Firm Profile
gunnercooke is a Top 75 law firm recognised by over 80 industry awards. Launched in 2010, the firm has rapidly grown to over 500 lawyers across 14 global offices in the UK, US, Germany and Austria. Our breadth of expertise covers some of the most interesting and important emerging disciplines, from ESG and charity law, to blockchain and competition.
Collaboration is at the forefront of our award-winning culture and is what sets our firm apart from the rest. gunnercooke operates as a fee share model meaning our professionals join as self-employed advisors, free to design and develop the practice they’ve always wanted. Our firm brings together the most ambitious and commercially minded people, who build and work in dynamic teams of their choosing, to best suit their clients’ needs.
Our purpose is simple; to deliver a positive impact for our clients, provide a better life for our people and to leave a better world than we found. Our charitable arm, the gunnercooke foundation, enables us to directly engage with communities on social issues and to help charitable organisations grow.
The Role
We are looking for an Employment Solicitor NQ - 3 years PQE to join our reputable Employment Partner in central London.
This is an exciting opportunuity for a junior lawyer to take the next step in their career and join a reputable team headed up by an Employment law Partner with 30 years of experience in the industry.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to develop into a strong technical employment lawyer, you will have the opportunity to get involved in a varied case load, developing your networking and overall professional acumen skills.
The role encompasses all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law including: exit packages, internal grievances and disciplinaries, litigating matters in the employment tribunal and civil courts, partnership agreements, management of employees on team moves, permanent health insurance, unfair dismissal, discrimination, harassment, whistleblowing, victimisation, post termination restrictive covenants, injunctive relief, contracts of employment, service agreements, employment law due diligence on corporate acquisitions, shareholder disputes and much more. The client base comprises of senior exits up to £3 million and a company client retainer base with turnovers of up to 8 billion euros.
Main responsibilities include:
* Assisting a team of employment lawyers.
* Handle a mixed caseload of contentious and non-contentious employment law.
* Demonstrate commercial awareness.
* Uphold a collaborative working environment.
* Providing end-to-end technical support on employment matters.
* Drafting and advising upon settlement agreements.
* Assisting with day-to-day queries relating to grievance and discipline.
* Employment law corporate support work working with the firm’s busy corporate team.
* Reviewing and preparing contracts of employment.
* Involvement in all preparatory steps in a tribunal (no advocacy is expected)
* Exposure to TUPE and post-termination restrictions.
* Team moves
* Shareholder disputes.
* Employment law due diligence on corporate acquisitions.
Essential Experience:
* You will be a qualified Solicitor in England & Wales
* You will be Newly Qualified - 3 years PQE (more senior applications may be accepted).
* Experience handling a mix of contentious and non-contentious employment matters
Desirable experience:
* Employment law experience gained at a top 200 firm
* Applicants should ideally have a 2:1 degree or above from a UK university; a degree from a Russell Group university is advantageous.
(More junior applications of paralegals, may be considered provided considerable experience within Employment law)
What else are we looking for:
* Commercial awareness and negotiating skills.
* Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
* Accuracy and strong attention to detail.
* Ability to build strong rapport and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients and colleagues at all levels.
* Strong IT skills (specifically Outlook, Microsoft Excel/Word, and Data Rooms).
* Ability to plan work and prioritise tasks.
This role is an excellent role for someone who wants to springboard their career and join a progressive environment working alongside like-minded lawyers.
For immediate consideration, apply now, or send your CV and covering letter to legalvacancies@gunnercooke.com