Uk Employment Law Information And Advice

We are pleased to share with you the recording from our recent Professional Practices Alliance (PPA) expert discussion, ‘Neurodiversity in Professional Services Firm Leadership’. Individuals who may be described as “neurodivergent” bring a plethora of skills and different perspectives to an organisation, offering firms a sustainable, competitive advantage that will be particularly beneficial in the current economic climate. Harnessing and embracing the cognitive divergence of a workforce will enable professional services firms to home in on an untapped pool of innovators and high performers to inform its decision making and wider strategies, and promote an inclusive workplace culture. It is important for firms to raise awareness about neurodiversity related issues, whether through the day-to-day advocacy of senior management or the delivery of firmwide training, to help managers and colleagues to better understand neurocognitive differences and the needs of their neurodivergent colleagues. In this webinar,

We are delighted to introduce our mini podcast series discussing the topic of board diversity and how it has changed in recent years, , including a comparison of the regulation of board diversity between California and the UK. While it has come a long way, there is plenty more to be done. Listen to the first episode here.

Transitioning from Founder-Led to Perpetual Governance Models: The Most Difficult Challenge that Many Professional Service Firms ever face The transition that any firm must undergo if it is to survive and thrive after its founders retire affects every aspect of the organisation. It is at the same time both strategic and intensely personal. For founding partners, it involves giving up control of an organisation that in many cases defines who they are and trusting the next generation to lead and manage it into a successful future. For that next generation, it means stepping up to a whole new level of responsibilities. It almost always involves difficult discussions, including about money, power and influence. For the firm’s employees, the outcome determines no less than their future livelihoods. For clients, such transitions can significantly impact the quality of service that they receive in both the long term and while the transition is underway. This issue is deeply relevant in 2021; the (then) young entrep

If England’s COVID roadmap progresses as planned, stringent COVID restrictions should be lifting or lifted during summer 2021. The office and future working arrangements are dominating discussions at all levels within professional services firms. This peer-to-peer discussion aims to provide an understanding of market practices and trends, addressing topics affecting your people, your business and your clients. In this discussion, you can hear Session Chair Corinne Staves, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP, Beth Hale, CM Murray LLP, Robert Millard, Cambridge Strategy Group, and guest speaker Oliver Richards, Orms, discuss the following: • What the ease of adaption to such significant working changes has proven about the resilience of the professions • How the past year of home working has already altered everyone’s horizons and how Firms will need to reflect this in their long-term strategy • What the key components of a successful workplace will be, allowing people to balance companionship and communication,

We are pleased to share with you the recording of this Professional Practices Alliance expert interactive panel discussion on what the medium-term holds for law firms emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and how they can prepare for changes to the economy, office life, and the tax landscape. The panel addressed issues including: - The impact of the pandemic on law firms and how to emerge stronger on the other side. - How office workspaces can be adapted to meet the requirements of a workforce that wants greater flexibility. - The key points of the UK’s first 2021 Budget and the measures that will most affect law firms and their clients. - The employment law challenges that arise out of new ways of working. The panel: James Campbell - International Partner, Cushman & Wakefield (Guest Speaker) Andrew Hosking - Managing Director, Restructuring & Insolvency, Quantuma (Guest Speaker) Beth Hale - Partnership and Employment Law Partner, CM Murray LLP Alastair McQuater - Tax Partner, Buzzacott LLP Claire Watkin

We are are pleased to share with you the recording of our recent Professional Practices Alliance expert panel discussion on 'Measuring and Driving Diversity and Inclusion in Professional Services Firms'. Over the last year, the issue of workplace inequalities and under-representation of minority groups has been reignited, or come to the fore, on the agenda of many businesses, including professional services firms. Such firms may now be looking afresh at how to drive and measure diversity and inclusion within their partnerships and wider staff constituency. In this panel discussion, you can hear Chair Sarah Chilton (CM Murray LLP, Partner), Emma Bartlett (CM Murray LLP, Partner), David Shufflebotham (Founder of PEP Up Consulting), Corinne Staves (Partner & Head of Professional Practices, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP) and excellent Guest Speakers, Mouhssin Ismail (Principal of Newham Collegiate Sixth Form) and Ray Berg (UK Managing Partner of Osborne Clarke LLP) explore some of the vital diversity and inclusion

The endurance of the partnership model as the structure of choice for professional practices is frequently credited to the idea that partnerships engender and promote a collegiate and collaborative culture, with all partners acting as owners who are responsible for driving the success of the firm. On the flip side, partnerships are often criticised for being slow to implement change (changes forced by a global pandemic notwithstanding!) as significant decisions regarding a firm’s strategy, structure, partner remuneration model, governance and constitution frequently require the support of a critical mass of partners; not only to satisfy constitutional approval requirements, but also because unless there is broad partner support for any proposed changes, attempts to push through such decisions (even if it is ultimately unsuccessful) can cause partner disaffection and have a destabilising effect on the firm. As a result, ‘difficult’ (but often necessary) proposals are sometimes diluted or kicked down the road b

The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), concluded in late December 2020, addresses a range of topics of interest to professional practices, but a glaring omission is a framework for trade in services between the EU and the UK. This has significant strategic implications for professional practices that are based in the UK but service the needs of clients in the EU (and vice versa), or who have offices in both the UK and EU. While much remains to be agreed, over time frames that might extend to several years or more, there is a lot that such practices need to do now. In this discussion, you can hear Session Chair, Robert Millard, Cambridge Strategy Group, Zulon Begum, CM Murray LLP, and guest speakers Mickaël Laurans, The Law Society of England and Wales, Ceris Gardener, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP and Markus Hartung, Kanzlei Chevalier discuss the following: • What steps professional practices need to take in the short term in order to align with the new realities • What impact the TCA will have on

Following the Prime Minister’s recent comment that the government hopes to soon be able to run the Coronavirus vaccination programme 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, many employers will be considering the implications of the roll-out for their staff, their business and a potential return to the physical workplace. A novel question that many employers may be battling with is whether they can legally require their staff to get the Covid-19 vaccine (particularly if the vaccine becomes available to the private sector in the future). In this CM Murray podcast, Elizabeth McEneny, Sarah Chilton and Wonu Sanda discuss this and more, including: - the historical legal background to mandatory vaccinations in the UK; - the impact of the employer’s Health and Safety obligations on mandating a compulsory vaccination policy; - whether an employer can require vaccination as a reasonable instruction or introduce it as a contractual requirement; - the discrimination risks that an employer may need to consider; - the h

CM Murray LLP, in association with Littleton Chambers and Fisher Phillips LLP, invite you to listen to an hour long podcast recording on “Atypical Worker Restraints and Beyond: Protecting Confidential Information and other Business Interests in Atypical Worker, Independent Contractor, Shareholder and Franchise Relationships.” In this podcast, which was recorded on 2 December 2020, David Reade QC (Littleton Chambers, London, UK), David Fisher (Partner, CM Murray LLP, London, UK), Mike Avila (Partner, Fisher Phillips LLP, Philadelphia & Washington D.C. Metro, USA) and guest speaker Myriane Le François (Partner, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Montréal, Canada) discuss, from their differing experiences and perspectives: • Confidentiality and post-termination restrictions for partners, LLP members, contractors and agents • Restrictive covenants in share sale and business transfer agreements, including a discussion on restraint of trade • Choice of law issues • Enforcement in a foreign jurisdiction

We are pleased to share with you the recording of our recent Professional Practices Alliance (PPA) live panel discussion on “Life and Partnerships without The Billable Hour: Business Model Transformation Post-COVID-19". The increasing use of technology to deliver professional services in new and more efficient ways means the billable hour is under pressure. Our expert panel consider the potential impact on business models in the professional services sector if it became impossible or irrelevant to measure billable hours. In this discussion, you can hear Session Chair Zulon Begum (CM Murray LLP), Corinne Staves (Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP), David Shufflebotham (PEP Up Consulting), Robert Millard (Cambridge Strategy Group) and guest speaker Philip Goodstone (UK&I Head of Law at EY) discuss the following: - Why do business models in law firms and other professional services firms need to evolve?   - How has the increased use of technology in the professional services sector driven changes in business models?

We are pleased to share with you the recording of our recent Professional Practices Alliance (PPA) live panel discussion on “We Need to Talk About the Office". The Government’s announcement on 22 September that office workers who can work effectively from home should do so over the winter has resulted in many professional services firms halting their plans to bring staff back to the office and instead gearing up for a further phase of remote working. In this discussion, you can hear Session Chair, Corinne Staves, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP and speakers Beth Hale, CM Murray LLP, Claire Watkins, Buzzacott LLP and Robert Millard, Cambridge Strategy Group discuss the following: • What positive lessons can firms learn from the previous experience of long-term remote working. How can we build on these? • What will firms do differently this time? • What is the long-term future of the office? Is it too early/uncertain to be making long-term decisions? • To what extent can evolved working practices be used as a

CM Murray LLP, in association with Littleton Chambers and Fisher Phillips LLP, invite you to listen to a 50 minute podcast recording on “The Impact of Global Disruption on Restrictive Covenants, and Protection of Confidential Information and other Business Interests around the World”. Sarah Chilton (Partner, CM Murray LLP, London UK), Beth Hale (Partner, CM Murray LLP, London, UK), Chris Stief (Regional Managing Partner in Philadelphia & Pittsburgh, Fisher Phillips LLP, USA), Gavin Mansfield QC (Littleton Chambers, London, UK) and Joydeep Hor (Founder & Managing Principal, People + Culture Strategies, Sydney, Australia) discuss, from an international perspective, how the current climate and global affairs impact restrictive covenants. In particular, the panel address: - What protection do employers have if your business has diminished or your focus has changed; - The impact of increased global (virtual) mobility on restrictive covenants; - The impact on remote working on policing, enforcing and drafting r

We are pleased to share with you the recording of our recent Professional Practices Alliance (PPA) live panel discussion on “Partner Contribution - The Ramifications of External Investment on Traditional Partner Reward Structures". The partnership model is proven to be effective in generating cash and reward for partners of professional practices but is the partnership model attractive for external investors and how will partner reward structures be impacted by external investment? In this session, our PPA experts and guest speaker discuss: • The benefits of the partnership model • How partnerships can facilitate fair reward structures • The different types of business models we see now • Identifying the right time to go down the external investment route • The pros and cons of employee ownership • Other forms of external ownership and how investors measure their rate of return John Aldred (Barclays) joins the PPA panel to provide the bank’s view when it comes to attracting finance from external inves

In this discussion, you can hear Session Chair, Zulon Begum, CM Murray LLP, and speakers Claire Watkins, Buzzacott LLP, David Shufflebotham, PEPUp.consulting, Robert Millard, Cambridge Strategy Group, Sarah Chilton, CM Murray LLP and Corinne Staves, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP, discuss a range of metrics and strategic issues that professional services firms should carefully consider when evaluating partner reward. Our PPA experts discuss the following: 1. What areas are firms currently weak at measuring in respect of evaluating partner reward? 2. What areas should firms focus on measuring and how can they do that from a practical perspective? What types of data should firms be looking for in respect of various metrics? 3. How can firms ensure that metrics and data are aligned with their overall strategy, particularly given that many firms will need to reassess their business plan over the next few months/years, given the current climate? 4. What are the key issues associated with sole reliance upon fin

We are delighted to release the first podcast in our two-part series on Managing and Responding to Partner Exits. In this podcast, Wendy Chung and Wonu Sanda highlight the important steps that Firms need to take to manage the common issues that Firms face when proposing or dealing with a partner exit. All Firms will need to deal with partner exits at one stage or another, be it as a result of the current pandemic, uncovered partner misconduct, strategic mergers, a partner moving to the competition or a standard retirement. Knowing what steps to take (and not to take) to manage the inevitable is vital. In the first of this two-part podcast we address the key issues and risks encountered by Firms when seeking to exit Partners, including: 1. What events commonly lead to partner exits and what impact has the current economic situation had on Firms considering partner exits? 2. What range of options are available to a Firm seeking to exit a partner? What are the advantages and limitations of these options? 3. Do

We are delighted to bring you the recording of this expert discussion on Mergers in the Time of Coronavirus and Beyond. The Chair and the Managing Partner of the recently merged law firm Moore Barlow LLP joined our panel of legal and management experts to share their commercial, legal and practical advice for professional services firms seeking a merger, including: 1. Preparatory steps to ensure a successful merger 2. The importance of culture and focussing on the joint vision for the merged firm 3. How to secure partner buy-in and engage staff 4. Measures to deal with and protect firms against dissenting partners 5. Overcoming and avoiding potential deal breakers Chair: Zulon Begum (CM Murray LLP) Speakers: Sarah Chilton (CM Murray LLP), Robert Millard (Cambridge Strategy Group Limited), Helen Goatley and Edward Whittington (Moore Barlow LLP) and Pia Sanchez (CM Murray LLP)

We are delighted to bring you this recording of a discussion between members of our Employment Law team on Managing Employee Risks and Supporting Colleagues’ Families in the Age of Covid. Many businesses will be thinking about how they may best protect and support the diverse health and wellbeing needs of their staff, including BAME workers, during the coronavirus pandemic. This will inevitably necessitate a tailored consideration of the various legal risks, individual risk profiles of staff, and financial and practical constraints within each employer. Against this background, in this short podcast we address some of the pressing considerations with which employers should be engaging, including: 1. How should employers properly assess the risks posed by Covid to their workforces, taking into account the individual risk factors of each employee, including the heightened risk for black and ethnic minority workers? 2. What risks do employers face in respect of claims brought by employees who contract Covid?

In this podcast Merrill April (Partner, CM Murray LLP) and Louise O’Connor (Associate, CM Murray LLP) are joined by Matt Nixon (Partner, Stork & May) for a discussion of the key areas which need to be considered by senior executives when their company is proposing or implementing a restructure: • Potential positive as well as negative impacts of company restructures. Is there any difference in those impacts as a result of the restructure being driven by or taking place during a pandemic?   • What can senior management do to ensure that staff communications continue to be productive and as efficient as possible for the business and employees when traditional modes of communication are curtailed during lockdown?   • What preparatory steps can senior executives take when they suspect a restructure may be on the horizon?   • What should senior executives bear in mind with the approach of the end of the furlough period? What can they do to get things in order ahead of any possible announcement regarding a comp

CM Murray LLP, in association with Littleton Chambers and Fisher Phillips LLP, invite you to listen to a 50-minute podcast recording on “Trade Secret Protection in the “New Normal”: Is your Information Secure from WFH and RTW Mishaps and Misappropriation?” In this podcast recording, Merrill April (Partner, CM Murray LLP, London, UK),  Chris Stief, (Regional Managing Partner in Philadelphia & Pittsburgh, Fisher Phillips LLP, USA), Mike Avila (Partner, Fisher Phillips LLP, Philadelphia & Washington D.C. Metro, USA) and Jonathan Cohen QC (Littleton Chambers, London, UK), discuss the key issues from both a US and UK perspective relating to the enforcement of restrictive covenants and how such covenants are impacted by global working from home and furlough. In particular, the panel address:   1. How the new global work from home reality is a complicating factor in trade secrets agreements; 2. Key practical steps and considerations for employers on how to manage and protect their confidential information and trade