Jennifer Van Dale

Jennifer heads eversheds’ hong kong and asia pacific employment practice, representing employers and senior executives. Her practice touches on all aspects of employment work, from background checks to hr compliance issues to post-termination restraints. She advises on the employment and privacy issues in bribery and fraud investigations, m&a deals, and business transfers, as well as the employment aspects of complex multi-jurisdictional projects. Jennifer regularly conducts training sessions for corporate clients on termination, restructuring, discrimination, harassment and occupational health and safety. She is a member of the american chamber of commerce (amcham) board of governors and chaired its women of influence committee for three years. Jennifer frequently consults with advisory bodies and ngos on diversity issues and labour law. Jennifer graduated from rutgers university in the united states with a b.A. In chinese and from the university of hong kong with an ll.B (first class) and p.C.Ll. She is admitted as a solicitor in hong kong. As a resident of hong kong for nearly 25 years and a graduate of the university of hong kong, she combines an international background with local cultural and legal knowledge. Jennifer is widely recognized as one of hong kong and the region’s leading employment lawyers. She is consistently ranked in the top tier of employment lawyers by legal 500 asia pacific and chambers asia pacific in their annual legal guides. She is also consistently nominated and has won the “leading labour and employment lawyer in asia” title, awarded by euromoney legal media group asia women in business law survey. Representative work: • advising on integration of employees and harmonization of terms and benefits in the asia pacific region following the merger of two public financial institutions; • advising public and private multinational corporations across more than 20 jurisdictions on global cost-cutting strategies, including salary reductions, temporary shut-downs and redundancies across various industries, including banking and finance, technology and retail; • advising a multinational pharmaceutical company on a change in control agreement across 48 jurisdictions; • training managers and directors on termination, restructuring, obligations to manage employees, discrimination, harassment and occupational health and safety; • advising clients on fiduciary obligations, directors’ duties, confidential information, privacy laws and conflicts of interest; • designing and implementing employment and executive contracts and best practice policies, including the preparation of discretionary bonus plans, commission schemes, post-employment restrictions and other business protection provisions; • advising on claims for unfair dismissal, discrimination and breach of contract (including bonus plans and policies); • representing an incoming ceo of a listed hong kong company during contract negotiations; • advising the coo of a multinational beverage company on his departure from the company; • advising a hedge fund on its spin-off from a bank and preparing a suite of employment policies and documents for the fund. Recognition:  - best in labour and employment (asia) (euromoney asia women in business law awards 2012) - leading individual (employment, hong kong) – asia pacific legal 500, (since 2010) - leading individual (employment, hong kong) – chambers asia (since 2010) - recommended / endorsed lawyer (labor and employee benefits, hong kong) – plc which lawyer? (2007-2012, the last year they made endorsements) - who's who legal - management, labour and employment 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 (hong kong) - hong kong law society pro bono awards - 2011 (silver award) chambers asia pacific guide: 2015 “first-class” practitioner jennifer van dale enjoys a formidable reputation in the hong kong employment law market. Clients appreciate her pragmatic approach: “she is very, very good, especially at being practical. I don’t want to know what the law is, i want to know how it affects me – and that’s what she gives me.” 2014 - "brings with her a very strong reputation and considerable experience" one client described her as “the consummate professional, particularly on cross -jurisdictional matters”  2013 - “is a highly regarded employment specialist”, “ten out of ten” she has a wealth of fantastic experience and provides views not only from a hong kong perspective but also an asia one" 2012 - "she’s fantastic, she’s quick and has an encyclopaedic knowledge. If i can clone her in all the countries we work in, i’ll be a happy person!" legal 500 asia pacific guide 2013 - "a fantastic lawyer; she is very responsive, and her regional co-ordination skills are formidable " 2012 - " wide ranging experience and knowledge of the law across asia" jennifer heads eversheds’ hong kong and asia pacific employment practice, representing employers and senior executives. Her practice touches on all aspects of employment work, from background checks to hr compliance issues to post-termination restraints. She advises on the employment and privacy issues in bribery and fraud investigations, m&a deals, and business transfers, as well as the employment aspects of complex multi-jurisdictional projects.  Jennifer regularly conducts training sessions for corporate clients on termination, restructuring, discrimination, harassment and occupational health and safety.   She is a member of the american chamber of commerce (amcham) board of governors and chaired its women of influence committee for three years. Jennifer frequently consults with advisory bodies and ngos on diversity issues and labour law.   Jennifer graduated from rutgers university in the united states with a b.A. In chinese and from the university of hong kong with an ll.B (first class) and p.C.Ll. She is admitted as a solicitor in hong kong. As a resident of hong kong for nearly 25 years and a graduate of the university of hong kong, she combines an international background with local cultural and legal knowledge.   Jennifer is widely recognized as one of hong kong and the region’s leading employment lawyers. She is consistently ranked in the top tier of employment lawyers by legal 500 asia pacific and chambers asia pacific in their annual legal guides. She is also consistently nominated and has won the “leading labour and employment lawyer in asia” title, awarded by euromoney legal media group asia women in business law survey.     Representative work:   ·         advising on integration of employees and harmonization of terms and benefits in the asia pacific region following the merger of two public financial institutions; ·         advising public and private multinational corporations across more than 20 jurisdictions on global cost-cutting strategies, including salary reductions, temporary shut-downs and redundancies across various industries, including banking and finance, technology and retail; ·         advising a multinational pharmaceutical company on a change in control agreement across 48 jurisdictions; ·         training managers and directors on termination, restructuring, obligations to manage employees, discrimination, harassment and occupational health and safety; ·         advising clients on fiduciary obligations, directors’ duties, confidential information, privacy laws and conflicts of interest; ·         designing and implementing employment and executive contracts and best practice policies, including the preparation of discretionary bonus plans, commission schemes, post-employment restrictions and other business protection provisions; ·         advising on claims for unfair dismissal, discrimination and breach of contract (including bonus plans and policies); ·         representing an incoming ceo of a listed hong kong company during contract negotiations; ·         advising the coo of a multinational beverage company on his departure from the company; ·         advising a hedge fund on its spin-off from a bank and preparing a suite of employment policies and documents for the fund.   Recognition:   - best in labour and employment (asia) (euromoney asia women in business law awards 2012) - leading individual (employment, hong kong) – asia pacific legal 500, (since 2010) - leading individual (employment, hong kong) – chambers asia (since 2010) - recommended / endorsed lawyer (labor and employee benefits, hong kong) – plc which lawyer? (2007-2012, the last year they made endorsements) - who's who legal - management, labour and employment 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 (hong kong) - hong kong law society pro bono awards - 2011 (silver award)     chambers asia pacific guide:   2015 « “first-class” practitioner jennifer van dale enjoys a formidable reputation in the hong kong employment law market. Clients appreciate her pragmatic approach: “she is very, very good, especially at being practical. I don’t want to know what the law is, i want to know how it affects me – and that’s what she gives me.”»   2014 « brings with her a very strong reputation and considerable experience »   « one client described her as “the consummate professional, particularly on cross -jurisdictional matters” »   2013 « “is a highly regarded employment specialist”, “ten out of ten” » « she has a wealth of fantastic experience and provides views not only from a hong kong perspective but also an asia one »   2012 « she’s fantastic, she’s quick and has an encyclopaedic knowledge. If i can clone her in all the countries we work in, i’ll be a happy person! »   legal 500 asia pacific guide   2013 « a fantastic lawyer; she is very responsive, and her regional co-ordination skills are formidable »   2012 « wide ranging experience and knowledge of the law across asia » , Eversheds Sutherland