The Employment, Pensions and Employee Benefits Unit is led by Michael Kavanagh, Partner in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department. The Unit advises on all aspects of the employer/employee relationship and comprises a multi-disciplinary team linked to both the Business Law and the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Departments.

The Unit advises domestic and multinational large-scale employers on all aspects of employment law. The firm has acted in a large number of disputes with directors/shareholder employees and former employees. The firm represents clients in all employment law forums and has acted in a number of disputes involving restrictive covenants of former employees, unfair/wrongful dismissal, redundancy related disputes, employment injunctions, etc.

The Unit also provides expert advice on all aspects of the law and practice of pensions and employee benefits in Ireland including, providing advice on establishing and running pension schemes, advising trustees of pension schemes on the exercise of their discretions and fiduciary duties, designing benefit arrangements and exit mechanisms and establishing share plans that are capable of operating in a global context. In addition, we are well respected in the resolution of all contentious aspects of pensions and employee benefits.

The Unit's members are also equipped to offer the firm's clients the facility of employment law workshops to address issues of particular interest or relevance to them.

Members of the the Unit contribute to the website www.agediscrimination.info. This UK site is a one-stop source of information for employers and others interested in age discrimination in UK and internationally. It features the latest developments in the law and a summary of international age discrimination laws provided by law firms in the ius laboris international employment law alliance.

The Unit has been recognised and recommended by numerous independent directories and publications over the years, such as European Legal Experts, The Legal 500, PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook and Chambers Europe.

• "Highly rated for its handling of sensitive cases on behalf of high-level senior executives." Chambers Europe 2010.
  
  
• "The firm has good regulatory, transactional and litigation experience." The Legal 500, 2010 edition.
  
  
• "Michael Kavanagh’s team at LK Shields Solicitors is ‘prompt’ and demonstrates an ‘excellent depth of knowledge’." The Legal 500, 2010 edition.
  
  
• "Praised for 'excellent strength in depth' and 'a good network of recommendations for European and US work'", The Legal 500, 2009 edition.
  
  
• "A great firm that understands clients' business needs and provides spot-on advice". Chambers Europe 2008.
  
  
• "Very experienced", The Legal 500, 2008 edition.
  
  
• A "reputation for acting in complex and high-level
  employment disputes", The Legal 500, 2007 edition.
  
  
• "The firm has strength in advising pensions providers on regulatory issues", The Legal 500, 2007 edition.
  
  
• "Highly rated", The Legal 500, 2006 edition.
  
  
• "Clients also strongly recommend the outfit for employment litigation." Chambers Global 2006.
  
  
• Recommended for labour and employee benefits by the PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook in 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005.
  
  
• Recommended for employment, pensions and employee benefits in The Legal 500 in the 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005 editions.
  
  
• Recommended for employment and pensions in Chambers Europe in 2010, 2009 and 2008.
  
  
• Recommended for employment and employee benefits by PLC Global Counsel 3000 in the 8th edition, 2002/3003, and in the 7th edition, 2001/2002.
  
  
• Recommended for employment, pensions and employee benefits in The European Legal 500 in the 2004 and 2003 editions.