Oliver Brettle
Biography
Overview
Oliver Brettle is Vice Chair of White & Case. As a member of White & Case's global Executive Committee since 2009, Oliver played a key role in setting and leading the Firm's international strategy and operations, including the successful five-year strategic cycles since 2010.
He has taken the lead on strategic priorities, including improving employee engagement and increasing diversity and inclusion at the Firm. He has also held a number of other leadership roles at White & Case, including ten years as Office Executive Partner in London (2008-2018), during which time he led the office out of the global financial crisis and into a sustained and continuing period of successful expansion and financial growth.
He is a highly respected English-qualified employment lawyer, who has more than 30 years' experience advising multinational clients on a variety of employment law issues. He has a significant track record in advising on contentious and non-contentious employment matters in a wide variety of situations, including corporate transactions and employment law issues with a cross-border dimension.
Oliver is a regular public speaker and panellist on law firm management and employment law issues.
He graduated with an MA in Jurisprudence (Law) from Christ Church, Oxford in 1990 and qualified as a solicitor in 1993. He joined White & Case in November 2001.
Experience
Outsourcing employment issues
Oliver advised a major outsourced service provider on all employment issues associated with a series of substantial outsourcings, both in the UK and on a crossborder basis. He has also advised on the employment law aspects of a multijurisdiction IT outsourcing for a major US/UK employer.
Employment issues in multinational transactions
Advised on the employment aspects of three substantial multinational transactions for one of White & Case's principal clients.
Multinational employment contracts
Advised on new employment contracts for several major employers, including detailed consideration of implications of multinational employment.
Dismissal of senior employees at listed companies
Advised on the dismissal of the chief executives/senior employees for numerous listed companies, major private companies and foreign-owned UK subsidiaries.
Failure to inform claim
Advised a major employer on a multimillion failure-to-inform-and-consult claim brought by a trade union upon the closure of the workplace.
Business transfer and redundancies
Advised on the contentious issues resulting from a business transfer coupled with in excess of 100 redundancies.
Mass claim against parent company
Settled, at no cost to the parent company, mass claims brought against the parent company by employees of a subsidiary, which subsidiary was insolvent.
Sexual harassment/discrimination and race discrimination claims
Successfully defended employers against sexual harassment/discrimination and race discrimination claims.
Gardening leave enforcement
Successfully enforced the garden leave obligations of a chief executive for a company in administration – a legal first in the UK.
Misuse of confidential information following "team move"
Oliver represented a leading UK professional services firm in its litigation against another, as a result of a "team move" and misuse of confidential information. Oliver was able to successfully injunct the team and achieve a complete return of all confidential information and substantial damages.
