Associate / Senior Associate in Chelmsford

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals and over 600 staff based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

The team you will join

Our Employment Team sits within the wider Corporate Division. The team specialise in all aspects of employment law facing employers and HR professionals - from everyday operational challenges through to advising on strategic issues.

The team currently comprises of specialist qualified employment law solicitors, including partners, working across all offices, making us one of the larger employment teams across the East and South. We have the strength and depth of expertise to ensure we deliver the service you would expect in respect of technical quality, practical approach, and timeliness of advice.

Birketts’ Employment Team has experience in all areas of contentious and non-contentious employment law matters, representing clients from a broad range of public and private organisations as well as senior executives. We are proud to act for sector leading clients nationwide and some important and high-profile businesses and institutions across a number of key sectors.

Our employment advice is supplemented by a well-developed in-house employment client training offering (known as Shaping Excellence), an immigration team, an employee incentives group and Resolve, which consists of an HR consultancy service, a workplace investigations service and a team of accredited mediators.

The work you will be doing

• Providing employment law support on corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, TUPE transfers, outsourcing projects and business reorganisations.
• Advising large employer clients (250+ employees) on day-to-day HR and employment law issues, workforce management and strategic people-related projects.
• Managing Employment Tribunal litigation, including unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, breach of contract and other workplace claims.
• Advising on workplace investigations, including grievances, disciplinary matters, whistleblowing complaints and allegations of misconduct.
• Advising on the design, implementation and management of whistleblowing procedures, investigations and related regulatory and governance issues.
• Advising on disciplinary, grievance, capability, performance management, restructuring and redundancy processes.
• Acting for senior executives in relation to recruitment, service agreements, remuneration arrangements, exits, boardroom disputes and negotiated departures.
• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating employment contracts, executive service agreements, bonus arrangements, incentive plans and workplace policies.
• Advising on restrictive covenants, confidentiality obligations, team moves and the protection of business interests, including enforcement action where appropriate.
• Advising multinational organisations on international employment law issues, including cross-border employment matters, global workforce projects, international restructurings and the coordination of advice from overseas counsel.
• Conducting settlement negotiations and drafting settlement agreements on behalf of employers

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

What we are looking for

Birketts has designed a 'Talent Management Framework' which provides a career structure that will help us develop, retain and reward talented people. As an Associate, we typically expect candidates to have between 3-6 years PQE. As a Senior Associate, we typically expect candidates to have a minimum of 6 years PQE.

• Applies strong legal and commercial judgement, researches precedents effectively, and drafts complex documents with appropriate senior guidance
• Manages time recording, billing support and workload efficiently to meet financial targets and maximise fee recovery
• Actively supports business development through events, pitches and networking, building profile and identifying opportunities via firm and client relationships
• Delivers high-quality client service with minimal supervision, providing timely, accurate advice and demonstrating strong understanding of client needs and priorities
• Manages time reliably, communicates proactively, embraces feedback, and demonstrates a collaborative, adaptable and positive “can-do” approach
• Consistently meets compliance requirements by completing reviews and reports on time, adhering to risk management best practices, understanding Lexcel standards, and completing all mandatory training
• Strong attention to detail to produce work documentation which is consistently of a high standard
• Professional integrity and a commitment to providing excellent client service
• To be competent in using Microsoft Word, Excel, time recording software, case management, Outlook and digital dictation
• Any information provided in relation to PQE should be used for guidance only and will not be determinative in the recruitment decision. Applicants will be considered on their individual merits.

Hybrid Working

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. This role attracts a split of 60% office days and 40% working from home days per week.

We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.

As a Birketts colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits:

• Long Service holiday award - 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Dress for your Day Policy

You can find out more on our website: https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/

Inclusivity and Culture

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth.

Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.

If you require this advert in an accessible format, please visit https://diversityjobsgroup.com/company/birketts/

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

At Birketts, we recognise the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal profession and recruitment. We welcome innovation and understand that candidates may use AI tools to support their job applications. However, we expect all applicants to use AI responsibly and ethically.

Our expectations regarding AI use in applications:

• Your application should reflect your own voice, experiences, and insights. AI may assist in structuring or refining your responses, but it must not replace your personal input.
• Do not use AI to misrepresent your qualifications, experiences, and skills. Any form of exaggeration or fabrication may result in rejection from the process.
• If you have used AI tools to assist with your application, be prepared to discuss how and why you used them during the interview process.
• Do not submit content generated by AI tools that may include personal or sensitive data not intended for public disclosure.
• AI-generated content should be reviewed and edited by you to ensure accuracy, relevance, and alignment with the role and our firm’s values.

We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment practices. The use of AI should enhance, not compromise, your application. We encourage candidates to demonstrate critical thinking, commercial awareness, and a genuine interest in our firm.

If you have any questions about our expectations or the use of AI in your application, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team via talent@birketts.co.uk