Rodrigo, Elías & Medrano Abogados‘ employment practice is highly experienced across the gamut of employment matters, with recent work including assisting clients in litigation against unions, the implementation of remote working initiatives in the aftermath of COVID-19, and advising clients on administrative procedures initiated by the Peruvian labour authority. The team is jointly led by José Balta and Mario Pasco; Balta specialises in employment immigration matters, and is also experienced in employment discrimination and lay-off processes, and Pasco specialises in collective bargaining and litigation. Associate Claudia Cermeno is noted for her work on individual and collective labour matters, as well as health and safety at work.

The distinguished employment team at Vinatea & Toyama is one of the largest in the country with over forty lawyers, and is a popular choice for major companies operating in Peru. The practice is experienced in the full spectrum of employment issues, including contentious and non-contentious matters for both domestic and international clients. Name partners Luis Vinatea and Jorge Toyama are experienced in dispute resolution, while Herbert Prelle is skilled in assisting clients with the design and incorporation of strategies to manage labour conflicts. Renato Mejía leverages his twenty years of experience to assist clients in designing labour policies for corporate clients and offering consulting services in employment law. Alfredo Salvador specialises in trade union relations, while Roberto Matallana is recommended for employment litigation in particular. Magaly Alarcón, who co-heads the litigation team with Matallana and Vinatea, is particularly experienced in issues pertaining to equal pay and sexual harassment. Eduardo Mercado was promoted to partner in January 2023 and has recently been focusing on the retail and agroindustry industries. Associates Juan Carlos Girao, Cynthia Lagos, Fabiola Maza and Alfonso Higa are also key contacts for labour and employment matters. Since publication, Girao has been raised to the partnership - effective as of March 2024.

The employment team at Estudio Echecopar member firm of Baker McKenzie International is led by Monica Pizarro, who is a key contact for issues such as outsourcing, transfer of personnel, employee dismissal and sexual harassment at work. The practice’s client roster includes a range of both domestic and international names, such as Mondelez, Banco HSBC and Minsur. The practice is also adept at advising clients on labour inspections before government authorities, representing clients in disputes with employees, and assisting with the transfer of employees during mergers and acquisitions. Other names to note include Luis Miguel Almendariz, who is a key contact for matters relating to the termination of executives. Senior associate Elizabeth Zamudio focuses her practice on collective bargaining for transnational clients, while associate Karen Bustamante is particularly experienced in occupational health and safety matters.

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados’ labour and employment practice is adept at advising clients in sectors such as telecoms, finance, retail, fishing, ports and construction. The team, led by Ricardo Herrera, who acts for clients including Nestlé Perú, is experienced in the suspension and dismissal of personnel, assisting clients in the adaptation of outsourcing services to the new regulation, and labour litigation. The practice has also seen recent growth in advising clients on trade union matters, with recent work including support to a logistics company in all its union conflicts. Other team contacts include María del Pilar Flórez, who specialises in individual labour rights, and César Puntriano, whose recent work includes advice to a client on complex collective bargaining negotiations.

Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uria‘s employment practice is co-led by four experienced partners: César Gonzales Hunt, Jaime Zavala, Lidia Vilchez and Alicia Jimenez. Gonzales and Vilchez, who was promoted to partner in January 2022, are both highly skilled in collective bargaining agreements, as well as negotiations between trade unions and employers. Zavala has over 50 years’ experience and is adept at advising clients during labour arbitration processes, while Jimenez is heavily involved in labour litigation processes from pre-litigation demands through to trial. Other key names to note are associates Silvia Rebaza and Katy Noriega, for occupational health and safety and gender issues, respectively.

Rubio Leguía Normand‘s labour, employment and social security practice offers domestic and international clients support from three offices in Peru. The department has a particular focus on immigration law, an area which is headed by Angel Ramírez. The practice itself is co-led by Víctor Ferro, who is highly experienced in complex collective bargaining issues; Sandro Núñez, who has particular expertise in insurance matters; and Armando Gutiérrez, who is adept at assisting clients in the natural resources industry. Associate André Cossio is recommended for advice on occupational health and safety regulations, while fellow associates Marilú Merzthal and Carol Arancibia are key contacts for employment litigation.

The labour practice at Benites, Vargas & Ugaz primarily focuses on disputes, consultancy in health and safety matters, labour migration, and general administrative labour advisory. The team is jointly headed by Jorge Luis Acevedo Mercado and Carla Benedetti, who are both highly experienced in labour litigation, social security issues, and matters regarding taxation in a labour context. The practice’s client roster includes domestic and international names, such as Telefónica Del Peru and Banco Internacional Del Peru. Karla Zuta and Maria Eugenia Tamariz, two of the team’s associates, are also key contacts.

The employment and pensions team at CMS Grau is especially adept at advising clients in the aviation, retail, oil and gas, mining, real estate and energy sectors. Jointly led by Claudia Flecha and Cecilia Vargas, the team is experienced in assisting clients across the full range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters, such as human resources restructuring, day-to-day labour issues, employee dismissals, and post-merger and post-acquisition transactional matters. Franco Herrera, who defends clients in administrative and judicial processes, and Maria Lourdes García, who assists clients in collective bargaining processes, are also key associates in the team.

Miranda & Amado‘s labour and employment practice is praised by clients for its ‘excellent quality of service‘ and for the team’s skill of ‘understanding the needs of the business‘. The practice is headed by Eric Castro, whose recent work includes advising Softys Peru on the planning, negotiation and collective bargaining with the company’s union, as well as assisting Peruplast in judicial proceedings related to labour benefits. Carlos Cadillo is particularly experienced in individual and collective bargaining, as well as labour arbitration and the prevention of labour conflicts. Other key team members include Fernando Rodríguez and Luis Santa-Cruz, both counsel, as well as associates Aracelli Morales and Carol Villalobos, who are noted for their experience in labour litigation and employee hiring, respectively. Since publication, Santa-Cruz has been raised to the partnership - effective as of January 2024.

Rebaza, Alcázar & De Las Casas’ employment team is headed by the ‘first class’ Maria Haydee Zegarra, whose recent work highlights include counseling clients on the implementation of policies to prevent and punish sexual harassment at work. The practice is also experienced in assisting clients with outsourcing issues, labour benefits, collective bargaining matters, and is highly active in dispute resolution concerning employment law. Sector expertise for the team spans a range of industries, such as fishing, telecoms, aerospace and ports, the lattermost of which Omar Diaz is highly experienced in. Associates Michele Durand and Helga Irazola are also key contacts for general employment matters.

The labour practice at Dentons Peru is experienced in executing labour audits, assisting clients with collective bargaining matters, and managing the labour aspects of mergers and acquisitions. Practice head Pamela Duffy, who was promoted to partner in January 2022, is especially adept in the labour immigration field, which includes the hiring of foreign employees and obtaining work visas for executives and their families. Associate Jaime Zegarra is a key contact for the hiring and dismissal of employees, as well as planning effective outsourcing mechanisms and advising on day-to-day employment issues.

DLA Piper Perú‘s employment practice benefits from the firm’s international presence and is active in a variety of sectors, including mining, finance, telecoms, retail and real estate. Practice head Cecilia Guzmán-Barrón leads a team of five lawyers and is particularly active in matters such as designing strategies for hiring processes and managing complex lay-offs. The team also offers assistance to clients in relation to collective negotiations, policy reviews, audits, and health and safety at work matters. Senior associate Flavia Granados is a key contact for matters such as productive decentralisation and both domestic and international hires.

EY Peru’s employment and labour practice assists clients with collective bargaining, compensation and social security planning, personnel movement, and employee termination programmes. José Ignacio Castro is experienced in assisting clients with labour audits and court proceedings, while Mauro Ugaz is particularly adept at advising clients on the application of labour standards. Miguel Rubio Ayllon is a key contact for remuneration issues, while Valeria Galindo Valer advises clients on international mobility programmes. Mauricio Matos Zegarra is a key contact for social security and tax issues, and Jaime Cuzquen specialises in labour inspections and occupational health and safety matters.

Diego Castillo heads Hernández & Cía‘s employment practice, leading a five-lawyer team. The practice typically advises clients on labour issues such as collective bargaining, employee termination, and occupational health and safety matters. It can also regularly be seen providing counsel on employment-related litigation, and providing training to in-house human resources teams. Senior associate Mariana Barreto is a name to note for matters such as employment tax and labour immigration services.

Osterling Abogados‘ labour and employment team is complimented by clients for its ‘speedy responses‘ and ability to ‘clearly explain legal concepts to non-lawyers‘. The practice is jointly headed by Ary Alcántara Valdivia and Joyce Cieza Mora, who are experienced in social security and labour arbitration, respectively. Other activities the team undertakes include the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace, designing and executing collective agreements, and providing both domestic and international clients with advice relating to employee migration, health and safety at work, and compliance audits. Associate Patricia Medina Bellido is adept at assisting clients with direct and indirect recruitment, remuneration, compensation, benefits and termination.

Payet, Rey, Cauvi, Pérez Abogados’s labour and employee benefits practice regularly advises clients on the design and execution of recruitment of domestic and foreign personnel, salary and labour benefit structures, outsourcing matters, and labour-related litigation. The team is led by Cristina Oviedo, with Brian Ávalos and associate Dante Botton assisting the team in day-to-day employment issues, as well as matters surrounding labour procedural law and pensions. Former principal associate Martín Ruggiero left the firm in August 2023.

Percy Alache heads the employment team at PricewaterhouseCoopers Peru and brings more than fifteen years of experience to the practice. The team’s recent work includes advising a client on opportunities for improvement relating to the adaptation of outsourcing regulations, and assisting a company in the execution of a severance plan for eighty employees. The practice also assists both domestic and international clients with labour litigation, arbitration, risk management, and day-to-day employment advice. Associates Adriana Tapia and Olanda Torres are also key contacts.