Legal Counsel (Employment Law)
Our client are seeking a Legal Counsel to join a dynamic legal team, providing expert employment law advice across the UK and wider EMEA region. This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially minded lawyer who enjoys partnering with senior stakeholders, shaping employment policies, and navigating complex workplace issues within a regulated environment.
Reporting to the Head of Employment Law, you will play a key role in advising HR and business leaders on a broad range of employment law and employee relations matters. You will help ensure compliance, mitigate risk, and support the organisation's people agenda through practical, commercially focused legal guidance.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide expert employment law advice on employee relations matters across the UK, with support to wider EMEA offices as required.
- Advise HR teams and managers on complex employee issues including disciplinary, grievance, performance management, absence management and employment disputes.
- Support organisational change initiatives, including restructures, reorganisations and integrations.
- Draft, review and maintain employment-related documentation, policies, procedures and employee handbooks.
- Facilitate and manage external legal counsel where required, including employment litigation and tribunal matters.
- Advise on settlement agreements, negotiations and dispute resolution strategies.
- Identify employment-related risks and provide practical, commercially sound solutions.
- Deliver training and guidance to HR teams, managers and key stakeholders on employment law developments and employee relations best practice.
- Support the development of consistent employee relations processes, templates, guidance and frameworks.
- Monitor legislative developments and ensure policies and practices remain legally compliant and aligned with best practice.
- Contribute to governance committees, projects and wider business initiatives from an employment law perspective.
Requirements
- Qualified Solicitor, Barrister or equivalent legal professional.
- Approximately 2-4 years' post-qualification experience in employment law.
- Strong knowledge of UK employment law, with exposure to European employment law considered advantageous.
- Experience advising on complex employee relations matters, restructures, employment documentation and workplace policies.
- Background gained within a reputable law firm, in-house legal team, financial services organisation or similarly regulated environment.
- Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance legal risk and business objectives.
- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication abilities.
- Confident handling sensitive and challenging conversations.
- Ability to work independently while building strong collaborative relationships across the business.
- Experience within financial services or another regulated sector.
- Understanding of regulatory frameworks and their impact on employment practices.
- Experience supporting cross-border employment matters across the EMEA region.