Senior Associate / Legal Director (Employment Law)
Are you an ambitious senior Employment Lawyer with a passion for respondent-focused work, looking for a genuinely flexible and supportive environment?
We are representing a leading, independent law firm, based in the vibrant city of Leeds. Their acclaimed Employment Law team is one of the largest in the region, boasting 30 talented individuals. They advise a diverse client base, predominantly on the respondent side, ranging from large corporations to SMEs, across a wide array of contentious and non-contentious employment issues.
The Opportunity
We’re looking for an experienced Senior Associate or Legal Director to join their thriving Employment Law team. This is a pivotal role where you’ll be instrumental in handling a complex caseload, primarily focusing on respondent matters, including a significant proportion of tribunal claims. You’ll also play a crucial part in their team’s development by mentoring and supervising our junior lawyers.
This is more than just a job; it’s an opportunity to shape your career in a firm that truly values work-life balance and professional growth.
What You’ll Be Doing:
* Managing a challenging and varied caseload of employment law matters, with a strong emphasis on respondent-side advisory and litigation work, including complex tribunal claims.
* Mentoring, supervising, and developing junior lawyers within the team, fostering their growth and ensuring high-quality client service.
* Providing strategic, commercially astute advice to a diverse range of clients on issues such as redundancies, reorganisations, discrimination claims, unfair dismissal, TUPE, restrictive covenants, and drafting comprehensive employment documentation.
* Actively participating in business development initiatives, networking, and contributing to the firm’s reputation.
* Collaborating closely with our Corporate and Litigation teams on multidisciplinary projects.
About You:
* You’ll be a highly accomplished Employment Lawyer with a minimum of 8 years’ Post-Qualified Experience (PQE), primarily focusing on respondent employment law.
* You have a proven track record of handling complex tribunal claims and providing strategic advice to employers.
* Experience in mentoring or supervising junior legal professionals is essential.
* You possess excellent technical legal skills, commercial acumen, and strong client relationship management abilities.
* You’re a proactive, solutions-oriented individual with strong communication and interpersonal skills.
* A keen interest in business development and contributing to the growth of the team.
What They Offer – A Truly Flexible & Supportive Environment:
They offer a market-leading package that prioritises your well-being and professional development:
* Competitive Salary & Generous Bonus Scheme: Enjoy a highly competitive salary, regularly reviewed to reflect your expertise, complemented by a truly generous bonus scheme.
* Low Chargeable Hours Targets: They believe in quality over quantity, offering sensible and achievable chargeable hours targets that promote a healthy work-life balance.
* Exceptional Work-Life Balance:
o Family-Friendly & Flexible Working: they are genuinely family-friendly and support flexible working. You could work part-time hours (e.g., 4 days over 5), allowing you to manage personal commitments like school pickups or dog walks.
o Hybrid Working from Day 1: Benefit from their established hybrid working model. They’d ideally like you in the office around 2 days a week, with the rest from home.
o Collaborative Office Environment: They host monthly in-person meetings and regular socials to foster team cohesion.
* Generous Annual Leave: Start with 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to buy an extra week.
* Sabbatical Scheme: After 3 years, you can accrue an additional 4 weeks of leave, which you can take alongside 2 weeks of your annual holiday as 6 weeks of paid sabbatical leave.
* Pension Scheme: They offer a strong pension scheme with an 8% firm contribution at Director level.
* Health & Wellness: Comprehensive Private Medical Insurance (PMI).
* Sustainable Travel: Access to Electric Car Schemes.
Ready to Make Your Mark?
If you’re an experienced Employment Lawyer seeking a challenging yet balanced role within a highly reputable, Legal 500 law firm that genuinely prioritises its people, we encourage you to apply.
To take the next step, please submit your CV to: clairecox@baileyhunter.com.