Cerys Williams
Partner

Cerys has over 20 years’ experience, including senior roles at leading international firms King & Wood Mallesons and Fasken Martineau, where she was Head of Employment Law. 

Cerys is ranked as a leading UK lawyer by Legal 500 (2023). Clients note the M&A Support Team are: "a (sadly) rare combination of highly technically proficient, business savvy, attuned to actual market practice, service oriented and responsive, practical problem solvers, and genuinely nice people whom it is unfailingly a pleasure to deal with." Cerys is also recognised as a key practitioner in Chambers and Partner (2023) where she is described as "excellent; highly commercial, very strong technically, a great negotiator. She’s very client delivery-focused and also great fun to work with."

Her sector and international expertise supports GQ|Littler’s strong offering in these sectors and advising international companies on their employment issues across the globe.

Cerys's experience includes:

• Defending a private equity house against claims asserted by a senior employee for bonus, carried interest and misrepresentation valued by the claimant at over $5m.
• Advising financial services sector businesses on the employment/regulatory interface, including the application of the FCA and PRA Remuneration Codes, approved person regime/SMCR and regulatory reference obligations.
• Advising on the employment aspects of a wide variety of high profile M&A deals, carve out deals and spin out transactions as well as investment rounds.
• Advising a FTSE 250 PLC on the dismissal of board member including entitlements under complex incentive plans, issues under the director’s remuneration rules and notification under the listing rules.
• Advising technology and life sciences companies on the employment aspects of their growth and funding, alongside the full range of day to day employment advice.
• Supporting businesses through the COVID crisis with advice on cost cutting, redundancies and insolvency issues as well as complexities arising from the furlough scheme.
• Advising new market entrants from the US and elsewhere on UK employment set up and the appropriate hiring mechanism.

Cerys is also a member of the Employment Lawyers Association and the Association of Partnership Practitioners.