Global law firm White & Case has announced the appointment of Tabitha Al‑Mahdawie as a partner in its London office, strengthening its Global Employment, Compensation & Benefits Practice. The development, announced on 17 November 2025, reflects the firm’s ongoing expansion in the employment law sector.
Al-Mahdawie joins from Macfarlanes, where she served as senior counsel. She brings over a decade of experience advising major corporates, hedge funds, and private equity firms across a broad range of employment-law matters, including complex corporate transactions, employee reorganisations, large-scale redundancies, restrictive covenant disputes, employment tribunal claims, and employee data privacy topics such as data breaches, employee monitoring, and data-subject rights.
Her appointment is positioned as part of White & Case’s strategy to deepen its employment law capabilities globally. According to partner and head of the Employment, Compensation & Benefits practice, Henrik Patel, the firm seeks to provide “practical, tailored solutions” in a shifting and complex regulatory environment. With Al-Mahdawie on board, that offering is set to be enhanced further.
In London and the EMEA region, the move also forms part of the broader growth of the firm’s London office in 2025. Notable lateral partner hires include private-equity partners Helen Croke, Laura Kayani and Nick Matthew (from Ropes & Gray); Henry Birch (from Kirkland & Ellis); M&A partner Richard Browne (from Allen & Overy/Shearman & Sterling); competition partner Euan Burrows (from Ashurst); and intellectual-property partners David Stone, Karla Hughes and Adrian Dykes (from Allen & Overy/Shearman) as well as Dan Reavill (from Travers Smith). Al-Mahdawie’s arrival forms a further building block for the firm’s continuing expansion in key markets.
Overall, this move signals White & Case’s commitment to enhancing its employment law services in London and across EMEA, aligning with client demand for sophisticated cross-border employment advice.
KEY QUOTES:
“Our Employment Compensation & Benefits Practice provides practical, tailored solutions to clients who are operating in a shifting and complex regulatory environment.”
“Tabitha’s strong track record advising clients on employment issues will further enhance our global employment offering.”
Henrik Patel, Partner, Head of Employment, Compensation & Benefits Practice
“Tabitha has extensive experience advising on the full spectrum of employment law issues and her addition to the team will further strengthen our market leading practice in London and EMEA.”
Oliver Brettle, Partner & Vice Chair
