International Employment Lawyer

IEL’s latest featured In-house Leader is Liz Williamson, who oversees employment law across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America for Accenture. “Modern workplaces can’t avoid flexibility,” she says. “If organisations don’t set expectations and put parameters around it, workforces will vote with their feet.” Click below to read Williamson’ survey responses, in which she discusses her passion for working with a hugely diverse workforce, why open dialogue with employees is “crucial”, and how AI can improve the employee experience.

Having moved in house a decade ago, IEL’s latest featured In-house Leader – Fahim Rahman – now advises 3M’s HR and legal teams, and senior leadership on employment issues arising in EMEA. “Moving in house enabled me to focus on the parts of the job I loved the most – but as an in-house lawyer is not a fee generator, it was quite a culture shock at the beginning,” he observes. Click here to read his survey, in which he discusses flexible working, and why private practice lawyers need to invest time and effort into building relationships with their in-house counsel.

IEL Elite 2025 is here! After months of research, during which we spoke with leading employment and labour law experts in 35 jurisdictions, we are delighted to announce this year's list of the world's best labour and employment practices is now live. From dedicated national boutiques to large multijurisdictional teams at major international firms, these are the names truly leading the way amid a changing working world. From questions around AI and non-competes, to delicate internal investigations, complex business-critical corporate operations, and everything in between, these firms have demonstrated a deft hand at navigating today's myriad workplace challenges – all in the context of shifting geopolitical forces and economic pressures. Click below to see this year's full list.

Announcing International Employment Lawyer's first ever Indian Employment Forum! The full-day event will bring together senior in-house and private practice lawyers to explore the challenges and opportunities facing multinational employers and their counsel across the country. Join us for five focused discussions on: India's new labour codes and their impact, strategies for DEI success and eliminating sexual harassment, engaging effectively with trade unions in India's evolving labour landscape, managing internal investigations, and handling various termination scenarios under Indian law. More information and registration details can be found below. In-house counsel and HR professionals can register for free! Thank you to our sponsors Anhad Law, AZB & Partners, JSA and Khaitan & Co. We hope you can all join us there! https://lnkd.in/eWNJvhWe

Last night, IEL welcomed 300 guests to recognise the excellence, talent, and outstanding achievements of in-house and private practice lawyers across 27 team and individual awards categories. Click the link to find out who emerged victorious at the 2024 IEL Awards!

Developed alongside in-house teams, the IEL Monitor is a key tool for in-house counsel, HR teams, and law firms to keep track of global labour and employment law changes. Recent new additions to our fully searchable, forward-looking database of incoming labour and employment legislation across the world come from: Bosnia & Herzegovina (in cooperation with Law office Naida Čustović, cooperating law office of Wolf Theiss) Finland (Hannes Snellman) United Kingdom (Lewis Silkin) Click and subscribe to access the latest employment legislation updates from around the world (free for in-house and HR users!).

IEL’s latest featured In-house Leader is Salesforce’s Lori Middlehurst, who heads a regional team covering employment matters across Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand.  “The in-house lawyer must be able to explain complex concepts in a simple, short, non-legalistic way. Our clients are busy – we need to be concise and crisp in emails, and there are even times when an emoji may need to be my response,” she notes. Click here for Middlehurst’s full survey – including more on her impressive career navigating 9/11, Fukushima, and covid, and how employers can create safe workspaces for those with invisible health conditions. 

Developed alongside in-house teams, the IEL Monitor is a key tool for in-house counsel, HR teams, and law firms to keep track of global labour and employment law changes. Recent new additions to our fully searchable, forward-looking database of incoming labour and employment legislation across the world come from: Egypt (ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners) India (Trilegal) Ireland (A&L Goodbody LLP) Italy (LabLaw Studio Legale Rotondi & Partners) Mauritius (Bowmans (Law Firm)) Mexico (Marván, González Graf y González Larrazolo, S.C.) Netherlands (CLINT | Littler) Norway (Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS) Philippines (ACCRALAW) Spain (Garrigues) Turkey (Biçer Güner Attorneys-at-Law) Uzbekistan (Dentons) Click and subscribe to access the latest employment legislation updates from around the world (free for in-house and HR users!). 

IEL’s latest featured In-house Leader is Rebecca McAlees, Senior Global Employment Counsel at Unilever. “Those who adopt AI will be further ahead than those who don’t. I am less concerned about AI replacing my job and more concerned about being replaced by someone who can use AI,” she says. Click here for McAlees’ survey responses, including on where to start when rolling out a large multijurisdictional workforce-related project, and why someone considering the move in house should “try before they buy” with a secondment.

Our inaugural Workplace Investigations Masterclass, taking place in London on Wednesday 13 November, will explore the issues that affect employers' ability to navigate reputationally and business sensitive internal investigations. They will discuss how to better prepare for and manage investigations, ensuring compliance and minimising risk when a sensitive complaint arises. Join 100+ senior in-house counsel, HR professionals and leading private practitioners for a exciting morning of debate, actionable insights and networking. More information and registration details can be found below. In-house counsel and HR professionals can register for free! More information: https://bit.ly/3YQkFvc Registration details: https://bit.ly/4hDZST1 With thanks to our sponsors: A&O Shearman Ankura