Rachida el Johari

Sagiure Legal B.V. (“SAGIURE”) is an independent law firm based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. SAGIURE stands for knowledge and determination (SAGE), two key factors to success in the legal (IURE) business hence our firm’s name SAGE [seyj]  +  IURE [iūre]. At SAGIURE we specialize in corporate employment and contract Law.

Our focus lies with (multinational) corporations and entrepreneurs with a workforce or investment in the Netherlands or an ambition to set-up or grow business in the Netherlands.

OUR EXPERTISE

Working with both large and small (including innovative start-up and scale-up) corporations, we offer clients bespoke legal service on, and representation in contentious and non-contentious employment law and contract law matters. We specialize in corporate employment and related contract law in the area where employment law, corporate law and tax law coincide. Our core work ranges from advising clients on day to day legal matters to guidance on employment and HR matters in M&A transactions. Given our corporate focus we have developed strong relationships and a track record in acting as a strategic business advisers for clients in structuring business goals from start-ups to multinationals. Although we focus on employment law the type of client we service generally needs a variety of legal and tax expertise with often a cross-border element.

In that regard clients trust us to engage experts in other legal and tax areas when needed. While our forte is employment and contract law, for related areas such as tax, corporate law and data protection & privacy law, we choose to work with some of the best legal minds in the market to suit our clients and their legal needs. Experts who match our own commitment and dedication. We work with the big law firms when that makes sense, yet retain all the benefits of the personal, committed approach. 

We are truly delighted with our IR Global membership and are confident that there will be plenty opportunities to work with many member-firms in future. We look forward to contribute to IR Global’s objectives and work with the IR Global team and its members to a mutually pleasant and beneficial partnership for many years to come.

As a leading provider of legal and related professional services, our Team is able to assist you and your clients in the full range of legal services in the domain of employment and contract law in the Netherlands. Our key areas of advice and assistance include:

▪     Business strategy consultancy from start-up to scale-up and multinationals

▪     All aspects throughout the  lifecycle of an employment relationship from the recruitment phase up to and including any issues arising after termination of an employment contract

▪     Service, management and other work related contracts including any issues arising from these

▪     Business restructuring and mass redundancies

▪     Transfer of undertaking and in/outsourcing

▪     Employment and HR expertise in M&A transactions

▪     Setting up a business in the Netherlands

▪     Drafting contracts and enforcing restrictive covenants to protect business interests and trade secrets

▪      Employee participation and co-determination rights (works council, workers’ representation, trade unions)

▪      Design, compliance and changes to company policies and in-house documentation and scoping

▪      Remuneration systems

▪      Privacy and GDPR-implications

▪      “Platform” labor or gig-economy

▪      Board and senior level appointments and dismissals

▪      International assignments and Business Immigration Contract structuring

▪      Employment disputes and individual dismissals

▪      Equality and diversity

▪      Payrolling, secondment

▪     Collective bargaining agreements, trade unions and collective actions

Rachida specializes in corporate employment law

As co-founder of SAGIURE, Rachida began her career as a lawyer in 2002 with C’M’S’, an alliance of major law firms founded by the UK firm Cameron McKenna and the German Firm Hasche Sigle. Together with Jos Pothof, head of the International Employment Group, Rachida focused on the firm's major international clients and cross border work. In 2008 Rachida continued her career and corporate employment focus with Bird & Bird LLP in The Hague, an international law firm with offices across Europe, China and the Middle East.

Rachida joined forces with former C’M’S’ and Bird&Bird colleagues to establish SAGIURE® in January 2014. Her background in International Trade & Company law is a key element of her business oriented approach. Her primary goal is to achieve solutions that promote and support the business endeavors of her clients. She acts as a trusted and valued strategic business partner for her clients' legal and executive teams.

She has contributed to the books 'Cross border Transfers and Redundancies' published by Tottel, and the 'International Expatriate Employment Handbook' published by KluwerLaw, and was also part of the Dutch team that advised the European Commission on the main legal and technical challenges associated with cross border transfers and redundancies as included in Directive 2001/23/EC.

Rachida is a regular lecturer on various Employment Law topics organized by Kluwer Law, the Radboud University and the Dutch Bar Association, and a member of various associations for employment law experts including the VAAN (Dutch employment expert association) and the European Employment Lawyers Association. She is also an active member the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) that focuses on improving the investment climate in the Netherlands for US investors and multi-nationals and is the chairman of AmCham’s People Platform Committee.