Rosie Nicholls

Establishment of the legal function. Servicing multiple countries at a time of fast growth involving legal support for various internal stakeholders including large cross border contract review and negotiation, international expansion projects, roll out of global compliance training, employment law advice, legal support on PE swap outs, mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships with international 3rd parties and support of new service lines. Risk management and compliance when entering new markets.

Experience includes:

• All legal support for UK/US headquartered company to expand into multiple geographies such as India, China, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, Legal support and advice for merger and acquisitions (China) and formation of strategic growth partnerships to enter new markets such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Saudi, Japan and Oman.
• Deployment of staff into varied and remote geographic locations.
• Drafting and negotiation of large, small and medium, single and multi-country contracts including outsourced agreements, NDA's, collaboration agreements, professional services, technology and project deliverables.
• Managing international legal, risk and compliance (increasingly data, security and privacy issues) and matters relating to the provision of services and the location of staff in various geographies (regulatory and employment law).
• Advice on global insurance renewal and cover for multiple countries.
• Management of and liaison with external counsel and accountants across multiple countries to ensure project delivered on time and on budget.
• Company secretarial matters across 28 entities.
• Global compliance initiatives for all countries outside of North America.
• Management of litigation matters with external counsel and implementation of risk mitigation strategies.
• Navigation of multiple privacy laws across several different countries (UK and EU GDPR, China PIPL etc) and roll out of privacy program and compliance for EU to US data transfers following Schrems II and other implemented privacy regulations.
• Implementation of matter management and contract management system to improve communication across remote based legal team in different countries.

Independent legal and risk consultancy providing legal support to SME recruitment companies in the healthcare, oil and gas/mining and resources, information technology and professional services industry. Compliance and contractual risk issues with client terms, hybrid service models, engagement of flexible labour or placing of fixed term and/or permanent staff on an international basis. Drafting of contractual and commercial documentation and the provision of practical advice regarding various legislation in the industry.

Development of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) policies and risk profiles of companies and development of strategic risk solutions for clients both inside and outside of the UK, negotiation and management of client terms, insurance policies and renewals, risk mitigation strategies (particularly for FIFO Oil and Gas workers in high risk geographies), employment issues and compliance.

Responsible for a small team of lawyers servicing multiple regions (UK, Europe, APAC, MENA). Responsibilities cover the Robert Walters business (recruitment) and Resource Solutions business (outsourcing).

• Legal Compliance across all service lines across multiple geographies;
• Specialist in contingent staffing issues, gig workers and non-standard employment models;
• Company secretarial matters (corporate governance advice, AGM preparation, compliance with Listing Rules, advice share scheme rules etc);
• Commercial and complex outsourcing contracts and any disputes arising out of the same including entry and exit arrangements (TUPE/ARD);
• Insurance, risk management and analysis;
• Disaster Recovery Plans;
• Disputes/litigation (employment claims, IT and commercial disputes);
• Licensing agreements and leases;
• Monitoring and dissemination of legal developments including executive Committee member of Industry body with input into significant pieces of new legislation; and
• Management of legal issues from all levels of business (ie) sales consultants, contractors, C suite, HR and board directors).

Sole legal counsel hired to establish company's first legal function in a highly regulated area (healthcare recruitment and staffing).
• Advice and negotiation of client contracts, NDA's, SLA’s and outsourcing contracts;
• Claims handling in relation to professional indemnity, personal injury, employment tribunals, employer’s liability and debt recovery cases. Includes drafting of defences, conduct of discovery and interlocutory motions, instructions to external solicitors and settlement;
• Liaison with insurers with regard to claims and interrogation and renewal of insurance policies;
• Drafting terms and conditions of business all countries (and enforcement of the same);
• Employment advice internally and externally (temporary worker population);
• Assistance with child protection investigations;
• Ensuring compliance with relevant legislation such as the National Care Standards Act, Data Protection, European Directive on Agency Workers, Working Time Regulations, National Minimum Wages, IR35, Conduct Regulations 2003, VAT exemptions and other regulations and governing statutes;
• Health and safety advice regarding employees and temporary worker population;
• Implementation of risk management strategies; and
• Assistance with international tenders and central support for satellite offices.

• Experience gained across multiple areas including legal and non-legal functions including contract negotiation for large outsourcing deals, establishment of a legal recruitment team, strategic initiatives to help integrate multiple acquisitions, internal communications, gap analysis of clients and instigation of CRM initiatives to increase cross selling amongst multiple divisions of the company, key account client development including establishment of SLA’s, account management teams, client seminars/events, conferences and direct marketing. Other experience:
  • Internal communications across Europe including drafting of business briefings and working with senior management on change management issues;
  • Strategic consulting to clients regarding human capital issues at board or senior HR level; and
  • Client consultation regarding achieving low cost per hire, quickest route to market, e-recruitment technology, diversification of candidate sourcing channels and business process outsourcing.

Establishment of legal professional division specialising in international legal recruitment between the UK and Australia. Responsibilities included recruitment of solicitors in-house and private practice divisions into the London market. Business development and sales, drafting budgets, P&L responsibility and development of business plans for future growth.

· Areas of practice included medical negligence and general insurance litigation;

· Attending alternative dispute resolution sessions;

· Drafting offers of settlement, offers of compromise and notices of discontinuance;

· Attending status conferences, CLM reviews, directions hearings, notices of motion and other interlocutory applications;

· Interviewing prospective witnesses and providing assistance during hearings and mediations; and

· Drafting and issuing of statutory demands and winding up orders on various companies.