Europe, Middle East & Africa Employment Law
Seyfarth Shaw has one of the best International Employment Law practices in the world. The firm acts for a significant number of the US Fortune 500 companies and is a powerhouse in this ever more complex area of law. Our multi-qualified international employment team based in London works with clients in a wide variety of industries on international employment law matters ranging from individual dismissals/ hires in one EMEA country, up to complex global restructures, international investigations or ethical HR issues that carry severe reputational risk. We also have a world leading practice in supply chain human capital integrity issues.
HOW WE HELP
Understanding the commercial objectives of our international clients, along with our vast experience in working across all of the EMEA jurisdictions, enables us to provide solution-focused and world class legal advice. Our key differentiator is having an International Employment Law team where know-how is concentrated in a streamlined structure. This means that all of our clients receive the benefit of all our combined experience in dealing with international employment matters across EMEA and globally. We often work in tandem with our APAC team to provide global support to clients on some the largest of international employment law projects in the world. Seyfarth has advised on types of matters that most other firms simply have not.
In the UK, our employment law team offers both a national platform, covering the full range of employment law services, and an international gateway to serve our clients' EMEA and global employment needs. Our team is known for experience and skill in the UK and across Europe and understands the complexity of operating across multiple jurisdictions as is also typical of our client base. We manage our work so it is done by the person best suited to the task, to take advantage of previous subject matter and jurisdiction experience. We regularly accomplish international projects with fewer lawyers touching the matter than is the model for our competitors.
We can also provide single country support to our global clients in the region, with fluent capability and local qualification on French, Italian, and Spanish law as well as English employment law. Lawyers in the office are qualified in the UK, the United States, Spain, France, Italy, and Canada. Our deep knowledge of managing international employment law issues, coupled with our strong connections with a network of best-in-class local counsel in the region and beyond, allows us to provide a world class legal service across the region.
As our team’s reputation in the UK continues to grow, more local and EMEA based clients are looking to Seyfarth as an alternative to the traditional UK based international law firms.
Recent examples of our multi-disciplinary work spanning the EMEA region and beyond include:
- Completed the world’s largest ever and most successful workforce restructure—covering 152 countries—including the most countries in the EMEA region. We advised our client regarding the implementation of successive collective redundancies, plant closures, and outsourcing and spin-off transactions.
- Designed the strategy, drafted the documents and assisted with the implementation of the global employment structure and country-specific arrangements covering operations in more than 75 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America for a pharmaceutical research business.
- Advised about the local language and documentation requirements for HR-related documents for employees in 47 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America for one of the world’s largest consumer brands.
- Advised about the health and safety legal obligations across Europe, including providing face-to-face pan-European training for European plant managers, for one of the world’s largest manufacturers.
- Advised about the collective labor rules and processes across one of the world’s largest logistics company’s international operations in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
- Analysed the requirements, advised about the options, developed the implementation strategy, drafted the documents and assisted with the implementation of the global employment structure and country-specific arrangements covering a medical device company’s operations in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
- Assisted with all of the international employment aspects of a $5.7 billion acquisition of a biotech/pharmaceutical company with operations in over 30 countries. We conducted due diligence and advised the client regarding employment integration matters, including works council and employee representative consultations. We prepared and managed the roll-out process for non-competition agreements for high-level executives in 16 countries.
- Assisted with a $3.3 billion post-acquisition employee integration of employees into the technology company acquirer’s existing entities across Asia, including developing strategies for integration, redundancies and harmonization of conditions of employment.
- Assisted with the international employment aspects of the sale of a large aerospace unit, including the mandatory works council and employee representative consultations that preceded the sale and the transition of employees to the buyer. We also managed the employee transition process, including the preparation of employment and termination agreements, consultation documents and employee transfer notifications.
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Seyfarth Shaw has one of the best International Employment Law practices in the world. The firm acts for a significant number of the US Fortune 500 companies and is a powerhouse in this ever more complex area of law. Our multi-qualified international employment team based in London works with clients in a wide variety of industries on international employment law matters ranging from individual dismissals/ hires in one EMEA country, up to complex global restructures, international investigations or ethical HR issues that carry severe reputational risk. We also have a world leading practice in supply chain human capital integrity issues.
HOW WE HELP
Understanding the commercial objectives of our international clients, along with our vast experience in working across all of the EMEA jurisdictions, enables us to provide solution-focused and world class legal advice. Our key differentiator is having an International Employment Law team where know-how is concentrated in a streamlined structure. This means that all of our clients receive the benefit of all our combined experience in dealing with international employment matters across EMEA and globally. We often work in tandem with our APAC team to provide global support to clients on some the largest of international employment law projects in the world. Seyfarth has advised on types of matters that most other firms simply have not.
In the UK, our employment law team offers both a national platform, covering the full range of employment law services, and an international gateway to serve our clients' EMEA and global employment needs. Our team is known for experience and skill in the UK and across Europe and understands the complexity of operating across multiple jurisdictions as is also typical of our client base. We manage our work so it is done by the person best suited to the task, to take advantage of previous subject matter and jurisdiction experience. We regularly accomplish international projects with fewer lawyers touching the matter than is the model for our competitors.
We can also provide single country support to our global clients in the region, with fluent capability and local qualification on French, Italian, and Spanish law as well as English employment law. Lawyers in the office are qualified in the UK, the United States, Spain, France, Italy, and Canada. Our deep knowledge of managing international employment law issues, coupled with our strong connections with a network of best-in-class local counsel in the region and beyond, allows us to provide a world class legal service across the region.
As our team’s reputation in the UK continues to grow, more local and EMEA based clients are looking to Seyfarth as an alternative to the traditional UK based international law firms.
Recent examples of our multi-disciplinary work spanning the EMEA region and beyond include:
- Completed the world’s largest ever and most successful workforce restructure—covering 152 countries—including the most countries in the EMEA region. We advised our client regarding the implementation of successive collective redundancies, plant closures, and outsourcing and spin-off transactions.
- Designed the strategy, drafted the documents and assisted with the implementation of the global employment structure and country-specific arrangements covering operations in more than 75 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America for a pharmaceutical research business.
- Advised about the local language and documentation requirements for HR-related documents for employees in 47 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America for one of the world’s largest consumer brands.
- Advised about the health and safety legal obligations across Europe, including providing face-to-face pan-European training for European plant managers, for one of the world’s largest manufacturers.
- Advised about the collective labor rules and processes across one of the world’s largest logistics company’s international operations in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
- Analysed the requirements, advised about the options, developed the implementation strategy, drafted the documents and assisted with the implementation of the global employment structure and country-specific arrangements covering a medical device company’s operations in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
- Assisted with all of the international employment aspects of a $5.7 billion acquisition of a biotech/pharmaceutical company with operations in over 30 countries. We conducted due diligence and advised the client regarding employment integration matters, including works council and employee representative consultations. We prepared and managed the roll-out process for non-competition agreements for high-level executives in 16 countries.
- Assisted with a $3.3 billion post-acquisition employee integration of employees into the technology company acquirer’s existing entities across Asia, including developing strategies for integration, redundancies and harmonization of conditions of employment.
- Assisted with the international employment aspects of the sale of a large aerospace unit, including the mandatory works council and employee representative consultations that preceded the sale and the transition of employees to the buyer. We also managed the employee transition process, including the preparation of employment and termination agreements, consultation documents and employee transfer notifications.
Related News & Insights
-
Legal Update
01/26/2024
Posted Text of EU AI Act Demonstrates Momentum Towards Final Adoption
-
Attorney Publication
12/14/2023
Now Available! International Employment Lawyer’s Guide to Restructuring a Cross-Border Workforce
-
Legal Update
08/23/2023
Are Restrictive Covenants a Thing of the Past?
-
Legal Update
08/08/2023
New Rules and Obligations for Employers in Italy Concerning Whistleblowing