Gorvinder Pannu

Gorvinder is great to work with. She is clear, commercially minded and extremely client focused." – Chambers 2025

Partner, Employment
Oman

EXPERTISE

Gorvinder Pannu is a Partner in our Middle East employment practice. She is an experienced employment lawyer, practising since 1997, and in the Middle East since 2006.

She was awarded the Employment Lawyer of the Year Award by LexisNexis Women In Law Awards 2023 and included in the Thomson Reuters 2026 Stand-Out Lawyers List. Gorvinder is a member of the global Employment Lawyers Alliance.

Quoted in Chambers Global 2025 and ranked as a Band 3 lawyer: "She consistently goes above and beyond. Her advice is clear, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of employment law, and her prompt communication fosters a productive working relationship."

Gorvinder specialises in contentious and non-contentious employment matters in Oman, the UAE, KSA and Qatar. She has also advised on employment issues throughout the broader Middle East including Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt.

Gorvinder regularly advises multinational companies, blue chip companies and local companies across all sectors, in particular the energy, power and water, transportation, telecoms, education, and financial sectors. She also delivers training sessions and workshops to clients and wider audiences on various employment topics. Gorvinder has particular expertise on Oman's union legislation and industrial action.

You can contact Gorvinder in our GCC offices:

+971 4350 6437 (Dubai)
+968 2495 0705 (Oman)
+974 4019 0300 (Qatar)

Experience

Advised a regional client on business protection measures following breaches of intellectual property and confidentiality obligations by a former C‑suite executive, including strategy for criminal complaints to law enforcement and coordination of subsequent prosecution-led investigations.
Advised on a major workforce reorganisation involving the transfer of employees from a state-owned oil company to a newly established joint venture, covering compulsory and voluntary transfers, redundancy strategy, and step‑by‑step guidance to HR, including drafting all transfer, consultation and communication documentation.
Advised regional and international employers on significant employment law reforms including new labour, data protection and social security regimes, and drafted variations to employment contract terms as well as updated HR policies and staff handbooks to ensure compliance.
Advised a US-headquartered company on steps following a data security breach to employees' data in Oman.
Conducted an independent investigation into sexual harassment allegations involving a senior executive of an international petrochemicals company and subsequently advising on disciplinary action under Oman Labour Law.
Assisted with the investigation of a sexual harassment complaint in KSA, against a senior manager, leading to a disciplinary proceeding which led to the departure of the manager from the business.
Advised a national telecommunication operator on the employee aspects of a potential acquisition of a mobile telecoms , including employment due diligence and workforce integration issues.
Advised a power company on the transfer of employees following termination of an operations and maintenance contract, including statutory notifications to authorities and consultation with affected staff.
Advised a not-for-profit international school on various employment issues, including performance and absence management, redundancy, and revision of teacher contracts.
Advised employers on legislative Covid-19 restrictions in the workplace, health and safety measures, alterations to work rotation cycles, drafting variations to contract terms and redundancies.
Advised Chinese State Grid on the employment aspects of its circa OMR 1 billion acquisition of 49% of the share capital of Oman Electricity Transmission Company, a part of the partial privatisation of the electricity sector in Oman.
Advised Raysut Cement Company SAOG on the employment aspects of its USD 60 million acquisition of Sohar Cement Factory LLC.
Advised Weatherford Drilling International on the employment transfer aspects relating to the USD 6 million disposal of its oil field drilling business in Oman to Shaleem Petroleum Company SAOC.
Advised the board of a major bank on the recruitment of the chief executive officer, dealing with external regulatory approvals for the appointment and drafting suite of employment documents.
Defended an international oil drilling services company in multiple arbitrary dismissal claims from employees made redundant following expiry of rig contracts.

Testimonials

''She handles employment law and has connections to other legal requirements that we have. She is a managing partner in Oman. She is very successful at finding the right people for some of our projects, so I believe she is a good relationship manager. Additionally, Gorvinda has local expertise in the legal sector in Oman, including contract law and buy-sell agreements.'' Thomson Reuters 2026
''Thanks to Gorvinder, we were able to navigate a tough situation with confidence and peace of mind.'' Chambers Global 2026
''Gorvinder Pannu is absolutely amazing to work with. She is very client-centred and strong in experience.'' Chambers Global 2026
''Gorvinder Pannu is extremely knowledgeable and practical in her approach.'' Legal 500 2026
"She consistently goes above and beyond. Her advice is clear, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of employment law, and her prompt communication fosters a productive working relationship." Global Guide 2025
"Gorvinder is great to work with. She is clear, commercially minded and extremely client-focused." Global Guide 2025
"…highly regarded in the employment arena." Chambers Global 2024
"…excellent at helping us navigate complex employment issues and finding creative solutions." Legal 500 2024
"Gorvinder understands our business and therefore applies a level of commercial awareness to our issues which is greatly appreciated. Furthermore, she is able to offer various solutions, allowing us to choose the best possible one." Chambers Global 2024

Professional Memberships

Law Society of England and Wales
Employment Law Alliance – Oman representative

Publications

ELA webinar: Workplace in Motion: Egypt, Qatar, Oman & UAE (2025)
ELA podcast: Breaking Down Termination Laws in the GCC: UAE, Oman & Qatar (2025)
ELA podcast: 2024 Employment Law Year in Review: Oman (2024, 2023)
ELA Travel Tuesday podcast: Doing Business in Oman (2024, 2022)
New Radical Measures announced by the Oman Ministry of Labour
Extension of Covid 19 relief measures for Oman's private sector
Oman Covid 19 Employment Update
NOCs in Oman - are you ready?
New Statutory Redundancy Procedure in Oman

Recognitions