Job description

It’s Time

Allen & Overy is a leading global law firm operating in over thirty countries. Embracing new trends and harnessing decades of experience, we’ve earned our place at the forefront of the legal industry. Our partners are recognised as leaders in their field and our deals and cases often make headline business news. As a result, we’ve developed a reputation for delivering excellence, in all that we do. Today, we’re continuing to break new ground. By embracing new ways of thinking and integrating technology into our everyday work, we’ve been named as the Most Innovative Law Firm in Europe by the Financial Times five times.

Join our team and you’ll be part of a flexible, inclusive culture underpinned by openness and acceptance. We’re driven by the belief that, to perform, people need support and space to collaborate. By combining those values with an ambitious outlook, we can give you the opportunity to thrive.

Department purpose 
Recognised as one of the market’s leading employment practices, we have experience of working with clients on both contentious and non-contentious work including employment documentation, workplace issues and policies, data protection, discrimination, restructuring and redundancies, executive issues, employment-related litigation and the impact of corporate M&A and restructurings. 

Many of our clients are heavily invested in globalisation and continue to expand their international platform. This means that workplace issues have multiple dimensions: a strategic level, a cross-border level and a local dimension on the ground. With employment lawyers located across Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the U.S., we work in partnership with clients to develop individual, sophisticated and creative solutions to modern workplace issues. 

Our team is renowned for being at the forefront of using innovative tools to assist clients to meet their needs and challenges on HR-related matters. With a client-centric approach we cover not only standalone advisory and corporate transactional support but also provide clients with a more bespoke approach which includes providing training, regular legal bulletins and a broad range of value added services. We are committed to the development of best practice within employment and devote a considerable amount of time and resources to training our lawyers to ensure our clients receive the best, practical and robust advice. 

Key Relationships

• Employment Partners, Associates and the wider team
• PSLs
• Business Development Manager
• Wider A&O community

Role and responsibilities

• Providing strategic advice and guidance to clients
• Advising on restructuring programmes, employment contracts, HR policies, diversity initiatives in addition to general employee relations and employment related cases
• Managing employment tribunal claims in addition to corresponding litigation and mediation
• Acting as a business partner to internal practice groups, namely our Corporate department and their clients
• Attending client meetings
• Managing client expectations and project delivery appropriately
• Business development - development of personal plan; assistance with and implementation of business development campaign
• Drafting, reviewing and amending documentation
• Supervision of team members

Key requirements

• Qualified lawyer 5+ PQE
• deep technical knowledge with regards to employment law
• Strong transactional experience
• Strong litigation experience
• Exceptional client skills with experience representing senior executives
• Outstanding academic credentials
• Intellectual curiosity and versatility
• Self starter with the desire and ability to continuously acquire, build upon and share knowledge
• Detail-focused and self-motivated approach
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines
• Excellent client relationship skills
• Sound experience of operating at senior level within a complex international organisation
• Strong commercial/business acumen with the ability to deliver creative and pragmatic solutions and advice
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interface at all levels and particularly to win the respect of the partner and fee-earner community, building strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders
• Collaborative team player with the ability to develop and work in a fast paced, intellectually rigorous environment
• A person of sound judgment, able to establish a high level of credibility

Who we are looking for
We are ideally looking for a highly motivated lawyer who combines good academic credentials with sound practical experience, good business judgement and strong interpersonal skills. Candidates should be articulate, show a genuine interest in the subject and be committed to their continuing development as a lawyer. We are looking for a lawyer with the potential and ambition to be a leader in their field and who takes responsibility for, and pride in, the team's work product. You should be keen to be primarily responsible for building and maintaining the client relationships assigned to you.