Contact details

Emily Aryeetey

T: +971 4 407 3942 Email Emily | vCard Office: Dubai

Awards

Employment

Employment

Emily Aryeetey Partner

Contact details

Emily Aryeetey

Emily Aryeetey
Partner

T: +971 4 407 3942 Email Emily | vCard Office: Dubai

Emily is a senior employment lawyer and plays a central role in Stephenson Harwood’s highly regarded Middle East employment, pensions and incentives team, which forms an integral part of the firm's global team.
  • Profile
  • Services

She advises international, regional and local employers across the entire lifecycle of the employment relationship. Drawing upon her vast international experience, she provides tailored advice for each of her clients while applying her knowledge of the local business and cultural environment of the Middle East.

Emily has over 10 years’ experience advising clients, operating in various sectors, on employment-related legal issues ranging from recruitment to termination, including employee monitoring, data protection and privacy in the workplace, as well as the employment aspects of corporate transactions (mergers, acquisitions, outsourcings and IPOs). Emily is also an experienced employment litigator, both in relation to matters under the UAE federal Labour Law and in the Dubai International Financial Centre ("DIFC") courts.

She routinely advises companies with onshore operations in the UAE, in the various commercial free zone areas such as in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, Dubai Airport Free Zone, Dubai South/Dubai Aviation City Corporation, TwoFour54, and Sharjah Airport Free Zone, and in the financial free zones, DIFC and Abu Dhabi Global Market. 

Whilst she is based in our Dubai office, Emily regularly advises on, and manages, multi-jurisdictional employment matters throughout the Middle East and Africa and beyond. For example, in recent years she has advised on matters in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Cote D’Ivoire, Algeria.

Emily is widely regarded as one of the leading employment practitioners in the Middle East region and is ranked by Chambers Global 2020 as an "Associate to Watch" for UAE employment. As a result of her reputation in the market, she is routinely requested to provide training aimed at HR professionals on UAE employment laws to clients. Furthermore, having advised the DIFC Authority on the re-drafting of the current DIFC Employment Law she also regularly delivers, on behalf of the DIFC Academy, official Continuing Legal Professional Development training to DIFC practitioners on the DIFC Employment Law. 

Emily is often listed in and asked to provide views by the press and regularly authors articles in relation to employment and data protection issues.

Prior to her move to the Middle East, Emily worked in Stephenson Harwood’s London office. She continues to advise on contentious and non-contentious UK-related employment and business immigration matters (points-based system, sponsorship, entrepreneur visa, investor visa, representative of overseas business visa), particularly for clients with existing or prospective operations both in the Middle East and in the UK.

Emily qualified in England and Wales in 2010.

"Emily is incredibly knowledgeable and a delight to work with. Her abilities and experience make her a very trusted adviser to me and our business."

Chambers and Partners Global 2023

  • Immigration
  • Employment

Sponsor licences

Advising on applications for companies in the financial services, creative industries, and professional services to sponsor non-EEA staff under Tier 2 (General) and Tier 2 (ICT) of the points-based system, licence management and compliance.

Entrepreneurs

Advised on initial and extension visa applications including advice on business plan and evidence required to demonstrate expertise.

Points-based system and other applications

Preparation of, and advice on, in-country and out of country visa applications for leave to enter or stay in the UK under Tier 2 (General), Tier 2 (Intra Company Transfer), Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme), Tier 5 (International Agreement), Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange), Visitor applications including for business visitors, Permitted Paid Engagements and entertainers.

Prevention of illegal working

Advising on right-to-work document check audits and purchaser obligations following business transfers and acquisitions and defending impositions of a civil penalty for employment illegal workers.

Redundancies and restructuring

Advising on multi-site redundancies and restructuring, collective consultation obligations and termination costs.

Employment tribunal litigation

Advised on conduct and defence of cases of unfair dismissal (redundancy, health & safety), whistleblowing and discrimination relating to race, religion and belief, disability, pregnancy and maternity and sex. Advice on judicial mediations and settlement negotiations.

High court litigation

Advising companies following discovery of breach of confidence in disclosing sensitive business information to prospective (competitor) employer, breach of restrictive covenants and defamatory statements to customers, collation and use of forensic evidence.

Data protection

Advising on preparing and responding to data subject access requests.

Corporate and real estate transactions

Conducting due diligence and negotiation of employment terms of transaction documentation, advice on the application of TUPE, information and consultation obligations to employee, and on post-completion integration processes in relation to share and asset purchases.

More: Employment

Awards

Employment

Employment

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