James DaviesPartner

I enjoy an international focus through my role with our global alliance of employment lawyers, Ius Laboris. I also advise organisations on a wide range of domestic employment law issues. I founded the firm's employment practice with Michael Burd in 1992 and have seen it grow to over 150 employment lawyers. A variety of legal guides including Chambers and The Legal 500 and The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers recognise me as a leading employment lawyer nationally and internationally. I have recently been listed in the top five Thought Leaders in employment law across Europe by Who's Who: Labour and Employment 2017. I am listed as one the three ‘eminent practitioners’ in employment law in the UK in Chambers and Partners Global Guide 2019.

I am a regular speaker at employment law conferences both domestically and internationally, Executive Editor of Age Discrimination (published by Bloomsbury), an author of Partnership and Discrimination Law for Professional Partnerships (published by Legalease) and have been a monthly contributor to Management Today for over ten years. I am also Regional Editor and National Contributor of European Employment Law Cases.

Employment

I advise a diverse group of employers large and small on everything from restructurings to discrimination claims. I have a particular interest in advising law firms on their internal employment and partnership issues and recently advised on what was reported as the largest law firm team move in recent years. From time to time I also advise senior executives.

A major part of my practice is advising organisations on their international employment law needs so am a good person to contact if you need the best employment law advice in, say, Gabon or Tajikistan. I am also a francophile having obtained a Diplôme d’Etudes Juridiques Françaises from the University of Strasbourg to add to my Masters degree in Employment Relations.

Partnerships and LLPs

Many of my clients are partnerships and LLPs. Amongst these clients are several major national and international law firms as well as financial services and other professional firms.

Partnership disputes regularly require me to apply discrimination law and those employment laws which cover partnerships as well as partnership and LLP law. I have been involved for many years in the issues surrounding retirement age for partners. Additionally, the issues surrounding the management and remuneration of partners are of particular interest in my management role at Lewis Silkin.

From time to time I also advise members and partners on their positions.

I am an author of Partnership and Discrimination Law for Professional Partnerships (published by Legalease).