Apeksha Mattoo
Partner - Corporate, Labour and Employment
General Employment Advisory | Immigration | Employee Audits & Investigations | Social Security, Compensation & Benefits Structuring | Workforce Re-organization, Transfers & Outsourcing | Senior Management Hiring & Exits | Discrimination & Harassment | Trade Union Disputes & Settlements | Employment Documentation – Drafting & Review
Overview
Apeksha is a Partner in the Corporate practice with a core specialization in Labour and Employment Laws. Apeksha showcases remarkable proficiency across diverse facets of employment and labour laws.
Her expertise encompasses critical areas such as workforce structuring, contentious senior management exits, reductions in labour force, closures, employee transfers, integrations, workplace harassment (including sexual harassment), and enforceability of restrictive covenants. Her role also involves addressing trade union matters, director and officer liabilities under various statutory labour enactments, notices from statutory labour authorities, compensation structuring, designing, and reviewing incentive schemes (including stock option, sweat equity, and restricted stock unit schemes) for various grades of employees, etc.
Apeksha’s advisory portfolio also includes immigration matters where, among other issues, she navigates criteria for visa grants and immigration rules for expatriates. and liaises with immigration agents on Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) registration and protocols. She regularly assists with employment audits, and investigations covering employee frauds, mismanagement, breach, and sale of confidential data by employees, which involves inter alia investigating charges, conducting interviews, preparing scripts for discussions with implicated employees, andcorrective steps for system cleansing.
She also regularly conducts training sessions sensitizing HR teams, senior management about anti-harassment and anti-discrimination laws, and appropriate complaint redressal in case of discrimination and harassment.
Apeksha is also a key player in Trilegal’s transaction advisory team, providing invaluable counsel to clients intending to establish businesses in India. Her scope includes advising on employment and labour compliances, conducting due diligence, and addressing employment aspects in commercial transactions, mergers, acquisitions, disposals, private equity investments, takeovers, and restructurings.
Apeksha is exceptionally well-regarded by her clients for the quality of her work, her responsiveness to clients’ needs, and the excellent service culture she fosters. Her extensive relationships and impeccable reputation within the industry have led to clients often specifically requesting her by name.
Some of her key clients include Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Logos, IMC Trading B.V., Alchemy, Heineken, Citibank N.A., Saudi Arabian Airlines, RMZ Group, Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), Phillip Morris International, Lockton Corporation, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund etc.
Education
Bachelor of Social and Legal Sciences and Bachelor of Law (BSL – LLB)
Admissions
Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa
Select representative clients/matters
Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airline)
- Effectively handling and advising on all employment and dispute resolution matters involving employee exits, senior management compensation structuring, trade union disputes, policy-making, employee exits (contentious and non-contentious), etc., as well as representing them before various judicial forums such as the Central Government Industrial Tribunal-cum-Labour Court and the Bombay High Court, Supreme Court.
Blackstone Group
- Removal of an MD cum CEO from one of its portfolio companies and appointment of a new MD cum CEO as well as a deputy CEO.
BRAC International
- Setting up operations in India including procuring permission for set up of branch office in India, employment of workforce, procurement of permits/licenses for business operation, exchange control implications, benefits structuring etc.
Hyundai Motors India Limited (HMIL)
- Assisted and advised HMIL, the largest passenger car exporter and the second largest car manufacturer in India, in the sale of General Motor India’s (GMI) manufacturing plant in Talegaon, Maharashtra to HMIL, amidst numerous on-going labour disputes.
Prominent private equity investment managers, multi-national banks and NBFCs*
- Advised on a wide variety of employment matters covering (a) review of all their existing employment related documentation i.e., employment contracts, service agreements, employee policies etc.; (b) compliance around registration of internal committees constituted under the anti-sexual harassment legislation, policies associated with the disabilities department, labour welfare fund contributions, leave accumulation and encashment; (c) transfer of accumulations from private trusts to the EPFO and operation of provident funds of excluded trusts, responding to notices received from the EPFO on shortfall in payment of PF contributions etc.
Associated Professional Services (RMZ Group)
- Prepared and implemented a unique profit-sharing (promote) scheme to reward the client’s senior management for their contribution to the profitability, growth, and expansion of its business.
Lockton Companies LLP
- Advising one of the world’s largest independent insurance brokerage limited liability companies on the role and the impact of negative covenents in various types of agreements executed in India covering employment, consultancy, service provider etc.
Recognition
- Awarded “India’s Future Legal Leader for Labour and Employment – 2024” by the India Business Law Journal.
