Melanie Lane

Practice Areas

Melanie Lane is a partner in the Employment Team at CMS London. She has over 25 years' experience of supporting employer clients with the full range of employment law issues, from day-to-day employment documentation and workplace matters to complex employment litigation, investigations, business reorganisations and outsourcings. Her clients include numerous household names across a variety of industries, with a particular focus on the consumer products/retail, leisure, life sciences, media and technology sectors.

Melanie has advised on some of the leading whistleblowing claims in the UK, including in Employment Appeal Tribunal in the first case to consider alleged protected disclosures based on damage to the environment, and in the Court of Appeal. In recent years she has advised a number of high-profile clients on large-scale business reorganisations, including their information and consultation obligations with both unionised and non-unionised workforces, and on sensitive internal investigations, for example into allegations against C-suite executives and about equal pay. She is an expert on the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (“TUPE”) and has provided the employment support on many of the firm's award-winning outsourcing transactions.

Melanie prides herself on understanding her clients' businesses and providing practical and commercial advice focused on and tailored to their specific needs. She is a regular speaker and writer on a variety of employment law topics including whistleblowing.

Professional Memberships

Employment Lawyers Association.

European Employment Lawyers Association.

Association of Partnership Practitioners.

International Bar Association.

American Bar Association.

Publications

November 2023: Law360 – 5 Questions For CMS Employment Head Melanie Lane - Law360.

July 2022: People Management – Preventing sexual harassment in the hospitality sector.

January 2021: People Management – What is the impact of the EU-UK trade deal on employment law?

November 2020: People Management – The latest furlough updates – explained.

June 2020: International Bar Association – In-house teams respond to the Covid-19 pandemic – and prepare for the aftermath | International Bar Association (ibanet.org).

December 2016: Retail Week – Employment Law and the gig economy.

December 2016: The Times Raconteur (as part of its special report into the future of work) - Problems with the growing gig economy.

September 2016: Employee Benefits magazine/website – How to create an effective Christmas incentive strategy.

May 2016: Employmentsolicitor.com - Employment status continues to deliver problems in today's flexible economy.

May 2015: ELA Briefing – Status update – employee, worker or self-employed?

February 2015: Employment Law Journal – Protecting an employer's good name (hard copy only).

Work Highlights

A multinational software corporation on day-to-day employee relations matters under a retainer arrangement, as well its often-reported on Employment Tribunal cases.

An international software, data and media company on all aspects of employment law, in respect of both UK and international matters, including on cross-border remote working issues.

An American pharmaceutical giant on the closures of three of its UK sites (both unionised) and the transfer of their product lines to Germany and France.

A global charitable foundation on a highly sensitive internal investigation.

An iconic London hotel on the crisis situation it, like all other hospitality businesses, faced due to the National lockdown.

A world-leading online luxury and fashion retailer on all of its UK employment law issues and co-ordinating its support in EMEA and Asia.

A top international accountancy and business advisory firm on a wide range of employee relations and commercial matters, including business mergers.

A multinational consumer goods company on the employment aspects of its first truly global outsource of its IT service desk and deskside support arrangements.

One of the oil and gas "supermajors" on the TUPE aspects of the implementation of its new IT operating model (shortlisted for the EOA Awards' Innovation in Pan–European Outsourcing).

A national broadcaster on the TUPE implications of a wide range of outsourcing projects and IR35.

Education