The Legal 500

Baker & McKenzie’s high profile employment practice, is driven by the ‘impressive’ PRC employment law expert Andreas Lauffs and the ‘always excellent and spot-on’ Jennifer Van Dale, who has been promoted to partner and whose clients ‘had a terrific experience’ working with her. The group capitalises on the regional network, and is doing very well in China, where the arrival of special counsel Grace Shie from the Washington DC office is an asset. Jennifer Van Dale advised a US listed insurance and financial services organisation on restructuring, bonus and employee retention issues across eleven jurisdictions.

The leading employment and benefits practice at Mayer Brown JSM attracts high profile cases, and competitors ‘cannot question their strength’. The team has ‘real credibility’ and is renowned for its litigation abilities. ‘Brilliant pension lawyer’ Duncan Abate is an ‘assertive litigator’, which makes him be popular with clients. Contentious matters, the advice on discrimination claims and regional work are substantial parts of the practice. Lihui Zhou joined from Minter Ellison, enhancing the PRC employment capabilities.

Simmons & Simmons is a ‘market leader’, and the team of Fiona Loughrey and Robert Lewington provide ‘very good customer service’ with clients ‘trusting their advice’. The practice has seen a significant number of new instructions across various sectors such as financial institutions and TMT, and continues to advise a range of global banks, where clients find the team ‘really understands our business issues’. In one highlight, the ‘efficient and responsive’ team advised Cathay Pacific on a successful challenge to a decision of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data relating to medical data collection of employees. Clients rate the fees as ‘fair’.

Deacons features an established practice with the ‘experienced’ Cynthia Chung, heading the group, supported by corporate partner Keith Cole. The team provides ‘quality advice in a timely manner’, and assisted airlines, hotels, banks, and accounting firms in retrenchment and cost-reduction matters. Advice on discrimination issues is another focus.

Linklaters has developed a special focus in advising financial clients on their employment related issues, where the team has seen several downsizing matters in the M&A and insolvency context. Counsel Rowan McKenzie heads the team that advised Lehman Brothers on the employment aspects of the $225m sale of Lehman Brothers’ Asian business to Nomura.

Minter Ellison has recently lost the ‘impressive’ Pattie Walsh, ‘one of the top ten Hong Kong employment lawyers’, who moved over to DLA Piper in August 2009. The effects of this move remains to be seen, but for the remainder of 2009, the practice was busy advising investment banks on employment restructuring matters. The practice still features a ‘strong’ team with financial institutions expert Winnie Ng appointed as head of the Greater China practice in July 2009. Lihui Zhou moved over to Mayer Brown JSM.

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert has been busy advising on reorganisation and consolidation matters and has seen a growth in discrimination issues. The team, headed by Pádraig Walsh, frequently advises employers on relationship issues with senior executives and operates an integrated contentious and non-contentious practice.

Although not having a dedicated team, Clifford Chance makes use of Brian Gilchrist’s contentious capabilities and Kenneth Leung’s tax expertise. The team advised a private equity house on salaries tax matters and an educational establishment on misconduct issues. Jim Jamison has left for the firm’s Tokyo office to head the litigation team in Japan.

Laracy Gall operates now as Gall & Lane after the split from Damien Laracy, who set up his own firm Laracy & Co. The team is the first port of call for conflict work, where competitors mostly refer to the ‘commercially astute’ Nick Gall and Jeff Lane. The team, with a focus on contentious matters, ‘knows when to push hard’.

Herbert Smith’s team focuses on corporate clients and provides a full service for banks, where termination-related advice has kept the practice busy. The contentious work has been another focus with litigator Gareth Thomas focusing on employment matters. The team advised a hospitality industry client on the employment of representatives in Hong Kong.

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker acts for hi-tech financial services companies, and has been busy with matters arising out of the financial crisis. Michael Downey heads the team that can rely on a strong US and UK client base, including instructions from a multinational chemical corporation, a European advertising and media services conglomerate and a Fortune 100 entertainment company.

The team at Richards Butler in association with Reed Smith LLP, led by Jonathan Green and Kevin Bowers, receives instructions primarily from banks who trust its regulatory and compliance expertise. Financial services litigation linked to employment matters is another focus, and the team has seen an increase in restructuring-related advice recently.

Tanner De Witt impresses in court and with financial services industry knowledge, where the team displays ‘business acumen’. Kim Boreham’s quality of work is ‘always beyond her charge-out rate and seniority’, and work highlights include acting for brokers in defending claims brought by their former employer, and for businesses in respect of claims against employees for breaches of confidentiality.

Further recommendations go to Andrew Hart at Blank Rome LLP; Kennedys’ Richard Bates who ‘generates quality advice on a timely basis’; head of dispute resolution Allan Leung at Lovells; and the ‘very impressive’ Richard Grams and his team at Stephenson Harwood & Lo.