Juliana Snelling is a Rhodes Scholar and Director of Canterbury Law Ltd., member of the Bar of England & Wales (1994), Law Society of England & Wales (2001) and the Bermuda Bar (1995). She has a Certificate in Company Direction from the UK Council of the Institute of Directors (2021). She has 27 years of experience in advising local and multi-national companies, public authorities and high-level business executives on Bermuda employment and human rights laws.

What do clients look for in an effective labour and employment lawyer?

A lawyer who knows the law thoroughly in and out and can apply her knowledge and expertise in a practical manner to real-life situations in clear layman’s terms and with compassion.

What aspect of your work do you find most satisfying?

After family and health, the work life is probably the most important issue for most people and work is where they spend most of their lives. I get great satisfaction in assisting both employers and employees to resolve their employment problems, as well as providing them with excellent bespoke employment contracts and separation agreements that reflect my deep experience and knowledge of employment laws and past real-life scenarios/disputes.

You have nearly three decades of experience in labour law. In what ways has the market changed since you first started practising?

Parties are far more aware these days of their employment rights, both employers and employees alike, and are keen to enforce their rights. Employment law Issues are now often issues of national importance to which governments pay far more attention, especially in the wake of the covid-19 crisis when everyone needed a good employment /labour lawyer. The employment and labour market has increased exponentially in terms of importance and the cost of getting it right. Artificial intelligence is making huge changes in the world of law and is making it much easier to find the right answer. Employment lawyers are now respected for their importance as much as corporate lawyers were in the 1980s. It’s an exciting ever-evolving area of law that is based on human relationships and thus can never get boring.

What are the most common sources of employment disputes and how do you think clients can minimise the risks of them occurring?

In Bermuda, unfair (including constructive dismissal) disputes as well as bullying and harassment type cases have become very common, the latter particularly after the June 1, 2021 amendments to the Employment Act 2000, which brought the issue of harassment and bullying to the fore, when it mandated that employers have anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies in place. In addition, mergers and acquisitions in the reinsurance sector give rise to forced redundancies amongst senior executives, prompting the need for excellent severance and release agreements and severance packages to allow for mutually agreeable separations in what would otherwise be a hugely stressful situation worth millions.

Why did you decide to set up your own firm?

I was excited to set up a family-size firm where values of compassion, kindness and corporate social responsibility are honoured, and where time is not wasted on partners’ meetings micro-managing small issues, with multiple egos to feed.

As co-founder of Canterbury Law, what are your main priorities for the firm’s development over the next five years?

Maintain our excellent reputation as the number one employment law firm on the Island, hire excellent litigation/employment attorneys who can help lead a thriving and successful business, and stay on top of market trends and artificial intelligence initiatives; that will improve our ability to serve our clients.

What do you think will be the biggest challenges faced by the next generation of employment lawyers?

Artificial intelligence threatens to replace many types of lawyer going forward but a good and knowledgeable employment lawyer is never replaceable; the costs of doing business in Bermuda continues to rise immeasurably and makes practicing law expensive; the expected implementation of a minimum global corporate income tax could harm the Island’s economy and business generally; and the fact that the "year of the great resignation" (covid-induced) will continue to plague employers where employees are ever searching for a better life-balance experience elsewhere, which makes hiring and retaining staff difficult.

You have enjoyed a very distinguished career so far. What would you like to achieve that you have not yet accomplished?

I am grateful for these kind words. Knowing that one must never rest on their laurels, I will continue to seek to ensure that Canterbury Law continues to be the leading and most respected employment law firm on the island as my co-director and I deep-dive into our third decade of practice.