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 also highly political. As such it is subject to more changes and developments than any other area of law.

The employment arena today is a far more litigious environment. Employers and employees come into dispute over a wide range of issues, from remuneration to restraint of trade. Litigation is fuelled by both the increase in legislation generally but also the perception that significant damages are awarded by Employment Tribunals, a perception that is often misconceived. However, this means that navigating employment law carries with it greater risk and necessitates the use of increasingly complex legal and commercial strategies.

For employers, 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 of their actions and 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.

For employees, termination of employment, whether voluntary or otherwise, can be a traumatic experience; a time when former certainties and structures cease to exist. Having tough but pragmatic advisers can make all the difference.

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.

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 advise employers and employees on how to resolve disputes as quickly and effectively as possible, and 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 the return on their investment.

We have a strong reputation as high level strategists, with a fearlessness based on experience and know how. We maintain a commercial and realistic approach to what you can achieve and will always offer clear timescales as well as outlining the investment, financial and otherwise, that will be involved. We are risk managers with a very good understanding of when to take a risk and when to minimise it. We retain a sense of realism, yet appreciate how traumatic and time-consuming litigation can be.

Reputation management is important to our clients and to this end we will always take a carefully considered view. We work towards a result that enables our client to move on, with our approach reflecting longer term needs and goals.

Our Employment Department has worked in most business sectors, from financial services to entertainment and everything in between. We also have a depth of experience in the complex and unique peculiarities of LLPs, private equity and hedge funds. We understand the regulatory environment and have expertise in it, often combining our Employment Department and Finance and Banking team to achieve optimum results.

Having worked on some of the biggest and most complex litigation cases, we have a deep understanding of the judicial system – we know and maintain close relationships with the best people operating in the litigation market, from investigators to barristers, leveraging those relationships to our clients’ advantage.

Services

Our expertise covers all employment disputes relating to:

• Discrimination
• Breach of contract
• Unfair and wrongful dismissal
• Restrictive covenants enforcement and avoidance
• Employee fraud and breach of confidence
• Bonus claims
• Redundancy and Executive terminations
• Directors duties and liabilities
• Employee / Director / Shareholder disputes
• Employment Tribunal and High Court litigation
• Dismissals and restructuring
• Mishcon Enable™ - Bespoke Training and Document Packages.