Employment Counsel
Join Mills & Reeve’s Advocacy Unit to lead Employment Tribunal hearings, deliver strategic advice, and represent leading brands nationwide. The role focuses on Employment Tribunal advocacy, handling preliminary and final hearings, drafting, and advisory work, while working closely with the Head of Advocacy and making an impact in a dynamic, high‑profile environment.
The role
Join Mills & Reeve’s growing Advocacy Unit and represent leading organisations across commercial, health, and education sectors. Our clients include household names such as Jaguar Land Rover, River Island, Bosch, Carlsberg Marston’s, and prestigious institutions like St John’s College Oxford and the University of Birmingham.
Our Employment, Pensions & Immigration NSL team consists of over 85 talented lawyers, led by David Mills. We are passionate about learning and collaboration, with monthly cross‑office training sessions delivered by expert professional support lawyers and sector‑focused away days.
The Advocacy Unit, led by Bethan Davies, represents a key element of the firm’s growth strategy. Since its establishment in 2024, Bethan has spearheaded ambitious plans to expand and innovate. This position offers the opportunity to work closely with Bethan and colleagues across all offices, contributing to the continued development and future direction of advocacy within the firm.
The activities
Client service
* Deliver outstanding client service to both internal and external clients
* Have a sound understanding of clients’ legal, commercial and service requirements
* Have effective client relationship and client service skills
Technical excellence
* Be a qualified barrister / solicitor advocate
* Be a confident advocate in the Employment Tribunal
* Have strong technical competence and legal knowledge in employment law
* Deliver high quality and commercially focussed advice
* Assist in delivering training to clients and target client
The person
You will be a qualified barrister with 2 to 5 years post‑call experience. For full details of the role please ensure you read the job description below.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications. If you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
The Benefits
As you’d expect, we offer a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits. Click here to find out more about our core benefit offering.
Pre‑employment screening
If we offer you a role, we will conduct comprehensive pre‑employment screening. This screening will include, but is not limited to, a basic DBS, verification of your right to work, a three‑year employment history and a self‑declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role. Full details of our pre‑screening employment process are available upon request.
The firm
Mills & Reeve is centred on achieving more for clients, their businesses and the wider communities we serve. Our clients and their industries benefit from our knowledge and learning, and receive consistent experiences with no surprises. We tell them what they need to know when they need to know it.
* We’re ambitious – we aim high, we embrace new ideas and we’re passionate about our work
* We’re open – we communicate openly and honestly to build trust, and we do what’s right
* We care – we’re committed to each other, our clients, our communities and the planet
* We collaborate – we’re easy to work with, we offer help willingly and we get things done – together
And finally
Everyone at Mills & Reeve brings a unique perspective and ideas to the team and we do everything we can to help each person thrive. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment, are happy to consider flexible working arrangements, and want to achieve the right balance for both our people and the firm. We encourage everyone to ask if they feel they need any workplace adjustments, and will do our best to support with these.
To find out more about our diversity and inclusion work, visit our website.
Seniority level
Mid‑Senior level
Employment type
Full‑time
Job function
Legal
Industries
Law Practice
Location
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
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