Employment Associate/Senior Associate - Cardiff

We have an exciting opportunity for a talented and ambitious Employment Lawyer to join our thriving Cardiff office. This is a chance to become part of a dynamic, nationally recognised team working on high‑quality, complex matters for a diverse client base. If you’re looking to take the next step in your career, deepen your expertise, and play a visible role in a growing practice, this role offers both challenge and opportunity in equal measure.

The national team is headed by Marc Long with support from five other partners. Our Employment & HR team operates from Bristol, Cardiff, Taunton, Manchester, Southampton and Birmingham, providing a full range of services primarily to corporate clients.

Day to day, you’ll be successful in this role by:

• You will be involved in a broad mix of contentious and non‑contentious work primarily supporting our corporate employer clients, but we do act for some senior executives and claimants.
• Your time will be split between disputes and general advisory work with additional corporate support work.
• Our general advisory work allows us to advise on challenging and complex issues for our longstanding clients across all sectors.
• The contentious caseload can be complex with high value claims and, as such, you will have the opportunity to gain expertise on technically and strategically challenging matters.
• You will have a significant influence on how you want your experience and expertise to develop and you will be strongly encouraged and supported to get involved in business development work, taking an active role in seminars and networking events in addition to drafting guidance and articles.
• You will also benefit from the support and resources of the larger national team.
• We want to invest in your career and help you to become a recognised expert in your own right, so you will have plenty of opportunity for one‑to‑one development and encouragement from the wider team.
• We will ensure that you are involved in a high level of client contact and responsibility.
• It is an integral part of this role that you comply with information security and all firm policies and procedures.

This role is right for you if:

• You will be circa 6+ PQE.
• You will have good experience of handling wide ranging employment law, HR matters and tribunal cases for employers.
• You will have ready experience of advising clients on day to day employment issues, including disciplinary proceedings, grievances, redundancies and discrimination issues.
• You will have good experience of preparing contracts of employment, policies/handbooks and preparing and advising on settlement agreements.
• There is the opportunity to assist with some employment‑based data protection work.
• You will have assisted and prepared cases from their inception through to final hearing.
• You will be experienced in managing and complying with directions, including detailed discovery exercises and witness statement preparation.
• You will be an excellent team player capable of working with our solicitors in providing commercial solutions to our clients’ issues.
• You will be interested in business development and growing the practice and supporting the partners to do so.
• You will have developed solid drafting, research and advisory skills.
• Whether acting for claimants or respondents you will be able to demonstrate that your advice is practical and commercially minded, with excellent client care and organisational skills.
• Non‑contentious/corporate support skills would also be useful but guidance and support on these matters would be given to you over time.

A career at Clarke Willmott will feel different to other law firms. We thrive on our individual differences and diversity because as a team, we are united by our shared values and mutual respect. Working with us you will feel empowered, valued and free to be yourself in a safe and supportive environment. Our mission is to help you realise your full potential whilst maintaining a positive work‑life balance. We provide a comprehensive learning and development programme and a competitive salary. We expect the best from our people and the occasional extra mile. In return, your dedication and commitment to the continued success of the firm will be rewarded with a comprehensive range of flexible benefits.