Abi FrederickLegal Director

On the UK side, I advise on everything from contracts of employment and staff handbooks to complex grievances, disciplinaries, discrimination, redundancies and reorganisations, sickness absence, TUPE and dismissals.

My clients come from a variety of sectors including technology, finance, manufacturing and consulting. I use my Japanese language skills to advise Japanese companies in the UK, as part of Lewis Silkin’s Japan Business Group.

International

A large proportion of my practice is spent providing international advice and strategic input in relation to multi-jurisdictional projects and/or processes.

Recent projects include:

• providing time-sensitive advice in relation to COVID-19 measures across 48 jurisdictions

• co-ordinating and providing strategic advice and step by step documentation relating to a proposed collective redundancy and restructure consultation process across Europe

• reviewing a consultancy agreement and devising an employment status risk analysis tool for use across 6 jurisdictions

• producing a multi-national guide to the engagement of contingent workers

• co-ordinating advice in relation to a global benefits harmonisation process across 50+ jurisdictions

I also manage an EMEA helpdesk for a large US-parented technology client, to manage their day to day employment issues across their EMEA jurisdictions.

Atypical / the contingent workforce

I am co-Chair of our department’s team of specialists on issues involving the contingent workforce and the more unusual working arrangements, such as self-employed contractors, apprentices, secondees, interns, zero hours and agency workers.

Recent work includes:

• advising on client – employment business agreements in accordance with the Conduct Regulations 2003 and the Agency Workers Regulations 2010

• drafting compliant apprenticeship agreements and precedents

• advising in relation to the 2021 IR35 changes, including review of self-employed contractor, agency and umbrella documentation

• providing ongoing UK and international advice to clients in the “gig” or “platform economy” on the best ways to engage with individual workers, and the associated risks.

Technology

A large proportion of my practice is made up of advising both household name and start-up technology companies on all aspects of employment law, and I have built up a good understanding of the day to day pressures of the industry. My work involves:

• day to day advice on all aspects of employment law

• advice on the employment law aspects of acquisitions, TUPE and redundancy consultation

• co-ordinating international projects on topics ranging from confidentiality agreements, holiday carryover, sick pay, remote working, individual and collective redundancy, diversity and monitoring issues, sick leave requirements and more.