Rebecca Ford leads Morgan Lewis’s employment practice in the Middle East and represents and advises employers on a range of workplace challenges, from strategic advice to employment disputes. She also takes on complex workplace investigations and the employment aspects arising from multidisciplinary compliance issues. Rebecca has managed high-profile employment litigation before the High Court of England and Wales in London, Dubai International Financial Centre, Abu Dhabi Global Markets courts, as well as the local labor courts in the United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Rebecca has been recognized in Chambers Global for her “strong presence in the market” and in the Legal 500 for her accessibility and responsiveness to clients, knowledge of employment issues across the UAE, and her ability to “clearly communicate what the law says and how this should be implemented.”
Based in the Middle East since 2008, Rebecca advises employers on all aspects of employment law and immigration issues arising from employment in the region across a variety of different sectors. She advises on the challenges faced by employers in the modern work environment, including business reorganizations, workplace discrimination, harassment and victimization claims, whistleblowing, global mobility, use of social media, the protection of confidential information, enforcement of restrictive covenants and alternative business, incentive, and retention structures.
Rebecca has worked with a number of government authorities in the UAE on changes to local employment law, contract templates and guidance provided to employers and employees by the free zone authorities. This includes working with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) on the drafting and implementation of the primary employment legislation in the DIFC, the DIFC Employment Law.
Rebecca regularly speaks and writes about labor and employment issues and is on the editorial board of the International Employment Lawyer publication.
Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Rebecca was a partner based in the Dubai office of another global law firm.
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Band 1, Employment, United Arab Emirates, Chambers Global (2023)
Top Recommended, Employment Lawyers, Spear’s 500 (2023)
Leading Individual, Employment, Europe, Middle East & Africa, United Arab Emirates, Legal 500 (2023)
Recognized, Employment Law, Dubai, UAE, Best Lawyers (2016-2023)
Thought Leader – Labour, Employment & Benefits, UAE, Who’s Who Legal (2023)
Officer, Employment & Industrial Relations Committee, International Bar Association
Member, Editorial Board, International Employment Lawyer