New Asia employment partner meets growing demand for cross-border advice

New partner Fatim Jumabhoy now leads a regional practice that draws on employment law expertise from across the firm's eight Asian offices.

The firm's Global Head of Practice, Employment, Pensions and Incentives, Alison Brown, said: "Fatim has already overseen the successful expansion of our Southeast Asia employment practice. Her promotion reflects both growing demand from clients and the firm's intention to continue investment in this area of law."

"We are confident that under her leadership the wider Asia practice will also grow to meet client demand."

"Lean Asian legal and HR teams are dealing with complex employee issues across multiple countries and laws," said Fatim.  "As economic conditions tighten, more clients are seeking our advice on complex company restructures across countries."

"The number of employment disputes and employee investigations has also increased in the last year, triggered by changes in a number of Asian countries to a range of regimes, from foreign worker rules, benefits and health and safety, to anti-bribery, anti-discrimination, whistleblower regimes and diversity," said Fatim.

"Our position as a truly regional practice, working alongside some of the best corporate and disputes lawyers in Asia, makes us the ideal choice for multinational and regional employers in these situations."

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• Fatim Jumabhoy's practice focuses on cross-border and multijurisdictional employment advice, working with local and international clients to create regionally consistent yet locally compliant approaches across Asia. A law graduate of the University of Birmingham, UK, she is admitted to practice in England & Wales and as an advocate and solicitor in Singapore. Fatim's promotion to partner is effective 1 May 2017.
• In addition to Fatim, the firm announced the promotion of 20 new partners around the world on 10 April.
• Globally, Herbert Smith Freehills has almost 200 employment, pensions and incentives lawyers in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the US. The team advises companies on employment and employment litigation, industrial relations, pensions and pensions litigation, remuneration and incentives, superannuation, and workplace health and safety.
• Herbert Smith Freehills has some 1,500 lawyers in Asia Pacific, advising clients on complex corporate, disputes and finance matters, currently from offices in Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Jakarta*, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo, and in Australia, from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The firm is due to open in Kuala Lumpur in May 2017.