IEL Elite

Overview

Top-tier international boutique spread between the UK, Ireland, and Hong Kong. Lewis Silkin is also the UK member of Ius Laboris alliance, extending its footprint beyond Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Led by joint managing partner Richard Miskella in London, members of the firm’s employment, immigration, and reward team are able to draw on a number of parallel disciplines also on offer at the firm, including data privacy and tax.

The firm expanded into Northern Ireland in August 2021 after joining forces with Jones Cassidy Brett to create Lewis Silkin NI. Paul Gillen further strengthened the Belfast team in June 2022 after joining from Pinsent Masons.

The move followed Jezamine Fewins’ arrival in December 2021 from Stephenson Harwood to lead the firm’s Asia-Pacific litigation practice in Hong Kong.

Also of note, TUPE specialist Lee Nair in London and Belfast-based immigration expert Stephen O’Flaherty were promoted to partner in 2022. Colin Leckey in London is another key contact within the group.

Specialisms

The team offers extensive expertise across the breadth of employment matters, from litigation through to works councils, internal investigations, employee incentives, and issues impacting high-level executives. Notably, the firm boasts an expanding immigration-specialised team in Belfast.

On the cross-border side, Lewis Silkin regularly co-ordinates multi-jurisdictional Ius Laboris projects. Noteworthy mandates of late have included strategic cross-border downsizing projects, global D&I initiatives and associated data protection concerns, and covid-19-related issues, such as the return to the office.

Among other areas of support, the group prides itself on being able to offer tailored technical solutions to multinationals’ needs. For example, in the last 12 months, a team spread between Hong Kong, Ireland, and the UK assisted LinkedIn with the creation of a platform for HR teams across the world to handle day-to-day employment queries.

The firm is also able to help its clients through its low-cost support service, rockhopper, allowing clients to address less complex matters for a fixed fee.

Clients