Employment law is a matter of public policy around the globe. As such, it is often not possible for employees and employers to contract around the local employment regulations. In addition, choice of law provisions in employment agreements are often only enforceable to the extent that the terms of the agreement do not offend the local applicable law. Multinational corporations, more than ever before, need to understand how applicable law can affect employment relationships.
And as any multinational employer knows - choice of law impacts a myriad of employment issues. Often the global policies and programs adopted by the parent company are not readily exportable to its subsidiaries around the globe. During the webinar, we will address the implementation of global policies, and programs that especially evoke the need to consider choice of law decisions, such as expatriate issues, virtual employees, and independent contractors.
In addition, often times, the laws of one country conflict with another country's laws, and employers are left with what at first seems like an unsolvable problem. For example, over the past several years, while dealing with the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), bank employers experienced more of a "collision" than a conflict of laws as they were faced with complying with TARP or violating the employment laws in many other jurisdictions. This is markedly similar to the issues companies face when trying to simultaneously comply with the EU data privacy laws and the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank Acts and U.S. anti-discrimination laws. We will discuss how to handle these conflicts as well as address the extraterritorial application of some U.S. employment laws abroad.
Join Erika Collins, partner in Paul Hastings' employment law practice, for a discussion of:
Erika Collins, Partner, Paul Hastings’ employment law practice
Erika Collins is a partner in the Paul Hastings Employment Law Department and chairs the firm's International Employment practice. Ms. Collins provides strategic advice and counseling to multinational employers on a wide range of global employment law and human resources matters. She leads a team of employment lawyers in the firm's U.S. and non-U.S. offices and has developed a network of international employment counsel to provide assistance worldwide. She represents public and private companies and advises on cross-border employment matters spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America.
Ms. Collins assists employers with global employment issues and advises companies when they are expanding or downsizing around the world. She has handled office openings and workforce expansions; employment terminations, including mass layoffs and office closures; executive hirings and terminations and the attendant negotiations; and has prepared employment, separation, expatriate and consulting agreements in dozens of countries. She conducts multi-country audits of employment laws and practices, and provides strategic compliance advice regarding a wide range of issues, including data privacy, fixed-term contracts, outsourcing, and working time and leave regulations.