Photo, Sam Rayner

Sam Rayner

Associate
Baker & McKenzie London Services Ltd.

Biography

Sam Rayner is an Associate in Baker McKenzie's Employment & Compensation practice, based in London. He qualified as a solicitor in 2017, before joining Baker McKenzie in April 2020 from another international law firm.

Clients recommend Sam (Legal 500, 2019) as an "exceptionally bright and highly talented lawyer".

Practice Focus

Sam advises international organisations on the full suite of global employment and HR data protection issues, with a particular focus on the technology, aviation, media, entertainment and sports industry sectors.

His extensive in-house experience, having recently undertaken secondments to a major sporting governing body and leading international bank, enables him to provide concise, commercially-focused advice on complex, cross-jurisdictional matters.

Representative Legal Matters

Sam's recent experience includes:

  • Advising on strategy, process and implementation of a large restructuring project for an international airline in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, working in close contact with multiple business areas to facilitate one of the largest collective redundancy exercises in UK legal history.
  • Working across a wide variety of HR issues under an international retainer arrangement with a global technology company, ranging from sensitive disciplinary procedures to subject access requests and strategic initiatives in response to Covid-19 pressures.
  • Managing cross-border collective issues and industrial relations involving works councils, trade unions and other representative bodies, including applications for trade union recognition and collective bargaining dispute resolution on behalf of a UK-headquartered airline and a commercial transportation company.
  • Providing comprehensive TUPE/ARD advice to an international media company relating to its outsourcing of the planning, construction and ongoing operation of public theme and experience parks.
  • Undertaking workforce employment status reviews for multiple sports organisations and governing bodies.
  • Coordinating actual and prospective employee litigation (before employment tribunals and the civil courts), including: (i) the defence of high-value whistleblowing claims against a hedge-fund and its managers; and (ii) injunction applications made on behalf of a tech start-up seeking to prevent competitive activity by former employees.
  • Supporting a global technology company on its international acquisition of a complementary business throughout the transaction cycle, from initial due diligence through, to employment input on acquisition documentation and the implementation of post-completion deliverables.
  • Planning, implementing and reviewing large HR data compliance projects and providing strategic advice on ad-hoc privacy initiatives, including: (i) coordinating a broad GDPR compliance programme for a leading global software company; and (ii) assisting with the implementation of bespoke employee monitoring practices for a APAC-based airline.

Professional Associations and Memberships

Law Society of England & Wales

Admissions

  • England & Wales (2017)

Education

  • BPP Law School, London (Legal Practice Course - with distinction) (2015)
  • University of East Anglia (LL.B. - starred first class honours) (2014)

Languages

  • English
  • Contributing Author, "Internet Law and Regulation", Graham Smith, Sweet & Maxwell, Fifth Edition, 2020
  • Author, "10 top tips: employment and privacy law dangers in carrying out employee investigations", Compliance & Risk Journal, Volume 9, Issue 6, 2020
  • Author, "Is now the time for (positive) action?", Diving Into Diversity, 2020