Abe Abraham

Practice Areas

Partner, Employment & Labor

With over 22 years of experience, Abe’s work transcends transaction, advisory, investigation, compliance and litigation support. His indepth knowledge about core IR issues have helped clients in diverse sectors ranging from Pharma to automotive and banking to IT industries to deal with labour issues that involve trade union related disputes, assisting with drafting their settlement agreements, conducting audit checks, assisting with their investigations into employee misconducts including sexual harassment issues, drafting the standing orders, employment agreements and handbook and advising on employment benefits, anti-harassment and termination laws and employee stock option plans and agreements issued by overseas entities to employees of subsidiary/branch entities in India and the connected regulatory issues. He has been instrumental in helping client’s roll out their VRS programs successfully, and implementing closure of factories and commercial establishments and in Reduction-in-Force programs.

He is an eminent speaker and has conducted various seminars and co-chaired various panel discussions on employment laws at the invitation of external bodies (such as FICCI, CII, BCIC, Start-up Accelerator Group, IT & ITeS Legal & Compliance Conclave, Hyderabad, In House Counsel Meet and POSHasya Conclave).

He has also written articles on topical matters for various publications.

Relevant Experience:

• He has been involved in restructuring issues such as closure, redundancies, voluntary separation schemes, transfer of business along with employees for various clients such as Teva Pharmaceuticals, MAN Trucks & Bus AG (a Volkswagen group entity), Insilco Limited, a large automotive component manufacturer as well as one of the largest outdoor cooking appliances manufacturer, Madurai Power Corporation Pvt. Ltd, Sun TV Network Limited.

• He has led the employment law team who assisted on the mega consolidation plan of the Union Government to amlgamate13 Public Sector Banks into 5 Public Sector Banks.

• Assisting clients in dealing with trade unionism and implementing effective steps to help maintain industrial harmony including providing strategic advice on trade union related issues and in conducting negotiations with the union.

• He has closely worked with clients on investigating sexual harassment complaints and has conducted various training sessions including on anti-sexual harassment measures for members of client organizations.

• He has advised on various employment structures including engagement of part time employees, consultants and 3rd party agency employees, benefit packages and governing documentation.

• He has provided compliance related advise to various clients both on substantive and procedural law related requirements.

• Conducted audit on practices followed by clients while engaging contractors supplying manpower/human resources.

• Assisted clients across various sectors including Pharma industry, Banking & Finance, Manufacturing, IT & ITeS, Power, Education, E-Commerce, Hospitals.

Professional Memberships

• Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa, India

• HR and Women Empowerment and Leadership Expert Committee, BCIC