Ben Brown is a partner in Addleshaw Goddard's employment practice, based in Dubai, and was born and raised in the Middle East. His practice covers all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law in the United Arab Emirates and its free zones (including the Dubai International Financial Centre and the Abu Dhabi Global Market). He advises clients in a variety of sectors with a particular focus on financial services, insurance, construction, energy and aviation.
Ben advises employers on recruitment and immigration issues, drafting and implementing employment documentation in compliance with local labour laws, managing performance, employee transfers, manpower supply arrangements, bonus disputes, employment data protection and issues arising on the termination of employment including the enforcement of post-termination restrictions and the protection of confidential information and trade secrets. He has extensive experience advising on employment issues arising from team moves, complex internal investigations (in relation to both financial wrongdoing and complaints of inappropriate workplace behaviour, including harassment), corporate restructurings, outsourcings and multi-jurisdictional mergers and acquisitions.
Ben advised the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority on the implementation and drafting of DIFC Law No.2 of 2019 (the primary piece of employment legislation in the DIFC) which came into force on 28 August 2019, and has given expert evidence to US courts on matters of DIFC law. He has also advised other UAE free zone authorities on drafting and implementing free zone-specific employment regulations.