IEL Elite
Market-leading boutique
Overview
Clare Murray is the managing partner of leading London-based employment boutique CM Murray.
The firm specialises in partnership, employment, and regulatory law for multinational companies, professional partnerships, and senior executives.
Clients come from a variety of sectors, such as financial (including hedge funds and private equity) and professional services, technology, luxury goods, and non-profit.
The team’s work on cross-border mandates is supported by its involvement with the Innangard alliance, of which the firm is a founding member.
In the past year, the firm has made a number of prominent lateral hires. In September 2022, partnership specialist Corinne Staves joined the team from Maurice Turnor Gardner.
Her addition followed that of Andrew Pavlovic in December 2021, who joined from Russell-Cooke, bringing expertise in regulatory and professional discipline issues.
A further notable hire was the recruitment of senior consultant Alison Downie from Goodman Derrick in May 2022. Downie has considerable experience in partnership disputes and professional discipline matters.
The firm in October 2022 launched CheckYourNDA, a free online tool to assist clients in identifying areas of compliance risk associated with non-disclosure agreements.
CM Murray is also the founder of The International Forum of Senior Executive Advisers (IFSEA), a membership forum for professionals who specialise in advising senior executives and founders.
Specialisms
The firm’s offering includes both contentious and non-contentious services, especially in relation to high-risk matters before tribunals and higher courts. Recent disputes include allegations of disability and maternity discrimination, fire-and-rehire, and whistleblowing.
As part of its practice, the group regularly acts on issues impacting multiple jurisdictions, and notably those in Europe. For example, it has been active of late advising on the ongoing impact of Brexit.
It is particularly adept at providing advice to US- and Germany-headquartered companies with UK operations. Other recent instructions have come from French, Dutch, Spanish and Swiss employers, among others, on everything from hiring and contract drafting to policy reviews and terminations.
Recent instructions also include phased return-to-work for employees post-covid; advice on employment status and corresponding rights; international remote working and employee monitoring; enforceability of restrictive covenants; consultancy agreements; and organisational restructuring.
The team draws particular praise for its prowess in executive terminations and can provide its expertise to either side of a dispute.
Another key area of activity is in workplace investigations. Recent work in this space has included an extensive investigation into the workplace culture of the London-based subsidiary of a multinational client. It followed serious complaints being made by way of whistleblowing report alleging systemic bullying and discrimination.
The firm is also noted for offering training on key issues impacting workforce management. For example, partner Emma Bartlett – whose practice regularly includes matters involving Luxembourg – led #MeToo-related anti-harassment and anti-bullying training to an international financial services firm.
Other key names
Profile provided by CM Murray
“CM Murray LLP's 'deep expertise in both partnership and employment law', makes it well-placed to handle complex and sensitive matters for clients.” - Legal 500 Tier 1 (Employment Law (Senior Executives) and Partnership Law)
CM Murray LLP is a leading specialist employment, partnership and regulatory law firm based in London.
Employment law is one of the core specialisations of the firm and we are particularly well known for our in-depth understanding and vast experience in international and cross-border employment law matters, both contentious and non-contentious. We advise many multi-national businesses with UK operations, with a particular focus on Financial Services (including Hedge Funds and Private Equity), Professional Services, Technology, Not-For-Profit and Luxury Goods sectors.
We have done a substantial amount of work advising employers on the management of complex and highly sensitive sexual harassment and bullying allegations, which present significant risks (financial, regulatory and reputational) for our clients.
We also advised a number of employer clients on the drafting and enforcement of restrictive covenants and have several very experienced High Court litigators in the team with particular expertise in this area.
We have advised clients and commented extensively in the press about employment issues arising from the pandemic, including the UK’s furlough scheme, health and safety in the workplace and hybrid working.
We are founder members of international employment law alliance, Innangard. Innangard brings together leading employment law specialists from around the world to collaborate on cross-border employment law and HR issues. See innangard.global for details.
We are also founders of The International Forum of Senior Executive Advisers (IFSEA), a membership forum for professionals who specialise in advising senior executives and founders. The Forum provides access to specialist networking events and sharing of information and expertise on international Senior Executive and Founder issues with other Forum members around the world.