Crefovi has significant experience with unions, works’ councils and collective bargaining arrangements in France and the United Kingdom, ensuring it to be one of the top union-management relations’ law firms.
Combining deeply considered judgment with legal expertise
Effective union-management relations can create a competitive advantage for an employer. Crefovi works with our clients to develop strategic and fair approaches to managing relationships with employees and unions.
Our team assists employers in navigating the day-to-day challenges of operating with a labor union in the workplace, by providing support with contract interpretation, grievance resolution, and arbitration. We have an excellent reputation within the union-management world, viewed as honest brokers and skilled negotiators.
The team of London employment law firm Crefovi provides the following ‟Union-management relations” services, including:
- assisting with strike preparation and management;
- defending against union organising drives;
- establishing employees’ representative bodies (European Works’ Council);
- leading collective bargaining negotiations and arbitrations;
- providing advice and training for non-union employers to remain union free;
- providing close support of collective dismissal procedures;
- representing employers in all types of national labor relations board procedures, and
- running elections to decertify incumbent unions.
Transactional expertise in union-management relations
As labour counsel for several UK-based and France-based employers, our founding and managing partner, Annabelle Gauberti, worked with 11 different trade unions, negotiated collective bargaining agreements and arbitrated union grievances. Annabelle has handled over 100 arbitrations, structured successful union avoidance campaigns, litigated unfair labour practice cases at the employment tribunal, and negotiated collective bargaining agreements in a variety of creative industries.
Although traditional union-management relations is a dwindling practice area for many law firms, maintaining mature collective bargaining relationships with labor unions is still an important goal in many industries. Crefovi is one of the few London and Paris law firms experienced in traditional labor relations counseling and advice for employers.
Our partners handle union elections and other union matters throughout the United Kingdom and France. Our approach to avoiding unions does not rely on anti-union sentiment, but rather on the fair and consistent treatment of all employees.
A global network
Clients praise Crefovi’s lawyers for their responsiveness & ability to understand the technical, business and legal aspects of each union-management relations’ matter and come back, matter after matter, to be advised by them.
While London and Paris based, we routinely work across borders. The vast majority of our engagements are multi-jurisdictional. We are used to working in multinational teams, and rely on our network of specialist lawyers for support in other jurisdictions.
The team has therefore established an extensive international network of employment law contacts and a close association with other specialist lawyers worldwide. Our history of successes in high profile, politically sensitive matters reflects an ability to act swiftly and with the utmost discretion.
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