Trent M. Sutton

Trent Sutton, an international employment attorney, helps multinational employers navigate and comply with the widely different employment obligations around the globe. Trent uses his experience, Littler’s broad international platform, and his own extensive network to provide strategic human resources and employment advice on a regional and global scale. Trent’s experience living in multiple countries in Asia gives him particular insight to the local customs, laws, and expectations of employers and employees in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

• Global Point of Contact. Trent has many years’ experience serving as a Global Point of Contact for Asia Pacific corporations with employment needs in the Americas and Europe, as well as American companies with employment needs in APAC. As the Global Point of Contact, Trent provides strategic employment advice on a regional and global scale, manages multinational human resource initiatives, and connects clients with local counsel to facilitate their needs. Trent’s experience as a Global Point of Contact includes Fortune 100 Asia-based companies with operations in the US or globally, as well as Fortune 500 companies in the US with operations in Asia.
   
• Employment Compliance Advice. Trent regularly advises on employment compliance issues, including terminations, investigations, discrimination and harassment claims, litigation, handbook and policy updates, and leave and wage issues. When needed, Trent assembles a team of attorneys across the globe to manage a client’s needs, and covers the full range of employment matters from employee handbooks and policies to disability leave, and executive compensation.
   
• Global Transfers and Mobility. Trent supports employers with their mobile workforces. He regularly assesses his clients’ international transfer guidelines and practices; advises on the best approach to an employee traveling across borders; and drafts and/or updates the documentation necessary for secondments (long term and/or short term), transfers, localizations, and other mobility matters.
   
• Global Expansion and Workforce Restructuring. Trent assists companies with the employment aspects of their expansion internationally and/or their restructuring efforts that cross national boundaries. Trent uses a top-down approach to such initiatives to ensure consistency and efficiency and involves local licensed counsel to ensure compliance and on-the-ground support for compensation, selection, union and labor negotiations, and other needs.
   
• Management and HR Training. Trent is a sought-after trainer with highly positive feedback on numerous employment topics. He has trained hundreds of human resources, business and legal professionals on topics including employee engagement, change management, labor and union relations, and harassment and discrimination; as well as expatriate managers on harassment prevention, wage and hour compliance, documenting employee performance, handling employee complaints, interviewing applicants, bullying; and employees on sexual harassment laws, the importance of diversity and avoiding unconscious bias, and other human resource compliance issues.

*Not licensed to practice law in Singapore or appear in local courts. Littler partners with local firms to service clients on matters related to Singapore law.