Chris Kelly is a director in our London office having joined the team in 2016. He specialises in all areas of labour and employment law and has extensive experience in providing strategic advice to clients globally, both as their sole employment counsel and by managing a team of international lawyers.
His particular areas of expertise include partnering with clients to plan and implement restructuring and transformation programmes (often involving collective redundancies and/or the application of TUPE); board-level recruitment and severances; the employment aspects of mergers and acquisitions; and defending complex tribunal litigation. Chris is praised by clients for his calm approach to high-risk situations and ability to respond rapidly with clear and commercially sensitive advice.
Chris currently leads the firm’s global investigations working group and provides bespoke in-house training to clients on matters such as the mandatory duty to prevent sexual harassment, training for employment representatives and hot topics in employment law.
Chris is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.
Advised as part of a cross-practice team on the £100 million sale of part of a major chemicals company, including coordination of advice across 15 different jurisdictions, and guided the client through a collective consultation process against strong opposition from employee representatives.
Led a team of employment lawyers advising a US multinational on the implementation of its global HR information system and shared service centre across circa 30 countries.
Advised a FTSE 250 company on the employment aspects of several acquisitions in the building sector ranging from £50 million to £100 million, together with its disposal of a merchanting business for £520 million.
Regularly managing the transfer of business-critical employees from and to jurisdictions outside of the UK on a temporary or permanent basis, working closely with colleagues in other teams to navigate through complicated issues related to immigration and tax/social security in addition to employment law.
Conducted an internal investigation into allegations of harassment by a senior employee against the COO of a US-headquartered company.
Particular expertise in advising on board-level recruitment, incentivisation and severances, focusing on achieving swift commercial resolutions that protect the interests of clients both legally and reputationally.
Advised a pharmaceutical company on developing clear, pragmatic and user-friendly internal guidance on managing international arrangements where employees are employed in one country but work mainly or wholly for the benefit of a group entity in another jurisdiction, which presented a risk of co-employment or labour leasing.
Recently guided a client on implementing new terms and conditions relating to incentive arrangements across multiple jurisdictions impacting over 300 employees.
Acted for a multinational news organisation in a case of equal pay and unlawful discrimination, which also focused on the untested points of the tribunal’s jurisdiction to hear the case and the applicability of UK law.
Acted for an international hotel chain in defending claims of race discrimination, unfair dismissal and failing to inform and consult in relation to a TUPE transfer. Secured the withdrawal of the claim on the basis that the claimant would not be pursued for costs.