Like everybody else in business, law firms have been forced by the recession to box clever and attempt to differentiate themselves without necessarily investing huge resources.

The latest iteration of this approach comes from Dublin's Hayes Solicitors, where senior associate Davnet O'Driscoll is spearheading an effort to lure in more senior executives as clients.

Mobile employees
The Hayes initiative sees the firm join a network of nine other firms abroad with the aim of advising internationally mobile employees on their employment rights.

O’Driscoll reckons employees, even those with some seniority, can be “vulnerable” when it comes to being sent abroad to work, particularly in “three months there, three months here” scenarios.

She points out that employment situations can vary dramatically from country to country, with rights in Ireland not necessarily being replicated elsewhere – the United States is a particularly stark example of this.

These differences can become problematic, says O’Driscoll, in instances where contracts expire or a company undergoes a change of ownership while the employee is abroad.

Hayes - who list The Irish Times amongst their clients - is the Irish link in the Lawyers International Network for Executives and Employees, with Slater & Gordon representing the UK.