Melissa Chan

Melissa advises on a range of global and UK advisory, contentious and transactional employment law matters for multinational clients, including companies in the media, entertainment, leisure, technology, gaming, financial, FMCG, automobile, financial, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industries.

Melissa advises on day-to-day employment law queries relating to working time, worker status, attendance management, family-related leave, performance management, sickness absence, holiday pay, individual and collective redundancies, data protection, directors’ duties, discrimination, investigations, grievances, disciplinary processes, immigration, terminations and a variety of other HR queries.

Melissa has assisted in the development of an innovative AI tool for a global technology client which won the Firm an Innovation Award at the Law.com Legal Innovation & Technology Awards.

• Melissa has assisted multinational clients in updating their company handbooks to reflect ongoing changes in the law, such as policies relating to zero-tolerance for domestic abuse, anti-harassment, maternity leave, paternity leave, carer's leave, flexible working, grievance processes and disciplinary processes.
• Melissa has acted for a global media company in responding to a claim relating to sex discrimination in the Employment Tribunal.
• Melissa has advised global companies across the tech, healthcare and financial services industries on the employment and data protection aspects of their strategic global initiatives for diversity, equity and inclusion, particularly in relation to diversity data.
• Melissa regularly advises a global technology company on various employment issues across over 30 countries, such as its return to office policies, performance management, and compliance with country specific regulations relating to sickness absence, terminations, investigations, fixed-term contracts and health & safety.
• Melissa advises on the developing area of family friendly rights, including paternity leave, carer's leave and the right to request flexible working.
• Melissa advised the UK entity of a global children's charity on the transfer of employees to its branch in another jurisdiction.
• Melissa advised a financial technology company in relation to its global working time policies and procedures.
• Melissa has assisted global technology clients with compliance with the EU Whistleblowing Directive across their businesses.
• Melissa acted for a global chemicals and cosmetics company on the acquisition of UK employees from a skincare and cosmetics company.
• Melissa acted for a leading global investment firm in its bid for a healthcare business in Europe by conducting employee due diligence and advising on information and consultation requirements.
• Melissa assisted a global gaming company with due diligence of its UK employees in connection with a potential IPO.

• Law Society of England & Wales - Member
• Employment Lawyers Association - Member

• Melissa is a steering committee member of Baker McKenzie's Ethnicity focus group, BakerEthnicity. She is passionate about ensuring the future of the Firm reflects its ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Melissa runs the BakerEthnicity Talent Incubator, a market-leading diversity and inclusion initiative that matches ethnic minority junior and mid-level talent with senior mentors from Baker McKenzie and the firm's clients in a simulated pitching competition.
• Melissa acted as a legal advisor in the Pride Beats Prejudice legal clinic in collaboration with Tower Hamlets Legal Advice Centre, providing pro bono legal advice to individuals identifying as LGBTQ+ in relation to disability discrimination, working time, whistleblowing, grievances, performance management, immigration requirements and other areas of employment law.
• Melissa acted as a pro bono legal advisor in collaboration with Access Social Care, representing an individual with learning difficulties in a disability allowance charging case.
• Melissa organised and recruited speakers for Baker McKenzie's first Neurodiversity in Law panel, aimed at demystifying dyslexia in the legal industry.
• Melissa is a pro bono legal advisor for the charity, Working Families, providing regular employment advice to parents and carers, including in relation to family leave and flexible working rights.
• Melissa collaborated with a global technology client in a Terre des Hommes Digital Justice Project to improve the virtual child justice system during the Covid-19 pandemic.