Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is well-placed to advise on cross-border employment mandates such as large-scale workforce reductions. The team acts for many TMT, financial services and PLC clients, and also stands out for its industrial relations offering. Diane Gilhooley has a broad employment, labour and pensions specialism, while Paul Fontes has extensive experience before the Employment Tribunals and High Court; the pair co-helm the group alongside Sophie White who has an in-depth knowledge of the financial services sector. Hannah Mahon is known for her work on matters relating to AI and tech.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Hannah Mahon and Laura Pharez-Zea are both excellent lawyers who are dedicated to their duty to clients. They both have excellent knowledge and wisdom that comes from many years of practice.
- A very hands-on approach from senior associates and partners alike who take the time to work through advantageous litigation strategies. The expertise of the team is highly appreciated.
- Sally Isaacs brings deep subject-matter expertise to the pay transparency engagement and has been instrumental in shaping the more complex analytical workstreams, particularly around pay investigations and equal value assessments. Lizzie Hardy combines strong technical expertise with a highly responsive and practical advisory style. Her ability to coordinate multi-jurisdictional analysis — drawing on local teams across Europe and synthesising their input into clear, actionable advice — is first-rate.
- Eversheds Sutherland's Employment, Labor and Pensions practice stands out for its genuinely integrated, multi-jurisdictional capability. What distinguishes this team from competitors is the depth and breadth of their local law expertise combined with a seamless, centrally managed delivery model.
- Sophie White is very user-friendly. Approachable, pragmatic, and responsive, and 'gets it' - a pleasure to deal with.
- Laura Pharez-Zea is an excellent solicitor. From the outset, Laura's professionalism, depth of legal knowledge, and calm pragmatic approach were evident. Laura grasps the issues in contentious employment matters quickly, providing clear, concise legal advice, with pragmatism resulting in the business's preferred outcome.
- As a client, my interaction with the team has been and continues to be a positive experience. The team is responsive, knowledgeable, and helpful at all times.
- The team is very good at assisting on larger change programs and can pull on different specialist capabilities. The quality of their work is fantastic, with very good turnaround times. They are a nice team to work with—high energy and engagement.
Key clients
- Transport for London / London Underground
- First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Limited (T/A Avanti)
- Network Rail Infrastructure Limited
- Ryanair DAC
- Reventus Power
- Blind Veterans
- Ingredion
Work highlights
Representing Ryanair DAC in the claim of Ryanair DAC v Morais & Oths which is the leading Court of Appeal authority on the interpretation of the Blacklisting Regulations during periods of industrial action).
Advising Blind Veterans on two complex redundancy processes.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Diane Gilhooley; Paul Fontes; Sophie White
Other key lawyers
Hannah Mahon