase in the level of European legislation affecting the UK, ensuring that employment law is high on the political agenda both domestically and internationally.  As such it is subject to more alterations and additions than any other area of law.

Growing legislation means that navigating the minefield of employment law carries with it greater risk and necessitates the use of increasingly complex strategies. The employment arena today is a far more litigious environment, with stakes becoming higher and litigation fuelled by the perceived pot of gold at the end of the employment tribunal.

As such effective risk management is more important than ever. Managers at every level must be equipped with the information to allow them to understand the potential pitfalls and most importantly to recognise when to ask for help. Additionally, the management of employment issues on a global level and an understanding of the complexity of employment law across jurisdictions is vital.

Over recent years tax and risk management strategies have led businesses particularly within Professional Services and Financial Services, to structure themselves in different ways. Specifically we have seen the rise of LLPs with members rather than employees which bring with them their own set of issues.

An investment in employment law upfront will help your business grow in the long term, not only allowing you to protect your business and reducing costs if something goes wrong, but enabling you to differentiate yourself from competitors in your market.

Why we are different

As one of few firms acting at the highest level for both employers and employees, we have a unique understanding of tactics deployed by both sides and a balanced understanding of the issues involved. We have worked in most business sectors, from entertainment to financial services and everything in between. We have a depth of experience in the complex and unique peculiarities of LLPs, private equity and venture capital firms.
 

We have a strong reputation as high level strategists, with a fearlessness based on experience and know how. We are risk managers with a very good understanding of when to take it and when to minimise it.

In cases where the relationship between employer and employee becomes contentious, we have a reputation for having a tenacious and creative approach to litigation. We are adept at applying proportionate force at the appropriate time. We find that this not only offers our clients the best chance of success, but also minimises the costs they incur and maximises their return on investment.

Having worked on some of the biggest and most complex litigation cases we have a deep understanding of the litigation and judicial system – we know and maintain close relationships the best people leveraging them quickly to our clients’ advantage.

We are proud of our record in helping our clients’ businesses to grow by attracting and retaining the very best talent, as well providing them with tools and knowledge to enable them to handle everyday issues for themselves. 

Services

• Practical commercial day-to-day HR advice
• Director's service agreements and contracts of employment
• Staff handbooks
• Employment Tribunal and High Court litigation
• Restrictive covenants, confidential information and database and data protection
• Business acquisitions and disposals including TUPE
• Dismissals, including redundancy and restructuring
• Discrimination
• Directors' duties and liabilities
• Trade Unions, collective agreements and staff consultation committees.
• Development and Training Services
• LLPs and Partnerships
• Regulatory

Contact

Joanna Blackburn
Telephone: +44(0)20 7440 7162

E-mail: joanna.blackburn@mishcon.com