Al Tamimi & Company has a preeminent employment practice in the UAE a particularly broad caseload which includes transactional work, day-to-day employee relations and litigation within the public and private sectors. Team head and Dubai-based Samir Kantaria has a strong reputation for both contentious and non-contentious work, being a trusted adviser to multinationals, government entities and large local firms. Gordon Barr is highly experienced in contentious matters and has right of audience before the DIFC courts and Ivor McGettigan leads the Abu Dhabi practice and has a specialism in advising on employment matters in the education sector.

Clyde & Co LLP is a market leader in the UAE employment space, fielding a highly experienced team with the capability to handle large volumes of work as well as complex cross-border matters. The practice covers the gamut of employment matters from recruitment and contract termination to incentive plans and bonus schemes, with particular expertise advising on the employment aspects of corporate transactions. The team is led by a number of dedicated employment lawyers, including Rebecca Ford, who is adept at resolving employee disputes whether through internal investigations or court proceedings. Sara Khoja has built a solid reputation among large regional employers and multinational companies for advice on issues involving senior employees. Legal director Samantha Ellaby is a ‘go-to’ contact for education employment matters.

Pinsent Masons LLP ‘acts as more than just a law firm’ when providing ‘commercial and practical advice’ to Middle East-based businesses, European and major international companies; with specialist employment expertise in the construction and energy sectors. The team is active in all aspects of employment and labour law in the region, with practice head Luke Tapp having a particularly impressive non-contentious practice advising on contract and handbook drafting, as well as employee transfers and terminations. Senior associate Ruth Stephen bolsters the team’s offering, having developed a specialism in the DIFC’s common law employment regime. 

DLA Piper’s employment practice continues to advise blue-chip international and regional clients drawn from a broad range of sectors including technology, financial services, retail and entertainment. The team handles the full range of employment matters such as advising on contracts and policies, restructures, sensitive terminations and international harmonisation. Following the retirement of previous head Neil Crossley  in June 2022, the practice is now led by Iain Skinner, who has contentious experience of both free zone and onshore labour disputes and tribunals. Senior associate Nadia Akhter regularly handles employment aspects of M&A transactions and employee data privacy issues.

Hadef & Partners LLC‘ employment practice is particularly renowned for its contentious offering and ability to resolve employment-related disputes for blue-chip international clients including Google, Bloomberg and adidas. Rachel Hill heads the team from Dubai and has cemented herself as a leading regional litigator, experienced in a broad range of matters from end of service entitlements to breaches of non-compete and confidentiality clauses. Disputes lawyer Taher Abdeen Ibrahim is heavily involved in employment matters, with senior legal consultant Rami Omar and senior associates Suzanne Gingles and Dilini Loku other key names.

KBH Limited has established a strong employment presence in Dubai and the DIFC, acting for both employers and employees on a range of contentious and non-contentious matters. Head of dispute resolution Bushra Ahmed has an extensive employment practice, representing high-net-worth individuals and commercial companies in complex cross-border matters including restrictive covenants and incentive schemes. Senior associate Natasja Pollemans is highly regarded.

Stephenson Harwood‘s employment team is regularly sought after by major domestic and international clients across a broad range of sectors, including banking and financial services, retail and hospitality, TMT, pharmaceuticals, and energy. The team is led from Dubai by Kiersten Lucas, who is regarded as one of the pre-eminent employment lawyers in the UAE and brings particular expertise in high-value litigation, whistleblowing investigations, restrictive covenants, and advising C-suite executives. She is supported by newly promoted partner Emily Aryeetey, who advises on all aspects of employment law including related areas of data protection, employee incentives, and financial services regulation.

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP handles a steady stream of complex contentious employment work, including multi-jurisdictional investigations and disputes before local courts, DIFC and ADGM. The practice has a particularly broad sector focus, with team head and of counsel Benjamin Hopps advising on a wide range of issues from service gratuity and bonus schemes to M&A-related employee transfers and terminations. Managing partner Stuart Paterson is a dispute resolution specialist, adept at handling regulatory matters involving employee misconduct.

PwC Legal Middle East continues to expand its employment offering throughout the UAE, acting for a particularly broad array of clients from the financial services, technology and energy sectors. Natalie Jones, who leads the team and was promoted to director in January 2022, is particularly experienced in the employment aspects of multi-jurisdictional corporate transactions, from restructurings and asset swaps to complex employee investigations.