Welcome to Counsel Without Borders from International Employment Lawyer – the podcast for senior employment counsel navigating the complexities of global workforce risks. If you advise a multinational workforce, this is the podcast for you.
“The Big, the Bad, and the Ugly”: Inside the US Labor Department’s new enforcement strategy
In this special episode, we speak to Jonathan Berry, Solicitor of Labor at the US Department of Labor, about the legal priorities, enforcement philosophy, and regulatory changes shaping the administration’s approach to work andemployment.
Author of the Labor Department chapter in Project 2025’s Mandate for Leadership (https://whatisproject2025.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf), Berry has attracted criticism from unions and civil-rights groups concerned about the future of worker protections. Now in office, he explains how he sees his role as an enforcer of the law rather than a maker of policy, and what that distinction means in practice.
He also unpacks his “Big, the Bad, and the Ugly” approach to enforcement, the decision to give greater deference to workplaces covered by collective bargaining agreements, and whether European-style works councils and employeerepresentation on company boards could have a place in the American workplace.
The discussion also provides an update on proposed changes to independent-contractor and joint-employer rules, his thoughts on loosening restrictions on hazardous work for teenagers, as well as the Trump administration’s “Project Firewall” and growing scrutiny of employer-sponsored H-1B visas and green card applications.
17 Sept 2026
Preparing for the unexpected in a volatile immigration atmosphere
In this special episode of the Counsel Without Borders podcast, we’re joined by Natasha Chell and Christi Hufford Jackson of Laura Devine Immigration for a wide-ranging discussion about the rapidly changing UK and US immigration landscape – and what businesses, individuals, and their advisers can do to prepare for greater uncertainty.
Natasha and Christi explore why both countries need more comprehensive visa reform, the growing problem of clients relying on generative AI for immigration advice, and why employers should be thinking about mobile talent and immigration considerations much earlier in the M&A process.
They also share their perspectives on the practical differences between digital and paper filings and the challenges created by an increasingly volatile enforcement environment on both sides of the Atlantic.
The conversation also examines changing trends around naturalisation, settlement, and renunciation of citizenship, the media’s shortcomings in reporting on immigration issues, and the difficult question of whether employers can recover immigration costs when sponsorships fail.
25 Aug 2026
Natural justice and the high cost of getting it wrong
A specialist in contentious partnership, employment, and discrimination law, Fox & Partners’ Catriona Watt explains why due process is particularly important in senior-level terminations and how getting it wrong can have significant consequences. Watt also reflects on her experience working on both sides of disputes, including lessons from emotive cross-border litigation and representing law firms and partners. In a wide-ranging conversation, she further explores the challenges of team moves amid increasingly aggressive hiring practices, the growing importance of non-financial misconduct in financial services, when employers should consider arbitration or mediation, and what happens when PR considerations and legal advice point in different directions?
28 Jul 2026
Workplace fairness and the future of work in Singapore
Singapore's employment landscape is on the cusp of its biggest transformation in decades. In this episode, Drew & Napier co-heads Kelvin Tan and Benjamin Gaw discuss what the Workplace Fairness Act will mean for employers, whether businesses are ready for the changes ahead, and the challenges of balancing foreign talent with local hiring expectations. They also share their thoughts on junior lawyer wellbeing, leadership in the profession, and the employment issues keeping their clients awake at night.
14 Jul 2026
I was overwhelmed by what I didn’t know after moving in-house
Maria Crabb joins Counsel Without Borders to discuss her journey from private practice to in-house counsel and leading Palo Alto Networks’ Asia-Pacific employment law team. Maria explains why non-compete are among her favourite issues to deal with, why understanding local culture is just as important as knowing the law – especially in South Korea! – and how to handle sensitive complaints when there is no easy answer. The conversation also explores how AI is making even routine matters more complex, what she values in external counsel, and how the role and expectations of in-housers have fundamentally shifted. Along the way, Maria discusses mentorship, leadership, and what keeps her awake at night.
7 Jul 2026
There’s never just an employment law answer
With more than a decade of in-house experience across multiple jurisdictions, Liz Williamson has built a truly international employment law career. Now at Swedish-Swiss technology company ABB, she shares how fostering workplaces where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging has become a key priority. She also discusses why she enjoys workplace investigations, the professional challenges and personal toll of restructurings, and the importance of staying alert to the risks of AI. Along the way, Liz reflects on pushing herself beyond her comfort zone, how the in-house employment lawyer's role has evolved, and what she values most in external legal advisers.
1 Jul 2026
Ashurst Perkins Coie goes live. But what can clients expect from the merger?
Visiting Singapore this week, Stephen Woodbury, co-head of the newly merged Ashurst Perkins Coie’s international employment group, joins us to discuss what it takes to integrate a truly global practice. He shares insights on aligning cultures, bringing teams together across jurisdictions, and how clients stand to benefit from the expanded platform. The conversation also explores lessons from client-side mergers, the outlook for further market consolidation, the firm’s growth ambitions in Asia, the junior lawyer pay war, and limitations of AI.
29 Jun 2026
Germany is complicated – but it’s not anti-business
Is Germany overregulated? In this episode, Baker McKenzie's Steffen Scheuer unpacks a stable yet highly regulated employment law landscape and the pressures confronting Europe’s largest economy. From AI-driven layoffs and large-scale restructurings to navigating works councils, unions, and workplace complaints, he shares practical insights for employers operating in Germany – while also reflecting on the value of authenticity in a career in private practice.
22 Jun 2026
Employment lawyer or workplace psychologist? It's both down under
Aaron Goonrey, APAC practice leader at Pinsent Masons, discusses the importance of understanding client motivations, responding to AI-generated claims, and the realities of practising in Australia’s highly litigious landscape. He also considers outside-the-box remedies to resolving complaints,trade union power down under, the growing challenges of modern slavery due diligence, and the skills needed to build a career as an international employment lawyer.
3 Jun 2026
Are UK employers ready for new trade union rights?
Trade unions are back at the centre of the workplace conversation. Morgan Lewis partner Matthew Howse joins Counsel Without Borders to discuss the sweeping union rights reforms contained in the Employment Rights Act, why many organisations may be underprepared, and which sectors unions are most likely to target to swell their ranks. The conversation also explores the realities of managing complex cross-border workforce projects and the emerging issues global employers should be preparing for now.
26 May 2026
"AI may have read everything, but it hasn’t lived anything," says Freshfields' Raquel Flórez
Counsel Without Borders returns with Raquel Flórez, head of Freshfields’ People & Reward practice in Madrid. In this episode, she reflects on her early career, explains why law can never truly be a 9-to-5 profession, discusses the limits of AI in legal practice, shares lessons learned from major setbacks, and explores what multinational companies need to understand about operating in Spain – including the DEI issues employers still consistently get wrong.
12 May 2026
The day Gibson Dunn's Robbie Sinclair lost trust in his opponent
In the latest episode of Counsel Without Borders, Robbie Sinclair talks about building a lean team at Gibson Dunn, the competitive drive that underpins top-tier litigation, the importance of a rigorous lessons-learned mindset, why the UK tribunal system is failing employers, and the dangers of getting on the wrong side of the Court of Appeal.
21 Apr 2026
Mass claims on the march: Are you ready for the next wave?
Group litigation is evolving across the UK and Europe – but what does that mean for employers across the continent? In this episode, Squire Patton Boggs' Deborah Polden, Ellie Pinnells, and Janette Lucas discuss everything from differing legal regimes to equal pay disputes, the influence of funders and trade unions, and the next wave of group claims that multinationals must prepare for.
31 Mar 2026
Alistair Woodland on what makes and breaks a workplace investigation
In the latest Counsel Without Borders, Clifford Chance's practice co-chair Alistair Woodland takes listeners on a deep dive into workplace investigations. From scoping the inquiry, witness welfare, and effective interviews to evidence assessment, legal privilege, and transparency, learn about the most common issues that can derail an investigation.
17 Mar 2026
How Sarah Henchoz wants to tackle the UK's tribunal backlog
In this first episode of Counsel Without Borders from IEL, award-winning A&O Shearman practice head Sarah Henchoz discusses how the magic circle firm's global employment practice has changed over the last two decades, clients' concerns about the incoming Employment Rights Act, her plan to tackle the UK's growing tribunal backlog, the growing use of AI in workplace investigations, the new skillsets for junior lawyers, and the importance of safeguarding their wellbeing.
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