Photo of Christopher Walter

Christopher Walter

Christopher Walter works with employer clients on domestic and international HR-legal compliance, disputes, and transactional projects. Chris is a former co-chair of the firm’s International Employment practice, and previously served for eight years as Managing Partner of the London office.

Chris’s advisory practice encompasses the full range of employment and employee benefits issues that matter to leading multinational employers, including the drafting of share and other incentive plans, global mobility, privacy compliance, employment issues in M&A transactions, outsourcing, workforce integration, and the implementation of core policies/codes of conduct, with a particular focus on business and human rights.

Chris began his legal career as a UK barrister, however, and also has considerable experience as an advocate before UK courts and tribunals, securing confidentiality injunctions and defending employers against claims of unfairness, discrimination and other alleged violations of employment laws.

Chris is recommended by Legal 500 UK for his “exceptional service.” Chambers UK (2015) notes that he is "focused, business-oriented and solution-driven." Chris has been listed by Who's Who Legal since 2007 as one of the world's top employment lawyers.

Chris has served as chair of the International Committee of the Employment Lawyers Association and a member of ELA’s Management Committee. He is also a member of the European Employment Lawyers Association and the Share Plan Lawyers Group.

Chris regularly publishes articles and speaks on employment and data privacy law at both external seminars and in-house client training events.

In the wake of the financial crisis and the so-called ‘shareholder-spring’ of 2012 (a period during which many shareholders refused to endorse directors’ remuneration policies), the government has introduced new rules on directors’ remuneration reporting. The new rules: (i) increase the compliance burdens regarding the reporting of directors’ remuneration policies; (ii) increase shareholder control over remuneration and termination packages; and (iii) introduce potential personal liability for directors who authorise payments in violation of an approved policy.

These changes bound certain UK-incorporated quoted Life Sciences companies with effect from 1 October 2013. The government estimates that around 900 companies have been affected.
Continue Reading New Directors’ Remuneration Regime: The Facts for Life Sciences Companies

Since Apple launched the first iPhone in 2007, the popularity of smart phones and tablets has sky-rocketed.  These devices, with their sleek design, touch screens and easy access to a myriad of entertainment options, have fast become the preferred method of communication for executives.

In recent years, a growing number of companies have allowed employees to forgo the less glamorous and often outdated technology assigned by their IT department and instead access corporate emails and data on their personal devices – a practice known as “bring your own device” to work, or “BYOD”.Continue Reading “Bring Your Own Device to Work” – Can Life Sciences Employers Safely Embrace the Trend?

Originally published as Covington E-Alert on June 15, 2011

The U.K. Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has recently issued the final version of its guidance on the Agency Workers Regulations 2010, which implement Directive 2008/104/EC.

The Regulations come into force on 1 October 2011, and will entitle agency workers (or “temps”) to the