With a particularly active employment practice, Travers Smith LLP regularly acts for employers in litigation, in both the Employment Tribunals and the High Court. Advising clients across a wide range of sectors including technology, private equity and retail, the group is also very strong in workplace investigations. Tim Gilbert leads the team, with broad expertise covering employment disputes, corporate transactional matters and advisory support. Ed Mills is a reference in the market for team moves, TUPE and board level disputes, whilst Siân Keall stands out for her work negotiating exits. Ailie Murray frequently assists in the employment aspects of acquisitions, and Adam Wyman is particularly impressive in workplace investigations and advising on workplace culture.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Travers has a fantastic team. They are fast, pragmatic and always right. They have the unique ability to coordinate EU and even worldwide projects with multiple jurisdictions in complex matters. It is a true pleasure to work with them and can recommend that to any employer.'
- 'Ed is always available for us whenever we need advice - he gives the most pragmatic solutions that work best for our organization. The team are great at keeping us abreast of regulatory changes/updates and supporting us with this.'
- 'The team are great at keeping us abreast of regulatory changes/updates and supporting us with this.’
‘Ed Mills is fantastic and by far one of the best lawyers I have worked with, mainly due to his ability to quickly understand the culture of an organisation and apply his expertise. Very pragmatic.
‘Unquestioned legal expertise, including market norms in any given situation. Real understanding of commercial realities and the market the business operates. Team takes its lead from partners and are always a pleasure to speak to; proactive and inspires confidence. As a client, it is important for me to know I am dealing with a team who appear to respect and support each other as well as me as a client.’
‘Ailie Murray's expertise is unquestionable, and what really stands out in addition to her undoubted legal skill is her ability to understand and appreciate the commercial and personal issues at stake while at the same time providing clarity, pragmatism, and fair, proactive advice in very difficult situations. Unfailingly calm.'
Key clients
- AIG
- Ambassador Theatre Group
- Aon
- David Lloyd
- EQT
- Foxtons
- Groupon
- Love Holidays
- Naturgy
- OpenText
- Pets at Home
- Pfizer Inc
Work highlights
Advised a FTSE 250 retailer on a confidential investigation, an Employment Tribunal claim and a High Court injunction, each relating to a different senior executive.
Advised Globeleq on a multi-jurisdictional restructuring project and multiple confidential whistleblowing investigations.
Advised Tysers on an internal investigation and related employment law matters following external investigations by the UK Serious Fraud Office and US Department of Justice and a $50m fine.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Ed Mills
Practice head
Tim Gilbert
Other key lawyers
Ed Mills; Siân Keall; Ailie Murray; Adam Wyman