Helena Derbyshire

Helena Derbyshire has over 20 years of experience advising employers and senior executives on a wide range of employment issues, ranging from strategic advice on the labour law aspects of corporate transactions and business reorganisations, to the day-to-day employment matters faced by business managers.

Ms. Derbyshire works closely with our M&A and international labour and benefits teams and has extensive experience in:

-advising employers on restructuring and reorganising their workforce;

-addressing the employment issues arising in the context of the acquisition or disposal of a business, including particular experience on the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) and collective consultation requirements across Europe;

-employment advice related to cross-border transactions and coordination of international advisers;

-collective bargaining and industrial actions;

-the TUPE issues arising in outsourcing transactions;

-advising on employee retention, including drafting and negotiating senior executives’ service agreements;

-advising on, drafting and enforcing post-termination restrictions;

-managing executive dismissals, including the negotiation of severance terms and defending employment-related claims;

-discrimination law, including drafting and advising on effective equality, gender pay gap and flexible working policies and practices;

-data protection issues in relation to the personal data of U.K.-based employees; and

-training clients on employment issues, such as the application of TUPE, GDPR, discipline and grievances, and equality.

Ms. Derbyshire is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association and is the chair of the Employment Law Committee of the City of London Law Society.