Comprehensive and commercial advice for employers [and senior executives]

In an area of law as complex and fast moving as employment law our clients appreciate the practical and up to date advice we provide. 

Our clients include HR professionals, directors, senior executives and in-house lawyers.  We advise them on all aspects of their day-to-day operations, providing advice and guidance that's specifically tailored to their line of business.

We're experienced litigators in employment disputes, both in the Tribunal, the High Court and in the Employment Appeal Tribunal and Court of Appeal. We have advised clients facing the entire range of employment litigation - from simple claims involving unfair dismissal to high value, highly complex cases concerning allegations of discrimination and whistleblowing.

 We also provide support for all employee-related issues which arise during transactions, including informing and consulting with staff where required under UK law, harmonising terms and conditions, dismissals, senior executive service agreements and pensions and employee incentive issues.

We believe it's crucial to keep our clients actively updated on the latest changes in employment law. That's why we operate a proactive email news service, as well as producing a quarterly newsletter - Practical Employment Law.

We place emphasis, together with our clients, on sharing know-how and training. We regularly design and implement training programmes with our clients' HR and legal teams with the aim of increasing expertise and core competencies.

What distinguishes us is the clarity of our advice and our focus on meeting our client's commercial needs.

Employment Litigation

• Acted for New Star Asset Management in the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal (Evershed v New Star Asset Management [UKEAT/0249/09]) and the Court of Appeal (Evershed v New Star Asset Management [2010] EWCA Civ 870) in relation to a claim brought by a former employee for constructive unfair dismissal and whistleblowing.
• Acted for Nationwide Building Society in high profile Employment Appeal Tribunal proceedings concerning the transfer of a business undertaking and the relationship between domestic and European law (Nationwide v Benn & others [UKEAT/0273/09]).
• Acted for Ernst & Young in Employment Appeal Tribunal proceedings concerning matters of tribunal practice and procedure (Kerr v Ernst & Young Services Limited & others [UKEAT/0567/10/RN]).
• Acted for a global professional services firm in defending its largest ever employment claim, which included extensive and high profile allegations of unlawful discrimination.

Transactions

• Advised Unilever in connection with a multi-jurisdictional outsourcing to Unisys, for which Olswang was awarded Outsourcing Adviser of the Year 2010 (NOA best practice awards).
• Advised listed Liberty Acquisition Holdings (International) Company on the acquisition of a majority stake in the UK's Pearl Group and the connected complex corporate restructuring, involving a total consideration of £4 billion.
• Advised listed Freedom Acquisition, Inc. on its US$3.6 billion reverse acquisition of GLG Partners, Europe's largest independent hedge fund manager, and the subsequent listing of the combined entity on the NYSE.

Advisory

• Advised a global brand publisher on the implications of TUPE and redundancies in an insolvency situation and managing ensuing litigation.
• Provided a legal opinion for a high profile MEP on employment status together with strategic advice in relation to threatened litigation.
• Advised a multi national group on the enforceability of restrictive covenants and confidentiality provisions in England & Wales, including assessing the multi-jurisdictional aspects of their portfolio and liaising with third party legal teams worldwide.
• Acted for a national newspaper after a race discrimination claim was brought by a blogger on its website.
• Acted in relation to a large scale reorganisation for an industrial client involving a TUPE consultation and a collective redundancy consultation.