Associate - Employment

Join a leading national Employment, Pensions and Immigration practice, ranked Tier 1 in both Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500. Our Newcastle team is part of a larger Northern powerhouse, working closely with Leeds and Manchester to deliver seamless service to clients regionally and nationally.

We act for a broad range of employers, including household-name corporates, public sector bodies, and independent health organisations. The team handles around 1,000 Employment Tribunal claims a year, offering exposure to high-quality contentious and non-contentious work across sectors such as health, social care, charities, telecommunications, marine, retail, logistics, and insurers.

We are seeking an additional Associate to join our Newcastle team as it continues to expand. The team currently comprises 2 Partners, 18 lawyers, a Graduate Solicitor Apprentice, and 6 paralegal and administrative colleagues.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake a busy and varied caseload of employment matters, advising employers in a variety of sectors.
• Progress and manage a wide range of client matters, both contentious and non-contentious.
• Work on complex dismissal, discrimination, and whistleblowing litigation with appropriate supervision.
• Assist on non-contentious projects, including organisational change processes.
• Provide general employment advisory support by telephone and email.
• Manage own matters, time, and client relationships with minimal supervision.
• Supervise and support the development of trainees, apprentices, and paralegals.
• Contribute to business development, including client seminars, pitches, and marketing initiatives.
• Maintain technical knowledge through training and continuous professional development.
• Support colleagues as needed, including progressing matters in their absence and contributing to CRM activities.
• Monitor and manage own financial performance, including billing, credit control, and client service agreements.
• Handle confidential data in line with our data security protocols.

About You

• Qualified solicitor with at least 4 years' PQE (stronger candidates with different experience levels may be considered).
• Experience from a respondent-focused practice, able to manage own caseload with minimal supervision.
• Proven tribunal and other contentious litigation experience.
• Non-contentious experience, ideally including TUPE, organisational change, and collective consultation, plus a broad general advisory background.
• Experience with large institutional employers in regulated sectors (e.g., health, public sector, PLCs) is advantageous.
• Good academic record and a solid grounding in employment law.

• Qualified solicitor with at least 4 years' PQE (stronger candidates with different experience levels may be considered).
• Experience from a respondent-focused practice.
• Proven tribunal and other contentious litigation experience.
• Non-contentious experience, including TUPE, organisational change, collective consultation, and general advisory work.
• Experience with large institutional employers in regulated sectors (e.g., health, public sector, PLCs) is advantageous.
• Good academic record.