Stephen C.M. Ratcliffe

Stephen advises clients from various industries on a broad spectrum of employment and employee benefits matters, including employee tax and share schemes. He also advises on the data protection aspects of outsourcings, reorganizations, integrations and general M&A, as well as on global employee mobility issues.

Stephen also has substantial experience in litigation related to employment and employee benefits. He has represented clients in numerous cases before Employment Tribunals, as well as in appeals at all levels up to and including the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the European Court of Justice.

• Advised on the HR aspects of a global financial services firm's multijurisdictional integration, including stock plan-related issues and employment-related acquisition conditions.
• Advised on the drafting and implementation of malus and clawback provisions in the context of a contentious internal compliance investigation and related employment disputes.
• Advised on the employment, share scheme and pension aspects of a medical device manufacturer's acquisitions, including post-termination integration issues.
• Successfully defended several employment-related discrimination claims, including a multi-strand sex and race discrimination claim brought before the Employment Tribunal.
• Advised on risk mitigation and the impact of the implementation of new pay structures for senior management staff from a sex discrimination and equal pay perspective.
• Negotiated the employment-related conditions of a pharmaceutical business' asset transfer across five jurisdictions, including negotiation of replacement stock incentives by the acquirer.

• Law Society of England & Wales