Counsel Without Borders

With more than a decade of in-house experience across multiple jurisdictions, Liz Williamson has built a truly international employment law career. Now at Swedish-Swiss technology company ABB, she shares how fostering workplaces where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging has become a key priority. She also discusses why she enjoys workplace investigations, the professional challenges and pe...

Visiting Singapore this week, Stephen Woodbury, co-head of the newly merged Ashurst Perkins Coie’s international employment group, joins us to discuss what it takes to integrate a truly global practice. He shares insights on aligning cultures, bringing teams together across jurisdictions, and how clients stand to benefit from the expanded platform. The conversation also explores lessons from clien...

Is Germany overregulated? In this episode, Baker McKenzie's Steffen Scheuer unpacks a stable yet highly regulated employment law landscape and the pressures confronting Europe’s largest economy. From AI-driven layoffs and large-scale restructurings to navigating works councils, unions, and workplace complaints, he shares practical insights for employers operating in Germany – while also reflec...

Aaron Goonrey, APAC practice leader at Pinsent Masons, discusses the importance of understanding client motivations, responding to AI-generated claims, and the realities of practising in Australia’s highly litigious landscape. He also considers outside-the-box remedies to resolving complaints,trade union power down under, the growing challenges of modern slavery due diligence, and the skills neede...

Trade unions are back at the centre of the workplace conversation. Morgan Lewis partner Matthew Howse joins Counsel Without Borders to discuss the sweeping union rights reforms contained in the Employment Rights Act, why many organisations may be underprepared, and which sectors unions are most likely to target to swell their ranks. The conversation also explores the realities of managing complex...

Counsel Without Borders returns with Raquel Flórez, head of Freshfields’ People & Reward practice in Madrid. In this episode, she reflects on her early career, explains why law can never truly be a 9-to-5 profession, discusses the limits of AI in legal practice, shares lessons learned from major setbacks, and explores what multinational companies need to understand about operating in Spain – i...

In the latest episode of Counsel Without Borders, Robbie Sinclair talks about building a lean team at Gibson Dunn, the competitive drive that underpins top-tier litigation, the importance of a rigorous lessons-learned mindset, why the UK tribunal system is failing employers, and the dangers of getting on the wrong side of the Court of Appeal.

Group litigation is evolving across the UK and Europe – but what does that mean for employers across the continent? In this episode, Squire Patton Boggs' Deborah Polden, Ellie Pinnells, and Janette Lucas discuss everything from differing legal regimes to equal pay disputes, the influence of funders and trade unions, and the next wave of group claims that multinationals must prepare for.

In the latest Counsel Without Borders, Clifford Chance's practice co-chair Alistair Woodland takes listeners on a deep dive into workplace investigations. From scoping the inquiry, witness welfare, and effective interviews to evidence assessment, legal privilege, and transparency, learn about the most common issues that can derail an investigation.

In this first episode of Counsel Without Borders from IEL, award-winning A&O Shearman practice head Sarah Henchoz discusses how the magic circle firm's global employment practice has changed over the last two decades, clients' concerns about the incoming Employment Rights Act, her plan to tackle the UK's growing tribunal backlog, the growing use of AI in workplace investigations, t...