Victoria Smylie

Biography

Victoria advises foreign and local companies on a range of employment law matters within the United Arab Emirates (both onshore and in the free zones), including contractual documentation, end of service gratuity and benefits, disciplinary processes and grievances and redundancies and terminations. Victoria also provides litigation assistance for both the local labour courts and the Dubai International Financial Centre courts.

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Recent Experience

• Advising clients on the introduction of the DIFC employee workplace savings scheme and assisting with exemption applications.
• Assisting clients with global restructuring projects in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, including preparing and negotiating settlement documentation.
• Assisting clients on internal investigation procedures, disciplinary and grievance matters. Recently provided support to a multinational client in the context of an investigation involving allegations of misconduct, harassment and discrimination.
• Advising on employment issues arising in the context of corporate mergers and acquisitions.
• Advising a multinational financial service provider on the employment aspects of its acquisition of another corporate solutions business.
• Preparing employment contracts, employee handbooks and related policies and procedures.
• Advising clients regarding the transfer and secondment of employees between corporate entities, including the preparation of secondment agreements and tri-partite agreements.