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Ute Krudewagen

Ute Krudewagen

Partner
Chair, International Employment practice
Palo Alto
About

Ute Krudewagen focuses on providing multinational companies with solutions to the challenges presented in managing a global workforce. In addition, she counsels companies on employment issues triggered by cross-border transactions.

Her vast experience includes advising on global background checks, employment and independent contractor agreements, discrimination and harassment claims, social media issues, global policies and procedures, non-compete and proprietary information agreements, works council and union issues, codes of conduct and social responsibility, workplace privacy and implementation of AI in the workplace, employee assignments and global mobility programs, global employment issues in connection with Covid-19, global reductions in force and cost-saving initiatives, restructurings and severance and retention plans.

Ute also counsels global employers on the issues associated with transactions, including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing, post-acquisition integrations and tax restructurings. She has successfully addressed employment issues in transactions with workforces in more than 60 jurisdictions in one transaction, with deal values ranging from US$2 million to more than US$60 billion, including negotiation and drafting of the deal agreement, employee transfers, consultations with unions and works councils, benefits harmonization, interim operating models and acquisition-related downsizings.

Her experience includes advising both emerging growth companies and Fortune 500 companies across a wide spectrum of industries and jurisdictions across the globe, including technology/software, fashion/retail, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, energy, manufacturing and distribution, energy, as well as banking and finance.

Areas of FocusEmploymentCorporateEmerging Growth and Venture CapitalFinanceMergers and AcquisitionsLife SciencesConsumer Goods, Food and RetailTechnology
Bar admissionsCaliforniaNew York
CourtsAll California state and federal district courtsAll New York state and federal district courts

EXPERIENCE

  • Advised on employment matters in more than 500 US and cross-border transactions and post-acquisition integrations, covering more than 60 jurisdictions in one transaction
  • Counseled publicly traded and private US and global multinational corporations on global cost-cutting strategies, including reductions in force, salary reductions, compensation mix changes and temporary shutdowns across more than 100 jurisdictions
  • Counseled multinational companies in various industries on compliance with local employment laws, worldwide strategic human resources initiatives and global mobility programs in more than 80 jurisdictions
  • Counseled multinational employers on Covid-19 initiatives such as, compliance with shelter orders across the globe and travel restrictions, temperature/health checks and back-to-work considerations, and furloughs
  • Counseled US multinationals on employment law considerations in entering new jurisdictions, including engagement options and documentation, across up to 50 jurisdictions each
  • Counseled multinational employers on global diversity and inclusion strategies, including pay equity obligations, salary posting laws and global diversity data collection
Languages
  • German
  • Spanish
Education
  • LL.M., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
  • J.D., University of Cologne
  • Dr. iur., University of Cologne
    summa cum laude

Awards

The Legal 500 United States

  • Leading Lawyer, Workplace and Employment Counseling (2024)
  • Next Generation Partner, Workplace and Employment Counseling (2023)
  • Recommended, Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and Retirement Plans: Transactional (2024)
Additional Awards
  • Honoree for the Daily Journal's Top Labor & Employment Attorney (2024)
  • Recognized, "Absolutely Best at Client Service," All-Stars Award, BTI Consulting Group (2022, 2024)
  • Named to the Daily Journal's list of "Top California Labor and Employment Lawyers," an award given annually to 75 California-based attorneys for their contributions to the law and the community (2018-2019)
  • Named as outstanding lawyer in Acritas Stars, according to client nominations (2019-2020)
  • Selected by the Silicon Valley Business Journal among its "Women of Influence" which recognizes the top 100 women in the region with various backgrounds who are making an impact in the local business community (2015)
  • Named to the Daily Journal's list of "Top Women Lawyers," which recognizes the top 100 female lawyers in California (2013)
  • Recognized as one of Northern California's Outstanding Young Lawyers by Top Attorneys
  • Named as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers® of Northern California (2011-2013)

Pro Bono

Ute Krudewagen is a member of the DLA Piper North American Pro Bono Committee. She is actively engaged in various pro bono matters in the areas of asylum and humanitarian parole, among others and represents several NGOs in their global employment matters. She is also a volunteer baker for Cake4Kids.

Insight Overview

A frequent author, Ute has been published in Workspan, The Daily Journal, Lexology, Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Newsstand, The Recorder, California Employment Law Magazine and Worldwide Financier, among others.

Ute has also presented on international employment topics at leading industry events, including the Women in International Trade, ACC, American Bar Association, SHRM and National Trade Counsel conferences.

Bylines

Seminars

  • PLI 25th Annual Institute on Privacy and Cybersecurity Law "Intelligent Workplace 2024: AI Meets Privacy & Compliance," New York and San Francisco, May 2024
  • Global Expansion and Operation 101: Employment and Equity Compensation, April 18, 2024
  • Global employment CLE webinar: 2023 review and 2024 preview, December 5, 2023
  • Global employment CLE webinar: 2022 review and 2023 preview, December 14, 2022
  • 2022 In-person global employment end-of-year review, December 8, 2022
  • TEI Conference Orange County, Global remote work, October 18, 2022
  • Roundtable on New California Pay Transparency Bill, October 6, 2022
  • "OBA's Institute Across Borders." November 10, 2022
  • "The impact of India's new labor codes," April 7, 2021
  • "Global return to work issues for employers," May 13, 2020
  • "Global workforce reductions-in-force in the time of Coronavirus," May 6, 2020
  • "Coronavirus: Managing and implementing global cost-saving measures across the workforce," April 2, 2020

Media Mentions

  • "Cross-Border Attys Grapple With #MeToo's Varying Impact," Law360, August 9, 2019
  • "Helping Expatriate Employees Deal with Culture Shock," SHRM Magazine, June 4, 2019
  • "Coca-Cola FEMSA's $250.7 Million Acquisition of Montevideo Refrescos S.R.L. (Monresa)," Global Legal Chronicle, July 11, 2018

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/EU and CIPP/US), International Association of Privacy Professionals
  • Co-Editor in Chief, International Labor & Employment Laws, Bloomberg Law
  • American Bar Association, International Labor & Employment Law Committee
  • HR Certification Institute, Global Professional in Human Resources
  • Law Society of England and Wales, Non-practicing member

My latest insights

Event

Global Employment webinar: 2024 review and 2025 preview

11 December 2024 .2 minute read

Publication

A look at global employee disconnect laws for US counsel

19 April 2024 .11 minute read

Past event

Global Expansion and Operation 101: Employment and Equity Compensation

18 April 2024 .2 minute read

View All

Connect

Phone

+1 650 833 2245
(Work, Silicon Valley)
+1 650 521 4103
(Mobile)
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