Strategic and operational employment law solutions to support companies, their executives and investors at every stage of transformation, growth, and management of human-related challenges.
Archers’ Employment practice advises French and international groups, private equity sponsors, financial institutions and senior executives on complex and strategic workforce matters.
Our approach is built around three core principles:
— Fully integrated support alongside our Corporate/M&A, Restructuring, Litigation and Tax teams;
— Strategic and commercially driven advice, aligned with our clients’ business objectives;
— Technical excellence in French employment law, combined with strong cross-border awareness.
The creation of this practice reflects Archers’ commitment to offering a comprehensive and seamless service across all phases of a company’s lifecycle — growth, acquisition, transformation and crisis management.
Our team works in the following areas:
Employment Aspects of Strategic Transactions (M&A / Private Equity)
We work closely with our Corporate teams on high-profile and complex transactions, including:
- Employment due diligence (individual and collective risk assessment);
- Analysis of workforce-related liabilities in mergers, acquisitions, disposals and carve-outs;
- Post-acquisition integration processes (harmonisation of collective agreements, working time arrangements and employee status);
- Structuring and implementation of management incentive packages;
- Design of executive remuneration and employee share schemes.
Our objective is to secure transactions from an employment perspective while anticipating human and organisational risks that may affect deal value or post-closing integration.
Restructuring and Business Transformation
The team has recognised experience in the management of complex restructuring projects, including:
- Internal reorganisations and business realignments;
- Collective redundancy processes and social plans (PSE);
- Voluntary departure schemes;
- Collective negotiated termination schemes (RCC);
- Performance and workforce adjustment agreements (APC/APLD);
- Workforce planning and collective negotiations (GPEC);
- Business transfers and TUPE-equivalent matters under French law.
We support clients in defining and implementing their employment strategy, managing works council consultations and securing sensitive processes from both a legal and reputational standpoint.
Individual Employment Matters
We advise companies and senior management on all aspects of individual employment relationships, including:
- Drafting and negotiating executive contracts (including expatriation and secondment arrangements);
- Executive terminations, negotiated exits and settlement agreements;
- Discrimination and equal treatment issues;
- Harassment and workplace investigations;
- Sensitive contractual provisions (non-compete, confidentiality, mobility clauses).
We regularly handle high-stakes matters involving senior executives and reputational exposure.
Employment Litigation and Sensitive Investigations
Our team represents clients in contentious and pre-contentious matters, including:
- Employment tribunal litigation;
- Collective disputes and strike-related issues;
- Litigation arising from restructurings;
- URSSAF audits and social security disputes;
- Internal investigations (harassment, discrimination, compliance matters);
- Implementation of internal policies and compliance frameworks;
- Anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training.
Our approach combines technical rigour with a pragmatic and risk-management mindset.
Executive Compensation and Employee Incentives
We advise on the structuring and implementation of:
- Profit-sharing and value-sharing bonuses (PPV);
- Employee savings schemes;
- Executive incentive arrangements;
- Employee share ownership plans;
- Social security optimisation and URSSAF risk mitigation.
This expertise is delivered in close coordination with our Corporate and Tax teams to ensure alignment between legal, financial and governance objectives.
An Integrated and Business-Focused Practice
The Employment practice works seamlessly with Archers’:
— Corporate/M&A
— Restructuring
— Litigation
— Tax
This integrated model enables us to deliver coherent and commercially sound solutions to complex and cross-border matters.
