Employment Senior Associate 5+ PQE - London
We are working with a leading national Employment practice to identify Senior Associate and Legal Director level lawyers (5+ PQE, flexible to 4 PQE exceptional candidates) to join a high-performing London team advising on complex, high-value employer-side employment matters.
This is a priority hire with up to four roles available, reflecting sustained demand and continued team growth. The search is active, ongoing, and candidates are being considered on a rolling basis.
The Opportunity
This is a senior-level hire into a highly regarded Employment team focused exclusively on employer-side advisory, litigation, and investigations work. The practice combines high-stakes tribunal litigation with strategic advisory and regulatory employment work for some of the most sophisticated clients in the market.
The role offers the opportunity to take ownership of complex, multi-day tribunal cases, often involving reputationally sensitive issues such as discrimination, whistleblowing, and senior executive disputes. Alongside litigation, you will also advise on high-level employment issues, internal investigations, and board-facing employment strategy.
This is not a narrow advisory role—successful candidates will be expected to operate across the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious employment work, with a strong emphasis on litigation capability and autonomy.
The Team
The London Employment team comprises approximately 40 lawyers within a larger national practice, with this hire specifically focused on the London office. The team operates in a flat, collaborative structure with minimal hierarchy, and is known for its strong culture of knowledge-sharing and low ego environment. Many lawyers have backgrounds in top-tier City firms, contributing to a highly technical but commercially grounded practice.
Retention is strong, with most departures occurring for personal or external career reasons rather than dissatisfaction with the firm. The culture is consistently described as supportive, stable, and team-oriented. The practice is employer-side only, with no employee claimant work.
Work Profile
The work is broadly split as follows:
* 50–60% Tribunal Litigation
* Multi-day, complex Employment Tribunal cases including discrimination, whistleblowing, unfair dismissal, and reputationally sensitive disputes. Candidates are expected to run matters independently, including strategy, preparation, and advocacy.
* 30–40% Advisory & Investigations
* Board-level employment advisory, internal investigations, and regulatory employment issues. A significant portion of this work involves sensitive matters within financial services and other regulated sectors.
* Remaining Work: Corporate Support
* Limited involvement in corporate transactions or support work.
The client base includes major global organisations such as JP Morgan, Citi, TikTok, Google, KPMG, Hiscox, Howden, and HCA, spanning sectors including financial services, technology, healthcare, and insurance.
Many matters involve coordination with leading international and U.S. law firms, particularly on
cross-border or high-value disputes.
Candidate Profile
The firm is seeking 5+ years PQE Employment lawyers, although exceptional candidates at 4 PQE with strong tribunal experience will be considered.
The ideal candidate will have:
* Significant experience in Employment Tribunal litigation, including multi-day hearings
* Ability to independently manage complex cases from instruction through to final hearing
* Strong exposure to discrimination, whistleblowing, unfair dismissal, and strategic employment disputes
* Experience supervising junior lawyers and paralegals on litigation matters
* A strong track record in employer-side employment law, ideally within a large commercial or Magic Circle environment
* Experience advising senior stakeholders or board-level clients on sensitive employment issues
Candidates must be qualified in England & Wales. Non-E&W common law jurisdictions will not be considered.
The team is open to reviewing in-house candidates on a case-by-case basis, but only where there is clear and compelling litigation experience and a strong employer-side skillset.
Key personal attributes include resilience, commercial awareness, and the ability to operate in a fast-moving, high-pressure litigation environment while maintaining accuracy and judgement.
Culture & Working Environment
The culture is deliberately low-ego, collaborative, and transparent, with a strong emphasis on teamwork and shared success. Lawyers are encouraged to contribute beyond their immediate casework, including mentoring, knowledge sharing, and client development. The working model is hybrid, with three days in the office (Wednesday mandatory) and flexibility for the remaining days.
The environment is busy but structured, with a focus on sustainable workloads. Utilisation levels are actively managed, with an emphasis on avoiding excessive overwork while maintaining high standards of client service.
Hours & Compensation
* Senior Associate target: 1,440 chargeable hours
* Legal Director target: 1,320 chargeable hours
* Typical utilisation: ~106%
Bonus structure includes:
* Financial component based on chargeable hours (sliding scale)
* Discretionary component linked to contribution, client impact, and business development
* Firm performance uplift based on overall firm KPIs and profitability
Salary range for the role is £135,000 – £165,000, depending on experience and seniority.
Interview Process
The process is streamlined and efficient, typically consisting of 1–2 interviews.
Stages may include:
* Initial informal discussion (often coffee chat style for senior candidates)
* One or two formal interviews with partners and senior stakeholders
There are no formal assessments or technical exercises. The process is designed to move quickly for strong candidates and is equally an opportunity for candidates to assess cultural and strategic fit.
This role offers the opportunity to join a highly respected Employment practice delivering Magic Circle-quality work within a more human, collaborative, and sustainable environment.
Key highlights include:
* Work with leading global clients on high-profile employment issues
* Significant exposure to complex, multi-day tribunal litigation
* Real autonomy over cases with genuine client ownership
* Strong career development pathways with merit-based progression to partnership
* Recent internal partner promotions reflecting continued growth
* Transparent and market-aligned bonus structure
* A low-ego, highly supportive team culture with strong retention
* Hybrid working with realistic hours expectations
Why This Role
This is a strong opportunity for an experienced Employment lawyer seeking a step up in responsibility and exposure, particularly those who want to lead high-value tribunal work while remaining within a collaborative and well-structured environment.
It combines top-tier client work and litigation quality with a culture that prioritises teamwork, development, and long-term career sustainability.
For candidates currently in high-pressure environments, this offers a credible alternative that maintains work quality and complexity while improving autonomy, culture, and balance.
Next Steps
This is an active and confidential search with multiple roles available. The team is reviewing candidates on an ongoing basis and is open to strong profiles as they arise.
If you are an Employment lawyer at Senior Associate or Legal Director level seeking a high-quality litigation-focused role within a collaborative and well-established practice, this is a compelling opportunity to explore.