The Legal 500

Baker & McKenzie delivers ‘quick turnaround times, excellent business knowledge and a range of team members to call upon’. The group features non-contentious lawyer Jennifer Van Dale, who is praised for her ‘wide-ranging experience and knowledge of the law across Asia’, while for contentious instructions and investigations, Susan Kendall is recommended. The team recently advised a major multinational technology company on employee and customer data transfers to the US from across the Asia Pacific.

The ‘first-class’ employment group at DLA Piper has an ‘excellent reputation for client responsiveness, industry knowledge and value for money’. The practice has gone from strength, following the arrival of Pattie Walsh (‘the most user-friendly employment lawyer in the region’) in 2009. Since then, a number of associates have been added across Greater China and, in August 2011, Sharyn Morrison joined as a senior associate from Linklaters. The team’s primary focus is non-contentious work for employers.

Mayer Brown JSM’s ‘very responsive and commercial’ employment and benefits practice handles all forms of employment and HR-related matters including contentious, transactional and strategic employment issues. The two-partner team continues to advise longstanding client Cathay Pacific Airways on a number of headline cases, and is also representing Bank of America Merrill Lynch on a claim by a former employee for breach of implied contract terms and unlawful discrimination. Duncan Abate is ‘pragmatic, commercial and understands his client’s business culture’.

Simmons & Simmons assists a mixed client base, which includes financial institutions, airlines, hotels and other law firms, with contentious and non-contentious employment matters. The team, led by Fiona Loughrey, continues to handle a heavy workload relating to the Minimum Wage Ordinance, where it has been advising on implementation and the correct interpretation of the provisions. High-profile clients include Barclays Wealth, MTR Corporation and Gucci Group.

Deacons has ‘significant industry knowledge and a good team of responsive lawyers’. The group is led by the ‘particularly good’ Cynthia Chung, who is assisted by a team of disputes lawyers to handle contentious employment matters. Recent work includes advising a major international bank on a dispute with a number of staff over a change in its commission plan.

The main employment contact at Gall is Emily Duncan, who was promoted to partner in June 2011. The firm recently acted for a global securities and investment banking group in establishing an office in Hong Kong, which involved advising on contractual matters and issues relating to employees joining from other financial institutions in Hong Kong.

Linklaters represents large corporates and financial institutions across multiple jurisdictions. The three-partner team expertly advises on a range of employment issues, and also offers specialist advice on executive incentive arrangements. The group recently handled the employment aspects of the sale of RBS’ NV businesses in Asia to HSBC. Practice head Rowan Mckenzie is recommended.

Tanner De Witt welcomed back Russell Bennett in September 2011, following his departure in 2007 to work in-house. The team acts for employers and employees in both contentious and non-contentious matters and recently defended two inter-dealer brokers against a claim brought by their former employer, relating to payment of bonuses. Kim Boreham is highly regarded.

Producing ‘a consistently high standard of work’, Barlow Lyde & Gilbert advises BT Hong Kong on employment issues relating to restructuring projects across the Asia Pacific region. Practice head Pádraig Walsh is a ‘great communicator, who is able to explain complex issues in a clear and easy-to-understand manner’.

At Herbert Smith, Gareth Thomas and senior consultant Michael Withington are recommended for employment disputes. The team is advising a multinational company on a large-scale redundancy programme, and acting for a private equity firm in a dispute relating to the termination of a senior employee.

Kennedys excels in its commercial awareness and has a strong insurance sector client base which includes Sun Life, AIA and Ageas. The ‘very professional’ Richard Bates handles non-contentious matters, and Toby Brown, who ‘understands clients’ needs and gets straight to the point’, is recommended for disputes.

Oldham, Li & Nie primarily acts for employees in both contentious and non-contentious matters. Practice head Christopher Hooley handles advisory work, and associate Adam Hugill often deals with instructions with an international or cross-border dimension.

Paul Hastings LLP’s Hong Kong group is run by Michael Downey. Non-contentious work includes advising on employment issues relating to spin-offs of one of the largest mobile communications manufacturers in the world. On the contentious side, the team is representing a multinational insurance company against discrimination claims by former agent.

Reed Smith Richards Butler acts for local and international companies and individuals on all aspects of employment law, and recently advised one of the top accountancy firms on a number of complex lateral partner hires. Jonathan Green, Kevin Bowers and Asha Sharma are the key contacts.

Anthony Haller is now the main employment contact at Blank Rome LLP, following the departure of Andrew Hart, who left to form Hart Giles.

Brian Gilchrist is recommended for contentious matters at Clifford Chance. The team is acting for Hong Kong University on a number of employment issues.

‘The response times, knowledge and level of advice is always very good’ at Hogan Lovells, which handles both contentious and non-contentious matters. Tim Fletcher is recommended.

Minter Ellison ‘always provides valuable and commercially sensible advice’. For non-contentious work, Winnie Ng is ‘a solid adviser’ and, on the contentious side, Nigel Francis is ‘very good in all aspects’.

Peter Bullock at Pinsent Masons handles employment matters for the likes of Nokia Siemens Networks, BGC Partners and Booking.com (Hong Kong).

Robertsons’ Barry Hoy is recommended for employment litigation.

Stephenson Harwood handles non-contentious and contentious employment mandates in Hong Kong and China. Mark Reed is recommended for his advice to financial institutions.