Henry Clinton-Davis leads the firm's UK employment law team. He is listed in the leading directories of recommended lawyers.
Henry's practice covers all areas of UK employment law and business immigration. He also regularly co-ordinates employment projects in the EU and beyond. His approach is commercial and solution-driven.
Henry advises clients on drafting employment and consultancy agreements and handbooks both within the UK and the EU, as well as on secondment and assignment issues when transferring staff internationally; drafting and enforcing non-compete clauses and confidentiality restrictions; handling poor performance and claims of discrimination; redundancies (reductions in force) and lay-offs; avoiding workplace harassment; conducting disciplinary investigations and grievances; work permits and visas and data privacy (including issues around the transfer of human resources data from the EU to the US). Henry also handles the employment issues arising in mergers, outsourcings and consolidations, including workforce consultation, changing contracts of employment and Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE). Henry is a former barrister and is experienced at conducting all types of employment-related litigation. He is also in demand as a trainer on employment law topics, invited by clients to run custom-made, interactive training programs for line managers.
Henry is an active member of the international employment committee of the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA). He is a past president of the Labour Law Commission of the International Lawyers Association (AIJA) and a mediator accredited with the Centre for Dispute Resolution in London. He is a regular speaker at both external and firm human resources (HR) seminars and events.
Experience
- Represented countless US companies setting up UK-compliant employment and consultancy contracts and workplace policies and advises on work permits and visas to enable key employees to work in the UK.
- Advised global biopharmaceutical company on a reorganization of its UK operations involving combined collective redundancies and TUPE transfers overseas.
- Advised global toy manufacturer on the collection and processing of HR data from 14 European countries in a centralized SAP HR system.
- Assisted numerous companies to put in place Bribery Act compliant policies and other anti-corruption measures.
- Represented two leading private equity companies on the international employment issues arising from their acquisition of a government consulting unit from a global defence contractor (US$1.65 billion deal).
- Successfully defended numerous companies against claims of harassment and discrimination against senior managers, brokering favourable settlements both in mediations and out-of-court negotiations.
- Advised both US and European companies on the employment, whistle-blowing, and data-privacy issues arising in the conduct of internal investigations
- Advised leading international hotel chain on the outsourcing of its IT and reservations functions.
- Advised various companies on consultations with their workforce over the closure of defined benefit pension schemes and replacement with defined contribution plans.
- Advised multinational life sciences company on European Works Councils.
Perspectives
Recognition
Employment: Employers and Senior Executives (2011-2020)
Data Protection, Privacy and Cybersecurity (2017-2020)
"Leading Individual" Employment: Employers and Senior Executives (2009)
Credentials
Education
- Diploma in Law, City, University of London
- Mini-Stage, European Commission, Brussels
- Inns of Court School of Law, London
- B.A., University of Cambridge, Downing College
- M.A., University of Cambridge, Downing College
Admissions
- England and Wales
Activities
-
Past President, Labour Law Commission of the International Lawyers Association, AIJA
-
Former committee member of the British German Jurists Association
-
Mediator, accredited with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution
-
Member, International Committee of the Employment Lawyers' Association
Languages
- French
- German