Firm to advise Italian oil and gas company Eni on employment law

Eversheds has been appointed by Italian energy giant Eni to advise on employment law and recruitment matters globally, serving as the company's strategic resourcing adviser across 62 countries around the world.

The one-year contract will see Eversheds deliver all of its services under a three-tier cost system, with a set number of hours covered for a fixed price, and two further pricing tiers for additional work depending on complexity.

Eversheds human resources partner Paul Cotton has been working with Eni over the last year and will lead the firm's delivery alongside international M&A head Robin Johnson and associate Paul Ball. The firm has previously provided employment advice to Eni across 27 jurisdictions, including Belgium, France and Iraq, with the relationship originating in Eversheds' Milan arm through partner Daniela Murer.

Stephen Hopkins, Eversheds' head of international, said the deal, which is similar to the firm's existing arrangement with manufacturing company Tyco but restricted to employment matters, will make it easier for Eni to budget for its legal work.

He said: "There are a number of cost options depending on the nature of the work. The costs are not capped, but we discuss the scope of the work with the client, agree a fee and stick to the budget."

Eni will continue to work with firms including Hogan Lovells and human resources (HR) specialists Ius Laboris.

Eni focuses on finding, producing, transporting, transforming and marketing oil and gas. It employs around 80,000 people across 85 countries around the world.

News of the deal comes after Eversheds announced in January that it had signed its third contact with Tyco, agreeing to deliver all of its EMEA legal services for a further two years from September 2011.

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