Employment Associate

Join our Employment, Pensions and Immigration team in Liverpool and advise employers across the UK on the full range of employment law issues. You will work with a varied client base, including some of the UK’s largest and most recognisable organisations, and contribute to complex, high-value and strategically important matters.

The role offers a broad mix of contentious and advisory work, from complex Employment Tribunal claims to day-to-day HR support. You will be encouraged to develop your own client relationships, technical expertise with regular supervision, feedback and access to experienced colleagues. You will have scope to take on greater responsibility and shape your development in line with your strengths and career ambitions.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Managing a varied caseload of employment matters allocated with regard to your experience and development, supported by regular supervision and collaboration with colleagues.
• Working directly with key clients to provide clear, practical and commercially focused employment law advice that supports confident decision-making.
• Collaborating with colleagues across the team on complex and strategically important matters, sharing knowledge and contributing to consistently high-quality client service.
• Drafting high-quality legal and client-facing documents, including correspondence, Employment Tribunal responses and pleadings, bundles, witness statements and reports.
• Building your profile, with support from the team, by contributing to articles, legal updates and practical client-facing materials in areas that interest you.
• Taking part in supported opportunities to strengthen client relationships, including training delivery, client engagement, networking and other business development activities appropriate to your experience.
• Advocacy experience is welcome, but not essential. If you would like to develop your advocacy or public speaking skills, you will have access to practical opportunities, preparation support and constructive feedback to help you build confidence.
• Delivering a responsive and reliable service in line with client commitments, internal standards and the firm’s values, policies and procedures.
• Contributing to the success of the team through fair and transparent individual and team financial, service and performance objectives, supported by regular conversations about workload, priorities and development.
• The role will continue to evolve, and you may also take on other responsibilities that are consistent with its wider scope and your development.

About You

• UK-qualified lawyer, typically with 3+ years’ post-qualification experience or equivalent relevant experience. Applications are welcomed from candidates who can demonstrate the skills to succeed in the role, even if their experience does not follow a conventional route.
• Experience of employment law gained through contentious, advisory or a combination of work, together with strong legal research and drafting skills and close attention to detail.
• Ability to analyse complex legal and factual issues and translate them into practical, actionable and commercially focused advice.
• An interest in how legal technology and innovation can improve client service and the way legal work is delivered.
• A collaborative approach to sharing knowledge and making effective use of the team’s tools, resources and precedents.
• A practical and creative approach to solving problems and turning ideas into effective solutions for clients and colleagues.
• A clear, confident and adaptable communication style, with the ability to build trusted relationships.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, take ownership of work and meet deadlines.
• Curiosity, sound judgement and a genuine willingness to learn and engage with both legal and people-related issues.
• Confidence in using technology and an openness to adopting new tools and ways of working.