The employment group is seeking to recruit a solicitor with at least 6 years' post-qualification experience on a part time (3 days per week) basis for a 12 month fixed-term contract. The role is part of a job share.

The team

The employment group comprises two partners, nine solicitors, one PSL and one trainee solicitor. The team is known as having a friendly and collaborative approach, and so the right person would need to fit well within the group.

The work

The team offers a full employment service to our clients covering employment advisory work and employment litigation, as well as transactional support to the rest of the firm, including our corporate group.  We track the division of the practice between work categories: the bulk of the practice is advisory, focussing on our corporate clients' more complex and/or sensitive people issues as well as advising on restructurings, contractual matters etc.  Year on year this represents approximately 50% of the group’s work.  Transactional support work represents about 30-35% of the practice and the balance is taken up in employment litigation and a very small number of senior executives. 

Few of the team's instructions are for routine or commoditised work, reflecting the group's quality and breadth and the mix of work ensures that members of the team benefit from a broad range of experience. 

We have separate teams (outside the employment group) advising on immigration, data protection, pensions, benefits and tax.  While our employment team handles all kinds of employment tribunal litigation as well as team moves and restrictive covenant work, formal High Court proceedings are handled outside the group in the firm's thriving litigation practice.  We work closely with our colleagues in the litigation practice as part of a cross departmental group.

Our client mix leans towards financial services, from large organisations such as Legal & General and Schroders, to boutique private equity houses and hedge funds.  Here the team has particular expertise in LLPs and the complexities of the remuneration structures in that industry.  Other important sectors include advertising, sport and hotels.

The role

The individual will provide employment advice to a range of clients, as well as working with colleagues across the firm.  The candidate will have good experience of:

• Advising employer clients on a range of HR issues, in both contentious and non-contentious settings;
• Drafting and negotiating bespoke contracts; and
• Winning the confidence of clients by delivering quality legal advice in a commercial way.

The candidate

We want to recruit a lawyer that fulfils the following criteria:

• 6 years’ PQE + from a recognised employment practice;
• Strong academic qualifications from A Levels (or equivalent), with a minimum 2:1 degree in law (or equivalent) from a highly regarded institution;
• Articulate and confident to deliver at the highest standard within a team of highly competent solicitors;
• Willing to take on responsibility;
• Committed and motivated; and
• Excellent interpersonal skills at all levels.

We are recognised for the quality of our work, and the quality of our solicitors is an essential element of this – any recruitment will only be made if this high standard is met. 

Please note that the job description is not exhaustive and may vary in line with changes in the team’s objectives and the firm’s policy.