Job Description
A top-ranked international law firm with a highly regarded London employment practice is hiring a qualified employment lawyer for a permanent Staff Attorney position. This is a distinctive role within the team, sitting slightly differently from the traditional associate track and designed for a lawyer who wants to remain close to high-quality employment work while operating within a more sustainable structure.
The practice advises multinational corporate and financial services clients on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters, working closely with HR, employee relations and in-house legal teams on strategic workforce planning, policy design, complex employee relations issues and senior exits. The work is predominantly advisory rather than transactional, with regular involvement in employment aspects of cross-border matters and corporate activity.
The Staff Attorney role focuses on non-transactional advisory and support work, partnering closely with senior lawyers and contributing meaningfully to client advice, written materials, know-how and practice development. The role is client facing and billable, with all advice and written work subject to partner oversight, but it is intentionally structured with different expectations to the associate track. While the work will fluctuate and busy periods will occur, the overall model is designed to be more balanced and sustainable over the long term.
This opportunity would suit a qualified employment lawyer with a solid grounding in general employment law, strong written skills and confidence preparing client-facing materials. Corporate support experience is helpful but not essential, and the team is open on firm background. The role may appeal to someone currently in a PSL-style position, an overseas-qualified lawyer looking for a permanent role within a leading UK practice, or a lawyer who enjoys advisory employment work but is seeking a step away from the intensity of the associate track without compromising on quality or intellectual interest.
Around a quarter of the role will involve pro bono work, enabling senior lawyers to focus on chargeable matters and offering the successful candidate the chance to make a genuine contribution beyond fee earning alone. The environment is partner led, supportive and collegiate, with clear oversight and real investment in the people within the team. This is a stable, permanent position within a top-tier practice, offering high-quality work, reduced pressure compared to traditional associate roles, and the opportunity to build a long-term career in employment law in a slightly different way.