Offices – United Kingdom
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Global Reach
Global Reach

Apart from offering expert legal consultancy for local jurisdictions, CMS partners up with you to effectively navigate the complexities of global business and legal environments.

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Insights – United Kingdom
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Expertise
Insights
Insights

CMS lawyers can provide future-facing advice for your business across a variety of specialisms and industries, worldwide.

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Offices
Global Reach
Global Reach

Apart from offering expert legal consultancy for local jurisdictions, CMS partners up with you to effectively navigate the complexities of global business and legal environments.

Explore our reach
Insights
About CMS
Responsible business highlights
Responsible business highlights

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Employee Incentives

CMS has the largest number of partners dedicated to employee share plans in a City law firm, with over forty years’ combined experience as partners in their field. Our team stands out for the range of work it does. We each advise FTSE100 and multinational companies on their share plans and the related public company M&A work that goes with that, but also advise start-ups, particularly in the tech and life sciences sectors and other companies which are private equity owned. We will work with you to maximise the opportunities to reward employees in the most tax-effective way possible and deliver their rewards cost-effectively for your business.

Each of our partners is anchored in the firm's sectors. When clients approach us, they want common sense advice based on our experience and what is right for their business at their particular stage of development.  As part of the wider CMS network, we are also quickly able to draw upon the overseas expertise of our international offices.

We pride ourselves on giving clear advice. We ensure our clients are aware of the commercial opportunities and pitfalls they may face, as well as (in appropriate cases) the changing tax and corporate governance environment.

Quoted companies

  • IPOs
  • M&A activity
  • All-employee plans
  • Executive remuneration in the public glare
  • Listing Rule compliance

PE owned and other private companies

  • Tax-efficient remuneration, including EMI options
  • How to create opportunities for employees (especially leavers) to sell shares
  • Appropriate structure for the size of company

Financial services

  • Compliance with the various Remuneration Codes put in place by the PRA and FCA

Employee trusts

  • Setting up and operating employee trusts
  • Winding them up

Some highlights of our experience

Events

  • A yellow domino block - 840 x 420
    United Kingdom
    13 Mar 2025

    Spotlight on Sexual Harassment

  • Green and orange origami 840x420
    United Kingdom
    31 Mar 2025

    Skills For Future Facing Teams: Advanced presentation skills

  • Power tower - 840 x 420
    United Kingdom
    01 Apr 2025

    Future of Renewables Seminars – Challenges and Opportunities

  • United Kingdom
    02 Apr 2025

    International Mining and Energy Law, Development, and Investment

  • Abstract faceted background - 840 x 420
    United Kingdom
    03 Apr 2025

    CMS Welcome Reception to coincide with the 26th Annual IBA Arbitration Day

  • Scenic of panorama view of sunrise skyline and cityscape with light tail on road into metropolis, Bangkok, Thailand
    United Kingdom
    24 Apr 2025

    Cross-Border Financial Services 2025 webinar series

  • United Kingdom
    24 Apr 2025

    CMS at Fordham IP & Policy Conference

  • purple scribble abstract - 840 x 420
    United Kingdom
    28 Apr 2025

    Skills For Future Facing Teams: Building confidence as a junior in-house lawyer

  • Business people meeting
    United Kingdom
    30 Apr 2025

    She Can, I Can, We All Can… Accelerate Action

  • camera lens
    United Kingdom
    01 May 2025

    CMS Media Update Morning

  • Ink in water abstract background - 840 x 420
    United Kingdom
    19 May 2025

    Skills For Future Facing Teams: Thinking strategically about your business stakeholders

  • Ink in water abstract background - 840 x 420
    United Kingdom
    09 Jun 2025

    Skills For Future Facing Teams: Success through building quality relationships with business stakeholders

  • Ink in water abstract background - 840 x 420
    United Kingdom
    22 Sept 2025

    Skills For Future Facing Teams: How to maximise your ability to deep work in a world of distraction

Local market knowledge. Global outlook

We provide future-facing legal advice to help your organisation thrive. Combining local market knowledge and a global perspective, and with lawyers in locations worldwide, your organisation benefits from the expertise it needs, even across borders.

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