Employment: Mainland China-based (International Firms)

The dedicated employment department of Baker McKenzie houses lawyers in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, providing a full range of employment law services across Greater China. It combines local expertise and international experience to assist global companies with mass layoffs, as well as advising on immigration, tax law, employee transfers and statutory obligations. The law firm also assists with handling investigations into allegations of harassment, bullying and contractual breaches, representing clients from a diverse range of sectors, including retail, financial services, media and technology. Baker McKenzie seamlessly offers clients local law capabilities through its partnership with PRC firm FenXun Partners, including employment litigation capabilities.

"Baker McKenzie has consistently provided prompt, clear and actionable advice to help us navigate any complex and sophisticated matters."

"The team can provide informal market benchmarks and common practice as references, which was very helpful. It also strikes a good balance of commercial and personal needs."

"Baker McKenzie is a great business partner with a legal mindset. Its advice is solution-based and pragmatic."

"They are consistently able to meet tight deadlines and are often able to respond instantly, which is extremely valuable to us."

"They go straight to the point, offer factual support and give a lot of insights about local practice, which is helpful to get things done faster."

Jonathan Isaacs is a leading name in the market, handling advisory matters and the employment law aspects of transactions, as well as mass lay-offs and terminations on behalf of blue-chip companies. He leads the China employment team at Baker McKenzie. "Jonathan is great to work with. He is super responsive and his advice is always commercial." "He assisted us to navigate a complex area of China employment law and to feel confident and comfortable with our approach despite the existence of risk and uncertainty." "He is acting as the expert gatekeeper for complex cross-border employment projects." "Jonathan is very reliable and responsive. He has a great ability to coordinate his team, and is able to provide easy-to-read advice."

Tess Lumsdaine ably advises on a broad range of employment matters, from compliance reviews to investigations and dispute cases. She comes recommended for her deft handling of multi-jurisdictional mandates for major corporates from various sectors, including aviation, technology and financial services. "Her advice is thoughtful, practical and commercial and always provided in a way that demonstrates careful consideration of the industry in which the client operates." "On top of that, Tess is warm, friendly and helpful and always willing to provide additional support or to be a sounding board as needed."