Employment Senior Associate/Salaried Partner

Clarke Willmott; United States; Hybrid; USD 119,000 - 159,000; Full time

Job summary

Clarke Willmott's Employment team is seeking an experienced Employment Lawyer to join our Southampton office, part of a national practice headed by Marc Long. The role offers hybrid working from home and office, with support from a busy team across Bristol, Taunton, Manchester, Southampton and Birmingham.

You will handle a broad mix of disputes and advisory work for corporate employers, with opportunities to develop business through seminars, articles and Networking while contributing to a

Qualifications

• Approximately 6+ years post-qualification employment law experience.
• Experience handling disputes and advisory work for employers.
• Strong drafting, research, and advisory skills.
• Able to manage cases from inception to final hearing.
• Interest in business development and growing the practice.

Responsibilities

• Support corporate employer clients in disputes and advisory matters.
• Handle high-value, complex employment matters.
• Engage in business development and seminars/networking.
• Draft contracts, policies, and settlement agreements.
• Ensure compliance with firm policies and information security.

Skills

Team player

Business development

Client advisory

Drafting & research

Organizational skills

Commercial awareness

Education

Qualified Solicitor / Barrister in England and Wales

Tools

Microsoft Word

Case management systems

Job description

Employment Senior Associate/Salaried Partner

Date: 2026-10-09

Location

• Taunton
• Somerset
• GB
• TA1 4
• Work From Home

Company

Clarke Willmott

Application Deadline: 2027-01-08

Additional Details

• Careers Site Advertising End Date: Not Specified
• Internal Advertising End Date: Not Specified
• All Locations: Southampton
• Team: Employment Department
• Vacancy Type: Permanent
• Role: Qualified Lawyer

About the Role

Our Employment team is seeking an experienced Employment Lawyer to join our Southampton office. The national team is headed by Marc Long with support from four other partners. Our Employment & HR team operates from Bristol, Taunton, Manchester, Southampton and Birmingham, providing a full range of services primarily to corporate clients.

Who We Are

You'll be joining a national law firm that enjoys a strong reputation, made possible by our exceptional people - each chosen for their industry knowledge and passion for their field. We want to help you to reach your full potential, love the work you do and deliver the best results for your clients. It's our goal to make you feel great about working with us, and we work hard to cultivate a culture that makes it easy for you to stay with us for many years.

We work flexibly and you'll be empowered to work where you do your best work, balancing your individual needs with the need for us to engage as teams and deliver excellent client service. Most of our people choose to work in a hybrid fashion, working from home and attending our offices on occasion. Our offices are in Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton, and Taunton.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

You will be involved in a broad mix of contentious and non-contentious work primarily supporting our corporate employer clients, but we do act for some senior executives and claimants. Your time will be split between disputes and general advisory work with some corporate support work from time to time. The contentious caseload can be complex with high value claims and, as such, you will have the opportunity to gain expertise on technically and strategically challenging matters.

You will have a significant influence on how you want your experience and expertise to develop and you will be strongly encouraged and supported to get involved in business development work, taking an active role in seminars and networking events in addition to drafting guidance and articles. You will also benefit from the support and resources of the larger national team.

Career Development

We want to invest in your career and help you to become a recognised expert in your own right, so you will have plenty of opportunity for one-to-one development and encouragement from the wider team. We will ensure that you are involved in a high level of client contact and responsibility. It is an integral part of this role that you comply with information security and all firm policies and procedures.

Candidate Profile

• Approximately 6+ PQE
• Good experience of handling wide-ranging employment law, HR matters, and Tribunal cases for employers.
• Experience in managing cases from inception through to final hearing.
• Experience in managing and complying with directions, including detailed discovery exercises and witness statement preparation.
• Advising clients on day-to-day employment issues, including disciplinary proceedings, grievances, redundancies, and discrimination issues.
• Experience in preparing contracts of employment, policies/handbooks, and advising on settlement agreements.
• Some employment-based data protection work.
• Excellent team player capable of working with solicitors to provide commercial solutions.
• Interested in business development and growing the practice.
• Solid drafting, research, and advisory skills.
• Practical and commercially minded advice with excellent client care and organizational skills.
• Non-contentious/corporate support skills are a plus but guidance and support will be provided over time.

Why Join Us

Working with Clarke Willmott will feel different from other law firms. We thrive on individual differences and diversity, united by shared values and mutual respect. You will feel empowered, valued, and free to be yourself in a safe and supportive environment.

Our mission is to help you realize your full potential while maintaining a positive work-life balance. We offer a comprehensive learning and development programme and a competitive salary. We expect the best from our people and appreciate the extra effort. In return, your dedication will be rewarded with flexible benefits.

Hear from our team members about what life at Clarke Willmott is really like to see if it’s the right fit for you.