Nathalie Devernay

I am a partner in our international HR Services Group, which I co-head, based in France. I advise our multinational corporate clients on French employment law matters.

French employment law, with its ever changing rules and employee-protective regulations, can be quite daunting for employers, especially those who are not familiar with local laws and labour culture.

My job, therefore, is to make French rules easy to understand for any HR or legal manager, and to help companies implement their projects in a compliant yet efficient manner. This includes risk assessments on potential terminations, reviewing and implementing policies and employment agreements, advising on post termination obligations and business protection.

I also advise on international mobility, transfers of employees, corporate transactions and restructuring plans, including cross border matters. In addition, I assist our clients before courts all over France in employment-related litigation.

Nothing beats the feeling of helping an organisation - irrespective of its size - reach its objectives and turn to our team for their next project in France. Of course the best thing about working in the International HR Services Group of Bird & Bird is the diversity, passion, humility and sense of humour of my fellow employment colleagues throughout our offices worldwide.

I am a native speaker of French and English and am also fluent in German.

• Advising a large US corporation for the past 5 years with their restructuring operations in France, including downsizing, ramping-up new industrial sites, harmonizing compensations and benefits, negotiating with local works councils, trade unions and authorities.

• Our team has an excellent track record in employment litigation and alternative dispute resolutions for several US, Swiss and UK employers over the past 12 months.