INTERNATIONAL EMPLOYMENT GROUP Employment Services in Oman
We continue to recommend them to others because of their strength in dealing with detail CHAMBERS GLOBAL 2015 10-5112821-9 0
Addleshaw Goddard's Employment Group Our Employment Group has a nationally and internationally acknowledged reputation, providing a complete service dealing with all aspects of the employment relationship by our employment teams across the UK, the Gulf region and Asia. Our Oman employment practice We are a forward thinking and dynamic employment practice with an emphasis on finding solutions for our clients and enjoying the relationships we forge with them. We are committed to providing value to our clients by adapting our service to meet our clients' specific needs and the challenging business environments in which our clients operate. We are a friendly approachable team providing proactive, pragmatic and commercial advice to local and international organisations across all sectors, including energy, construction, industry, financial services, education, telecoms, transportation, IT and media. The expertise you need Our Oman employment practice focuses on the following core areas: Recruitment Labour clearance and visa advice for foreign nationals Offer letters Dual text employment contracts, job descriptions Consultancy, secondment agreements Confidentiality agreements HR polices and procedures Employee handbooks Disciplinary and grievance Codes of conduct, whistle blowing and gifts Social media and IT Conflicts of interest Transactional National and global corporate transactions M&A and IPOs Due diligence exercises Restructuring and organisational change Redundancy and reorganisation exercises Changing terms and conditions Voluntary redundancy and early retirement agreements Litigation Mediation meetings before the Ministry of Manpower Primary Court, Appeal Court and Supreme Court hearings Enforcement proceedings Arbitrary dismissal, breach of contract and pay claims Industrial relations Collective workforce issues and disputes Collective negotiations Collective agreements Terms of reference Strike action Settlement agreements 10-5112821-9 1
General advisory work and compliance Day to day HR issues Omanisation requirements Working hours, overtime pay claims, managing poor performance, ill health and incapability, disciplinary action, investigating grievances, and termination of employment Compliance advice under Oman Labour Law Audit HR documentation and related procedures Employment training Focused and interactive seminars on the latest hot topics, legal developments and legislation Training on union rights, collective bargaining and the right to strike Workshops on handling disciplinary and grievance investigations Bespoke seminars and workshops tailored to a client's particular requirements and delivered at the client's preferred location Employment briefings throughout the year Who we work for Gorvinder Pannu is recognised for her excellent employment and HR practice. According to sources, she is 'knowledgeable, precise and responsive in her approach'. CHAMBERS GLOBAL 2015 Our employment practice in the Middle East is led by employment expert Gorvinder Pannu, who has a wealth of experience in Oman advising major international and local companies over the last nine years, and noted in the legal directories for her key strengths. Gorvinder works closely with leading advocate Saif Al Mamari, who is involved in the preparation of labour litigation and regularly undertakes advocacy at mediation and court hearings before the Oman courts as well as providing representation before the Ministry of Manpower on collective workplace disputes. We are pleased to highlight some of our team's Oman employment experience below and would welcome the opportunity to discuss further how Addleshaw Goddard may support you: Advised an international communications, technology and services provider on the employment obligations arising under the Labour Law transferability provisions following the transfer of contract to another provider Drafted the employee handbook, including management guidelines for its disciplinary procedure, for a global logistics operator at the Port of Sohar, and advised on varying terms and conditions of employment, in particular with regard to shift patterns Drafted secondment and consultancy agreements in relation to cross border employee postings from Saudi Arabia and the UAE to Oman for an independent power and water project company Advised a number of clients during and after the Oman Arab Spring in 2011, operating in the power, ports and oil and gas sectors on illegal strike action, assisted with negotiations and drafted a number of collective agreements as well as investigating, as part of an independent grievance committee, multiple employee grievances Defended an international oilfield services company in a class action filed by employees in relation to their dismissal following unlawful work stoppages and backdated overtime claims Advised a major port company in Oman on the termination and exit arrangements of key executive officers and drafted settlement agreements Defended a large oilfield services company in a prosecution against two of its senior employees concerning allegations of union discrimination 10-5112821-9 2
Advised a state owned company on termination issues in respect of its chief executive officer facing prosecution in relation to bribery and corruption offences Advised the first Islamic bank in Oman during its formation on its employee structure, including on the Central Bank of Oman's requirements for employing key senior managers, and drafted the employment contracts and job descriptions from top down Advised a major bank on disciplinary action against a group of employees for serious misconduct involving fraud Addleshaw Goddard At Addleshaw Goddard, our business is about strong client relationships built on successful delivery across national and international markets. A real meeting of minds. We are a premium business law firm offering an exceptional breadth of services. Our approach combines a deep understanding of our clients' businesses, markets and sectors with high calibre expertise, straight talking advice and a collaborative team culture. By delivering what clients want wherever they need it, from high value strategic advice, to the everyday, we pride ourselves on a service which is high quality, focused, relevant and consistently excellent. We are ranked in the top tier across the UK in 41 practice areas (Legal 500, 2014) and 34 practice areas (Chambers UK, 2015). In Oman, our banking practice is ranked in the top tier (Legal 500, 2015) with notable mentions of banking partner, Roger Byrne, and corporate partner, Charles Schofield, (Legal 500, Chambers Global 2014, and 2015) and employment specialist, Gorvinder Pannu (Chambers Global 2014, and 2015). Our firm is headquartered in London and our other UK offices are in Manchester and Leeds. Internationally, we have offices in Doha, Dubai, Hong Kong, Muscat, Singapore, and Tokyo (in association with Hashidate Law Office). As many of our clients have businesses that are based, operate or invest in numerous countries, we also have long-standing relationships with an extensive network of correspondent full service law firms worldwide. They are commercially savvy, manage expectations well and deliver on time. CHAMBERS GLOBAL 2015 Charles Schofield "an attentive, practical lawyer who gives good advice." CHAMBERS GLOBAL 2015 Core practice areas in Oman Corporate and commercial: we have extensive knowledge and experience of Omani commercial and company law and practice. Our corporate team is available to advise on a range of matters from mergers and acquisitions to funds and regulatory. We have contacts on the ground and liaise with local regulators and ministries to make sure that our information is current and keeps pace with the latest laws, policies and practice. Finance: we are key advisors to all the major licensed banks in Oman. Our banking team has a track record of advising lenders and borrowers on bilateral and syndicated facilities for the complete spectrum of finance transactions ranging from real estate and industrial project finance to general corporate facilities. We are also experienced in structuring deals that are Shari'a compliant and have significant experience in dealing with the challenges that Shari'a law presents. Projects and construction: our projects and construction teams handle large and very complex transactions acting for project funders, sponsors, developers, employers, constructors, sub-contractors and professional teams. We have advised on the procurement and maintenance (including facilities management) of major infrastructure projects such as power plants, district cooling facilities, oil and gas installations, and mixed use developments. Arbitration and dispute resolution: we advise on all forms of dispute resolution both before the Oman courts and all aspects of arbitral processes. Whichever seat, arbitral rules and subject matter of dispute, we can field teams with specialist expertise to guide clients through the litigation or arbitration process drawing on our local, regional and international pool of lawyers. Addleshaw Goddard (Middle East) LLP in association with Nasser Al Habsi Law Firm has quickly established a strong client base and advised on various high-profile deals in its short existence in Oman. Roger Byrne heads the team, which includes experienced lawyers. LEGAL 500, 2014 10-5112821-9 3
KEY CONTACTS Roger Byrne Head of Oman Office + 968 2495 0702 +968 95496858 r.byrne@aglaw.com Charles Schofield Head of Corporate Oman +968 2495 0703 + 968 9744 4158 c.schofield@aglaw.com Gorvinder Pannu Legal Director, Employment +968 2495 0705 / 9660 2858 +971 4 3506400 g.pannu@aglaw.com Saif Al Mamari Omani partner +968 2495 0704 +968 9644 5443 s.almamari@aglaw.com 10-5112821-9 4
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addleshawgoddard.com Doha, Dubai, Hong Kong, Leeds, London, Manchester, Muscat, Singapore and Tokyo* *a formal alliance with Hashidate Law Office 2015 Addleshaw Goddard LLP. All rights reserved. Extracts may be copied with prior permission and provided their source is acknowledged. This document is for general information only. It is not legal advice and should not be acted or relied on as being so, accordingly Addleshaw Goddard disclaims any responsibility. It does not create a solicitor-client relationship between Addleshaw Goddard and any other person. Legal advice should be taken before applying any information in this document to any facts and circumstances. Addleshaw Goddard is an international legal practice carried on by Addleshaw Goddard LLP (a limited liability partnership registered in England & Wales and authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority) and its affiliated undertakings. Addleshaw Goddard operates in the Dubai International Financial Centre through Addleshaw Goddard (Middle East) LLP (registered with and regulated by the DFSA), in the Qatar Financial Centre through Addleshaw Goddard (GCC) LLP (licensed by the QFCA), in Oman through Addleshaw Goddard (Middle East) LLP in association with Nasser Al Habsi & Saif Al Mamari Law Firm (licensed by the Oman Ministry of Justice) and in Hong Kong through Addleshaw Goddard (Hong Kong) LLP (a limited liability partnership registered in England & Wales and registered and regulated as a foreign law firm by the Law Society of Hong Kong) in association with Francis & Co. In Tokyo, legal services are offered through Addleshaw Goddard's formal alliance with Hashidate Law Office. A list of members/principals for each firm will be provided upon request. The term partner refers to any individual who is a member of any Addleshaw Goddard entity or association or an employee or consultant with equivalent standing and qualifications. If you prefer not to receive promotional material from us, please email us at unsubscribe@addleshawgoddard.com. For further information please consult our website www.addleshawgoddard.com or www.aglaw.com.