Associate - Employment (Senior Level)

BIRD & BIRD; London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

BIRD & BIRD is seeking a senior level Associate to join their esteemed Employment team in London. In this pivotal role, you will advise on high-profile employment matters while collaborating closely with seasoned Partners. Ideal candidates will possess a strong background in complex employment issues and demonstrate exceptional legal capabilities, preparing you for a rewarding career in a dynamic, international environment.

Qualifications

• Experience handling complex employment matters in a high-level environment.
• Background in both advisory work and employment litigation.

Responsibilities

• Manage Employment Tribunal and High Court litigation.
• Provide strategic advice on business-critical employment issues.
• Coordinate complex cross-border projects and initiatives.

Skills

Complex employment matters

Negotiation skills

Client handling

Technical legal knowledge

Drafting skills

Education

Excellent academic achievement

Legal training in a City firm

Job description

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The opportunity

We are seeking an experienced senior level Associate to join our award-winning Employment team in London. This is a rare opportunity to work directly with all 6 Partners in the London group on high-profile, intellectually stimulating matters spanning employment litigation and strategic advisory work. The role offers exceptional exposure to market-leading clients and career-enhancing work across the full range of Bird & Bird's sectors, that will significantly advance your professional development.

The team

Our market-leading Employment team advises prestigious clients across both private and public sectors on their most complex and sensitive employment matters. We deliver strategic counsel on business-critical issues including: high-value cross-border projects; executive-level appointments and separations; high stakes and precedent-setting litigation in the Employment Tribunals and High Court; complex workforce restructuring; transformative outsourcing arrangements; innovative benefits and incentives programs; trade secret protection; and equality and diversity initiatives. Our London team comprises 6 highly-regarded Partners supported by 14 exceptional lawyers including a professional support lawyer, sitting within an international employment group of over 150 lawyers spanning EMEA and APAC.

What you'll do

In this role, you will work alongside our Partners on high-profile employment matters. You will handle sophisticated Employment Tribunal and High Court litigation, provide strategic advice on business-critical employment issues, and take a leading role in coordinating complex cross-border projects including large-scale restructurings and multinational compliance initiatives. Whilst full support and supervision is provided, senior lawyers are given the independence to manage their own caseload and this position offers exceptional client exposure, with opportunities to build and nurture key client relationships.The ideal candidate brings experience from an international law firm with a track record of excellence on sophisticated employment matters for clients operating at the cutting-edge of their industries. We value lawyers who deliver pragmatic, commercially astute advice that aligns with our clients' strategic objectives. You will have significant autonomy to shape your practice and will benefit from our established client base while having abundant opportunities to drive business development initiatives and build your own professional reputation in the market.

Your Profile & Expertise

Essential qualities & experience

• Excellent academic achievement.
• Solid legal training in a City firm environment.
• Experience of handling complex employment matters gained within a comparable environment and at an appropriate level. Experience of restrictive covenant injunctions and a range of employee competition and business protection issues would be helpful.
• Experience of general employment advisory work, employment litigation and transactional matters.
• A desire to be working for a truly international firm.
• A clear understanding of the operation and structure of a commercial law firm.

What Sets Our Top Performers Apart

• Flexibility, supporting cases across a broad range of Employment issues.
• The ability to manage aspects of complex matters and clients, with proven negotiation skills.
• Excellent technical legal knowledge and drafting skills.
• The ability to provide clear, precise, practical advice.
• The ability to use initiative and a confidence built upon solid success and achievements.
• The ability to liaise effectively with other fee earners from within the group, but also to liaise and coordinate with fee earners from other relevant disciplines and jurisdictions as required.
• Delegation and supervisory skills.
• Being keen to work in a challenging, team-based environment.
• The willingness and ability to support business development activity, creating and maintaining strong client relationships and identifying new business opportunities with new and existing clients.
• A commitment to regularly updating their own technical expertise and to achieve continuous improvement and development.
• The ability to contribute to the general upkeep and development of the group (whether that be training, precedents, or know-how generally).
• Excellent communication and client handling skills.

While the key responsibilities are outlined above, this role offers scope for growth and development based on your interests and strengths. Our collaborative culture means you will have opportunities to contribute across the firm's international platform. We operate with flexibility around our core hours of 9:30am- 5:30pm to accommodate client needs and your personal circumstances.