International Employment Capabilities
Our clients turn to Weil for counseling on the multifaceted employment and labor issues that typically arise in complex cross-border M&A transactions. Drawing on the resources and experience of lawyers in our offices around the world, we advise domestic and multinational clients alike on the full spectrum of international employment issues.
Few firms are capable of providing the global bandwidth and synchronized approach that increasingly are needed in advising clients on employment and labor issues arising from cross-border M&A transactions. Our M&A, Private Equity, Tax, Executive Compensation and Benefits, Employment, and Complex Commercial Litigation practices collaborate to provide advice on all facets of the transaction in every jurisdiction. Where we do not have expertise in-house, we have relationships with firms in local jurisdictions upon which we call.
- We assist in the preparation and planning stages of cross-border M&A deals, and in the post-transaction integration and harmonization of workforces and benefit schemes.
- We assist clients in navigating collective agreements and compensation payments, executive employment contracts, management incentive plans, and workforce reductions, and in coordinating procedures on trade union-related matters.
- We provide legal advice in the recruitment of new employees, prepare labor contracts and management agreements, and address issues of remuneration and employee benefits and equity participation schemes.
- We coordinate corporate restructurings and bankruptcy proceedings, and litigate discrimination, wrongful termination and harassment complaints.
A testament to our broad global reach, Weil has handled international employment matters in China, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
Selected Matters
China
- Weil provided employment advice to General Electric, including employee secondment arrangements in connection with M&A transactions.
- Weil advised Alix Partners Shanghai and Russell Reynolds Associates’ China entities with respect to employment matters in China.
Germany
- Weil represented Avaya Inc. in its successful bid for Nortel Networks' enterprise business out of chapter 11 proceedings, including the complex pre-disposal restructuring of businesses, layoffs, and spinoff of employees into so-called transfer entities.
- Weil advised Atos Origin S.A. in its acquisition of Siemens IT Solutions and Services business, including post-acquisition employment issues.
UK
- Weil is providing legal restructuring advice to the joint special administrators on the administration of MF Global UK, including redundancy and retention, and ongoing matters.
- Weil is counseling on the employment aspects of cross-border transactions, such as Silver Lake Partners’ acquisition of Global Blue, Mubadala Development Company’s purchase of EMI Music Publishing, and Advent International and Bain Capital on their acquisition of the Global Merchant Services arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland.