Lewis Silkin

Employment, Immigration & Reward

Partner: David specialises in advising on industrial relations and collective employment law. He has developed proactive industrial relations strategies for businesses wishing to implement complex business reorganisations, business transfers and labour cost reductions. His experience includes advising on:

• collective redundancy consultations, including “fire and rehire” exercises to effect changes to employees’ terms and conditions
• TUPE transfers, including reliance on the “special circumstances” defence of having undertaken such steps as were reasonably practicable to inform and consult with employees in the context of an administration
• consultations on listed pensions changes, under the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004 and with European Works Councils

David has defended complaints in the Employment Tribunal, Central Arbitration Committee and Employment Appeal Tribunal in respect of alleged insufficient information and consultation.

David has a particular focus on advising on European Works Councils under UK and Irish law. He regularly advises on establishment requests, special negotiating body processes and the holding of annual and exceptional circumstances meetings. He also has extensive experience defending EWC litigation.

David trained at Slaughter and May in London and qualified into its Pensions and Employment Team in 2013. David moved to Linklaters in Hong Kong in 2014 before joining Lewis Silkin on his return to London in 2016. He was made a partner at Lewis Silkin in 2021.

He has undertaken client secondments to the British Museum, Carillion and JP Morgan.