More than 400 fee earners

Employment & Benefits

The London Employment & Benefits group is an integral part of the worldwide Executive Compensation, Benefits & Employment practice.

We provide practical, tailored solutions to help you achieve your commercial objectives.

Employment

For employers in the UK, we can help with all employment-related laws and regulations and the impact these may have on your business.  Employment and benefits advisory work is the cornerstone of our practice. Reflecting the nature of the Firm, we have a particular expertise in crossborder work and explaining the complexities of the UK's employment laws to employers new to the country.

Executive compensation and benefits

We regularly advise on the legal issues relating to all forms of global compensation plans, including UK HM Revenue & Customs approved and unapproved share option plans, share purchase plans, restricted share plans, restricted stock units and stock appreciation rights.

Pensions

In addition, we are able to provide advice on the full range of retirement benefit pension plan issues which employers face, including pension funding, establishment, merger, winding up, ongoing compliance and UK regulatory issues. 

Data protection

Following the EU's Data Protection Directive, ensuring compliance with the UK Data Protection Act (which implements the directive in the UK) has become a major issue for all employers. We have been retained by a large number of UK employers to advise on data protection issues both on a national and international basis.

Outsourcing

Our lawyers frequently advise on the employment, pensions and benefits aspects of outsourcing transactions.  From a UK and cross-border perspective, we have advised employers on the implementation of outsourcing policies and the implications they will have for their workforce.

Global equity-based compensation

London is the operational hub for our Global Equity-based Compensation practice, which is a key part of the Global Executive Compensation Benefits and Employment Law Group, which numbers more than 100 lawyers worldwide.

We offer experience of major equity-based compensation issues including:

  • Establishing offshore trusts in connection with global equity-based compensation plans
  • Implementing US and non-US global employee stock plan equivalents 
  • Implementing global re-pricing and exchange programmes for underwater options
  • Implementing global stock appreciation rights plans
  • Implementing global profit-sharing plans
  • Advising non-US companies on offering equity-based compensation plans in the US
  • Advising companies regarding equity based plans with respect to the spin-off of divisions
Why choose us?
  • Our solutions are practical and focused on helping you achieve your commercial objectives .
  • We are structured with your needs in mind – you will get the right level of legal skill and experience
  • Reflecting the nature of the Firm, we have a particular expertise in cross-border work
One of the top ten global employment law firms.
PLC Cross-border Quarterly (2006 and 2007)
Under Oliver Brettle, White & Case has been involved in increasingly high-value litigation and transactions, and it has recruited the respected Nicholas Greenacre.
Legal 500 (2006)
This practice has grown over the past year, attracting a number of high-profile clients and a range of high-end work.
Chambers UK (2007)
This [equity compensation] practice has grown over the past year, attracting a number of highprofile clients and a range of high-end work. The [equity compensation] team has offices in every major city in the world and is therefore equipped to deal with international issues, in particular those relating to mobile employees.
Chambers UK (2007)