Associate/Senior Associate - Employment - London

The role

We are looking for an employment law solicitor to join the NSL in our London office. 

You will undertake a broad mix of contentious and non-contentious work for our commercial clients, which include Olympus, Mitsubishi Electric, Aveva Group Plc and BAM Nuttall. Our client base includes start-ups up to FTSE 250 listed clients. You would also help other areas of the London office and wider firm on corporate support and outsourcing.

The Employment team in London has forged a compelling reputation and has a track record of handling many complex employment cases, many of which are high value, across a ranges of sectors. The team has made great strides in developing the same quality practice focused on technology, life science and mid-market business for which Mills & Reeve is a leading national firm.  We also have a growing financial services practice.

At this level, you will be expected to perform as follows: 

Client service 

• Deliver outstanding client service to both internal and external clients to encourage client retention and referrals 
• Have a sound understanding of clients’ legal, commercial and service requirements 
• Have effective client relationship and client service skills 

Technical excellence 

• Have strong technical competence and legal knowledge in employment law 
• Deliver high quality and commercially focussed advice 
• Conduct advocacy 
• Deliver training to clients and target clients 
• Carry out supervision of junior lawyers  

The team

The London team is part of the cross-office Employment, Pensions and Immigration NSL of over 75 lawyers (which is headed by David Mills and supported by two professional support lawyers.  There are monthly cross-office NSL training sessions delivered by our professional support lawyers, together with cross-office and sector away days.

In joining our London offering, you will be part of a fast-growing team that continues to develop. You will have the opportunity to work alongside our London partner,  Andrew Secker (who is also head of the London office), and the team and be part of our exciting growth plans.

The team is a key part of the growing full service offering from our London office, which has experienced over 20% growth for the last two years. Our city practice has a particular in technology, life sciences, insurance, private wealth and real estate investment.

The person

You will have 2 - 5years’ employment experience gained in a reputable firm with a substantive employment law practice.   

Skills and attributes

Given the nature of this role, it is likely that your background and experience will include the following:

Essential 

• Degree or equivalent & A levels or equivalent 
• Clear enthusiasm for employment law 
• Excellent written drafting skill 
• Excellent presentational skills 
• Self-starting with common sense and initiative, and ability to work as a team-player working on complex matters 
• Very good time and documentation management skills 
• Keen attention to detail 
• Ability to lead on Employment Tribunal matters and run matters with minimal supervision 
• Ability to supervise and assist more junior lawyers 
• Ability to build very good relationships with clients, potential clients and multipliers 
• Very good research skills, including an ability to use online information sources 
• Excellent interpersonal and team skills, including ability to work with others, influence and persuade 
• Keen interest in developing client training skills 
• High level of IT skills 
• Marketing and business development skills 

Desirable 

• Experience of advising financial services businesses on including SMRC and conduct rules issues as well as on remuneration rules; 

• Experience of advising on restrictive covenant disputes and team moves; and 

• A track record of building a network of contacts with clients and other multipliers (such as participation in an ongoing network or group). 

• Language skills (Spanish, French or German) 

What else should I know?

Mills & Reeve is a major UK law firm renowned for its outstanding service to national and international clients, for its collaborative culture and for its deep sector expertise.

The firm has a strong sector focus with expertise in agriculture, charities, education, food and beverage, health, insurance, private wealth, real estate investment, sport and technology. Clients include businesses from PLCs to start-ups, high net worth individuals and landowners, more than 120 universities, colleges and education bodies and over 100 healthcare organisations.

This is an ideal opportunity to build your skills and experience with a major UK law firm, listed as one of the “Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For” for the last 20 years - the only law firm to achieve this.

We are also proud to have been awarded Platinum Investors in People status this year.  The firm joins a select club of only 6% of 50,000 assessed organisations awarded the coveted platinum status.

The firm is also delighted to report for the eighth year running we were named as one of Roll On Friday’s ‘best law firms to works at’.

Pre-employment screening

Please note that, in the event that we make an offer for a role, we will conduct pre-employment screening that includes, but is not limited to, a basic DBS check, right to work check, any disciplinary history recorded with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role.  A full policy of the screening the firm undertakes is available on request.

Disclosure and barring service check and security clearance

This post is also subject to a satisfactory response from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) (to check for any previous criminal convictions and cautions) and, given the nature of the work-type, you may also be required to undergo national security vetting to SC level – the latter can be undertaken following commencement of employment. 

And finally

Mills & Reeve is committed to building a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive environment in which all our people can thrive. We hire people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our firm stronger, and we have a collaborative culture that celebrates different perspectives and values respect for one another, working together, and openness and integrity. Our approach to flexible working means that we work in a way that achieves the right balance for our people, our clients and for our business.