Solicitor - Employment

Smith Partnership; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days' annual leave

Birthday leave

Car parking

Smith Savings Scheme

Job summary

Smith Partnership is seeking a proactive employment lawyer to join our East Midlands team. The role offers hybrid working and a clear pathway to partnership for the right candidate.

You will advise on settlement agreements, support commercial practices, and develop strategies to grow our employment law practice while nurturing client relationships across a retained client base.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor with experience in employment law.
• Proven business development and client relationship skills.
• Excellent communication and negotiation abilities.
• Knowledge of both contentious and non-contentious matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide first-line support and representation to employer clients.
• Develop new clients through marketing and business development.
• Advise individuals on settlement agreements.
• Support other commercial practices with employment law expertise.
• Develop strategies to expand the employment law practice.
• Mentor colleagues to foster growth and performance.

Skills

Employment law

Business development

Client relationships

Communication

Negotiation

Team collaboration

Education

Solicitor qualification

Tools

Case management systems

Microsoft 365

Job description

Full Time - 9AM to 5PM (Monday to Friday)

Smith Partnership is a leading law firm in the East Midlands and Staffordshire, employing around 200 colleagues across 5 offices, who recently celebrated winning the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2026.

We are looking for a proactive and strategic employment lawyer to join our firm, with substantial opportunities for advancement.

The firm has a thriving employment law practice with a large quantity of retained commercial clients and an excellent reputation for providing quality service. The department also boasts an excellent reputation for providing settlement agreement advice to individuals.

We consider the role to be an amazing opportunity for an employment lawyer who wants to take the next step in their career. You would be coming into a department with an existing client base, an excellent reputation, and a great team. The role also provides for a clear pathway to partnership should this be desired.

The location for the role is flexible, with hybrid working available, and the potential to work out of any of our offices.

You will be providing first-line support and representation to our existing employer client base, developing new clients through marketing and business development initiatives, advising individuals on settlement agreements, and providing employment law support to our other commercial practices.

The role will include opportunities for developing and implementing strategies to expand and enhance the employment law practice; building strong relationships with clients and collaborating with our other commercial departments; and mentoring colleagues in the team to foster their own growth and professional development.

THE KEY REQUIREMENTS

• A qualified solicitor with experience in employment law
• Business development skills and client relationship management
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• Knowledge of both contentious and non-contentious employment matters
• A commitment to working within a collaborative and high-performance team culture
• Proficient IT skills, particularly case management systems and M365

THE BENEFITS AND PERKS

• 25 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays increasing on length of service
• Birthday leave
• Car parking
• Smith Savings Scheme for discounts at various retailers