Employment Law in Focus:
Handling Workplace Investigations

Thenji Moyo

Partner and Head of the Employment Practice,
Gateley Middle East

Thenji Moyo is an award-winning lawyer that heads the Gateley Middle East employment practice and is a qualified specialist Employment Legal Director advising on all UAE and DIFC employment law. Thenji is ranked in Chambers and Partners and a qualified specialist Employment Legal Director advising on all UAE and DIFC employment law.

Thenji has extensive experience working in employment law advising blue chip, multinational, regional, local and private clients from all industry sectors.

Thenji works closely with the employment local litigation counsel to file employment claims at the Dubai Courts via the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and she is a legal practitioner registered with the DIFC Courts. Thenji works closely with the UAE free zones and currently volunteers with the DIFC and DMCC pro-bono clinic. Thenji is the appointed employee representative on the Supervisory Board for the newly established DIFC Employee Workplace Savings Scheme.

Thenji was awarded the Employment Lawyer of the Year at the first G.C.C. Lexis Nexis Women in Law Awards 2022 for her outstanding contributions to the legal industry. In 2021, she led the Gateley team in various gender equality initiatives and introduced an aggressive training campaign aimed at the promotion of equality within the workplace. The firm was awarded with the Equality Initiative of the Year at the Lexis Nexis Women in Law Awards and the Middle East Legal Awards 2022. Thenji is also a published author and an adjunct lecturer at Middlesex University (Dubai).

Dilini Loku

Senior Associate,
Gateley Middle East

Dilini is a UK qualified lawyer with over ten years’ experience in providing employment and pensions law advice to a diverse range of businesses from start-ups to multi-national companies.

Dilini has expertise in guiding businesses with restructures, reorganisations, redundancies, transfer of employees, global mobility solutions, senior executive appointments, and terminations.

Dilini is well versed in all aspects of non-contentious employment law and as well advising on day-to-day HR issues and strategic employee risk management, she regularly advises on and drafts employment contracts, director service agreements, consultancy agreements, business protection agreements, non-disclosure agreements, employment policies and procedures. She is also instructed on employee benefit design matters with particular focus on employee share option schemes. Dilini has advised on the employment aspects of a number of high-profile mergers and acquisitions in the UAE.

Dilini’s practice also encompasses contentious matters for both employers and employees before the local labour courts, the DIFC courts and the ADGM courts in relation to bonus disputes, whistleblowing, and discrimination.

Dilini regularly delivers bespoke employment law training to HR professionals on labour law and updates, terminations, diversity, equality and inclusion, and business protection. She has also written articles and thought leadership pieces, including a practice note for lawyers in relation to employee share option schemes in the UAE.

Dilini has been named a ‘Rising Star’ in UAE Employment Law by the Legal 500 rankings in 2022 and 2023.