DLA PIPER expands Middle East Employment Team

15 September 2013. Dubai - Dubai - DLA Piper, the global law firm, has announced two new appointments within its employment practice in Dubai. Both transfers from the UK, Sarah Lawrence joins from DLA Piper's London office and Iain Skinner joins from the firm's Edinburgh office as Senior Legal Consultants.

The team, which is made up of  dedicated employment law specialists, is now seven strong and based in both the UAE and KSA and has over 60 years of practice experience between them. Further support is available on the ground in Qatar, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Egypt from lawyers with experience of dealing with local regulations affecting the deployment of staff.

Neil Crossley, Partner and Head of the Employment Practice Group at DLA Piper Middle East, said: "We are delighted to welcome Sarah and Iain to the team, at a time when we are experiencing rapid growth in demand from our clients for high quality, multi-jurisdictional legal advice right across the region. Our clients are looking for growth in the wider region while Europe and elsewhere remain stuck in a low gear. That requires a clear human capital strategy that meets business needs and is both flexible and manages risk.

"Both Sarah and Iain bring with them in-depth experience that is broad in scope on employment law matters ranging from pensions and benefits related matters, recruitment and redundancy procedures and protecting key assets such as confidential information and customer connections. Our extended team stands us in good stead to continue to provide a high-value service to our clients, both local and international. Our clients are sophisticated and know what the law says - what they value is being partnered by lawyers who are  technically proficient but are also people specialists and understand how to implement policy, communicate around change and solve disputes".

"Sarah and Iain are joining Joanna Taylor, Patricia Wardrop, Tala El-Hejailon and Ashleigh Robertson all whom have now been working on heavyweight employment matters in the region for a number of years".  

DLA Piper's Middle East Employment Practice  has been recognised as Tier 1 by Chambers and Partners  in 2013 and complements the Employment Group's global position as Tier 1 for international employment law. Neil Crossley is also  listed as a Tier 1 practitioner for employment law in the UAE.  

DLA Piper has a strong presence across the Middle East region, with offices in all six GCC countries as well as a group firm in Egypt and a presence in Iraq. A global firm with 4,200 lawyers in more than 30 countries, DLA Piper is well-positioned to help companies with their business law needs anywhere in the world.