The ‘very collaborative and knowledgeable’ team at A&O Shearman provides ‘tailor-made advice and pragmatic solutions’ to clients across a wide-ranging mix of individual and collective employment issues. Under the leadership of the ‘brilliant’ Gilles Dall’Agnol, the firm is particularly adept at acting for financial services and investment fund clients, with work ranging from advice on remuneration policies, bonus agreements and stock options, through to large-scale reorganisations and collective redundancies. André Marc is at the forefront of many of these training sessions and still remains active advising on work within the private banking sector. Other recommended practitioners include Christophe Ernzen, who has ‘a very clear and calm way of explaining things,’ including on collective labour matters, Maurice Macchi, who provides ‘very pragmatic advice’ including on highly strategic matters for international banks, and Nathaël Malanda, who excels in providing employment law advice pursuant to transactions and on individual employment law matters.

Appreciated by clients for their ‘measured, careful and empathetic’ approach, Arendt & Medernach excels in providing strategic and tailored advice to an employer-focused client base which appraises both the purely legal as well as the business considerations of the client. Team head Philippe Schmit is praised for his ‘ability to find the right balance between the best interests of the client and the level of risk to assume.’ Other key members of the team include Jean-Luc Putz, who provides added bandwidth to clients on white-collar issues affecting their business, including in the context of AML and cybercrime, Lorraine Chéry, who displays ‘an excellent work ethic and provides forthright advice’ and Louis Berns, who despite being less active on fee-earning work is still a key member of the team by virtue of his ability and willingness to share his considerable knowledge and know-how built up over his many years’ of practice.

Independent boutique employment firm Castegnaro, member of Ius Laboris provides ‘pragmatic and clear advice’ to employers from a range of sectors, including retail and finance, across the gamut of non-contentious and contentious issues associated with conducting business in the country. Founding partner Guy Castegnaro has extensive knowledge across the spectrum of local employment laws and as well as keeping clients abreast of hot-button topics and legislative changes, while also regularly providing strategic advice in the context of restructuring, collective dismissals and social security law matters. The ‘very knowledgeable’ Ariane Claverie provides ‘nuanced and user-friendly advice,’ including in the context of terminations, sickness and data protection, and alongside Christophe Domingos, who excels in collective employment matters, rounds out the team at a partner level.

KLEYR GRASSO provides ‘solutions-oriented, dynamic and responsive’ advice across a broad swathe of contentious and non-contentious social and employment law issues impacting employers from a range of industry sectors. Christian Jungers is ‘totally committed and absolutely trustworthy,’ regularly picking up high-profile mandates regarding collective bargaining agreements and social plans, as well as disputes relating to sexual and moral harassment. The ‘exceptional’ Anissa Bali provides ‘high-quality advice’ to new employers establishing in Luxembourg and is also regularly engaged in high-profile termination cases and the subsequent settlement negotiations. Céline Defay is a popular choice among domestic and international corporates seeking reassurance that all their policies comply with Luxembourg labour laws. Philippe Ney's wide-ranging expertise includes the negotiation of social plans and collective bargaining agreements, while ‘very knowledgeable and responsive’ counsel Sandra Rapp excels at advising on cross-border matters.

Since its establishment at the beginning of 2022 employment boutique Unalome Legal Sàrl has rapidly gained traction in the market and has been embraced by entrepreneurs and companies of all size and industry sector to advise on all their operational and strategic HR legal issues, where it is appreciated for its ‘personalized approach, which eschews the one-size-fits-all mentality often associated with other firms‘. Core to the firm’s instant success is the knowledge and experience of its two founding partners Cindy Arces and Marielle Stevenot, who both ‘offer not only exceptional technical proficiency but also a keen aptitude for strategic thinking and formidable negotiation skills’. Arces is particularly skilled at advising international companies wishing to establish a presence in Luxembourg (and to handle all the attendant employment law issues), in addition she is a ‘fierce litigator’, ensuring that HR departments are able to ‘proactively mitigate and swiftly resolve potential disputes’. Stevenot leverages her HR background to good effect and provides  ‘pragmatic straightforward solutions’ across a range of advisory work, including on business restructuring needs and employee incentive schemes.

Employment boutique Adam & Bleser has ‘deep experience on the Luxembourg market,’ leveraging its strong overarching litigation smarts to good effect to provide ‘pragmatic and solutions oriented’ advice across a myriad of contentious employment law matters. Although it does handle some work for employers, including within the public sector, the team is undoubtedly best-known for its representation of executives in disputes, an area that Romain Adam is particularly accomplished, including in the context of settlement agreements. Other recommended practitioners include the ‘very experienced’ Claude Bleser, who ‘has good technical skills,’ Dominique Farys, who is ‘extremely experienced with regard to Luxembourg labour law’ and the ‘proactive’ Julien Konsbruck, who ‘provides strong representation on high value cases.’

Led by Anne Morel, BSP provides ‘sound and pragmatic advice’ to employers from a range of industry sectors, including IT, retail and financial services, across a wide array of individual and collective employment law matters, from a contentious and non-contentious perspective. As well as handling large standalone projects, including redundancy matters and transfer of undertakings, Morel regularly advises corporates on a day-to-day basis, where she is appreciated for her understanding of ‘the challenges specific to the HR policy of large companies.’

‘Very dedicated to its clients,’ which include numerous funds, banks and insurance companies, Clifford Chance provides ‘flexible and responsive’ advice across a range of discrete employment issues, as well as in the context of employment support to transactions handled by the firm’s corporate and real estate teams The ‘highly responsive’ Albert Moro is ‘a very experienced negotiator,’ whose expertise spans both litigation and advisory work, including as it relates to redundancies and reorganisations, and defending employers against harassment and discrimination claims. Ada Schmitt co-heads the team alongside Moro that also includes ‘very strong’ senior associate John Ted.

Prioritising ‘pragmatism and real-world solutions’ as opposed to abstruse legal theories, Elvinger Hoss Prussen is a popular choice among domestic and international employers, including funds and banks across a broad array of advisory work, in particular, including advice on internal policies, employment contracts as well as general legal employment counselling on restructuring projects. A reflection of his broader commercial litigation prowess, much of team head Pierre Elvinger‘s workload is of a contentious nature, be it from a risk management or pre-litigation perspective or in formal litigation before the courts. Possessing a ‘remarkable ability to navigate complex issues,’ Florence Apostolou has more of a non-contentious angle to her work which includes standalone advisory as well as work aligned to transactions handled by other practice groups at the firm.

Led by the ‘very responsive and efficient’ Régis Muller, MOLITOR Avocats à la Cour SARL provides ‘sound advice’ across a wide array of employment issues, including on remuneration matters and contract drafting for banking and private equity firms. As well as employer-side work, Muller and managing partner Michel Molitor also have experience representing executives in negotiating settlement agreements.

At Baker McKenzie, counsel Sabrina Bodson handles much of the day-to-day employment work, where she is appreciated for her ‘hands-on and pragmatic’ advice across a range of issues including remuneration policies, employee mobility, social security and staff restructuring. Annie Elfassi heads up the overarching group, leveraging her broader litigation skills to good effect from a risk management perspective as well as on employment disputes.

At Brucher Thieltgen & Partners, team head Marie Bena ‘knows the Luxembourg environment perfectly,’ ensuring she is well-positioned to represent international and regional companies across a broad range of their ongoing employment and HR issues. In addition, Bena has excellent litigation skills which she implements for employers and employees, including in relation to unfair dismissal matters.

The ‘responsive and helpful’ team at CMS is ‘incredibly knowledgeable and efficient’ and provides ‘pragmatic advice’ to international financial services, investment management, technology and construction companies across a wide array of day-to-day employment issues they encounter while conducting business in Luxembourg. Team head Hugo Arellano, who was promoted to partner at the beginning of 2023, handles day-today HR employment queries, as well as larger scale mandates including collective redundancies, implementation of flexible working policies and high-stakes litigation.

The ‘responsive’ team at Loyens & Loeff provides ‘robust advice’ to employers seeking ad-hoc employment advice, as well as in the context of day-to-day employment advisory work, including a considerable amount for private equity firms. Team head Sabrina Martin draws upon her strong overarching litigation prowess to good effect on contentious employment matters.

Assisted by the ‘very helpful’ senior associate Thomas Alberti, Luther S.A. provides a holistic service to employers across a wide range of the contentious and non-contentious aspects of Luxembourg employment law. Former practice head Marie Sinniger left the firm in October 2023.

PwC Legal Luxembourg provides ‘proactive and client-centric advice’ to an internationally-focused employer-side client base across all aspects of employment, social security, and immigration law. ‘Outstanding’ team head Sabrina Alvaro is at the forefront of the most significant mandates handled by the practice, providing a ‘very responsive and committed’ service to clients, including in the context of the establishment complex staff incentive schemes.

Although it does handle some private sector engagements, much of Thewes & Reuter's employment work concerns issues facing clients in the public sector, a core overarching area of focus for the firm as a whole, particularly as it relates to litigation. Pierre Reuter is engaged in the most significant mandates handled by the team, including representing employers against claims of unfair dismissal and more broadly on collective employment law matters. Anne Charton co-heads the team alongside Reuter.