Senior Associate, Employment in Birmingham

The Vacancy

About the Team

Fieldfisher's Employment team is recognised for delivering pragmatic, commercially focused advice to a diverse client base ranging from multinational organisations and household brands to fast-growing businesses. Working closely with clients across a broad range of sectors, the team advises on the full spectrum of employment law matters, including complex workplace disputes, strategic people issues, business restructurings, cross-border employment matters, and employment aspects of corporate transactions. Known for its collaborative approach and strong client relationships, the team combines technical excellence with a practical understanding of the challenges facing modern employers. Joining the team offers the opportunity to work on high-profile matters alongside the opportunity to work with leading employment lawyers across our European network.

Role Purpose

Our career development drivers set out what professionals are expected to demonstrate at each level of development. In this role, the Senior Associate will be expected to contribute across the following areas:

• Business & Financial Management: Contributes to the negotiation of profitable fee levels for a variety of clients.
• Client Focus: Able to work on large client matters with limited supervision.
• Working with People & Teams: Delegates work to more junior colleagues and manages their performance and manages upwards effectively by making best use of partner/director time.
• Business Development: Project manages BD activities and uses interaction to win new work from existing clients and contacts.
• Technical Skills: Has a comprehensive knowledge of specialist areas of law and recognises where changes in law may require amendments to precedents and takes action.
• Knowledge & Innovation: Successfully implements knowledge sharing initiatives within the team and client base and actively seeks publication or speaking opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Casework & Advisory Support: Deliver for clients on employment litigation, including preparing ET3s, drafting schedules/counter schedules of loss, undertaking legal research and supporting advocacy preparations.
• Manage workplace investigations, including fact-gathering, document review and drafting investigation reports.
• Contribute to advisory matters such as disciplinary/grievance processes, redundancies, TUPE, employment status and senior exits.
• Lead on larger transactions and cases.
• Assist and lead transformation projects including restructuring, outsourcing and organisational change programmes, including preparing consultation materials and supporting project management.

Client Interaction & Communication

• Draft clear, commercially relevant advice.
• Lead client calls and meetings, helping to prepare agendas, documents and follow up notes.

Business Development & Team Contribution

• Contribute towards business development strategy of the team by preparing briefing papers, attending and presenting at client seminars and developing their own contacts within organisations.
• Help build client relationships through responsive, professional communication.

Additional Responsibilities

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales or another common law jurisdiction with strong relevant experience in respondent employment law.
• Significant post-qualification experience with 6-9 years PQE within a leading international law firm or comparable in-house environment. Experience and awareness of regulatory changes affecting financial institutions.
• Good understanding of employment law fundamentals, with proven expertise in areas such as restructuring, investigations and litigation.
• An ability to think laterally and identify related issues and problems. A proactive, organised and commercially aware approach, with a willingness to learn and take on responsibility.
• Confident communicator and strong client‐facing confidence.
• Supervise and mentor junior lawyers and trainees, supporting their professional development.
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships through excellent service delivery and responsiveness.
• Contribute to business development initiatives including pitches, client presentations, publications, and industry events.
• Drive efficient matter management, financial discipline, and delivery against budgets and timelines.
• Collaborate effectively across international offices and practice groups.
• Support innovation, process improvement, and knowledge management initiatives within the practice.
• Ensure compliance with professional standards, firm policies, and regulatory obligations.

About You

The ideal candidate will be a technically strong and commercially minded lawyer who thrives in a collaborative, market facing and high-performing environment. They will demonstrate excellent communication skills, consistent technical excellence and sound commercial judgement, along with the ability to manage complex matters while building trusted relationships with clients and colleagues.

Experience and Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales or another common law jurisdiction with strong relevant experience.
• Significant post-qualification experience with 4+ years PQE within a leading international law firm or comparable in-house environment. Strong experience advising on derivatives, structured products, and financial markets transactions.
• Strong technical understanding of financial services regulation affecting derivatives markets.
• Excellent drafting, negotiating documentation, managing transactions end-to-end, and analytical skills. Displays resilience and the ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively under pressure with the ability to think laterally and solve complex problems.
• Delivers work efficiently while maintaining exceptional quality standards.
• Demonstrates ability to mentor junior team members and contribute to team development.
• Commercial awareness and a proactive approach to client service and business development.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills with the ability to contribute positively to team culture, promoting inclusion and collaboration effectively across global teams.

What do we offer?

• You can be yourself: It takes everyone to make us who we are. We're a culture of diverse perspectives, with each of us making unique contributions that make us better together.
• In the office or WFH?: We think the best balance is more time in the office than at home, so we operate a 60:40 rule.
• Beyond salary: We offer plenty of benefits; private medical insurance, health cash plan, dental insurance, life assurance, critical illness insurance, matched pension contributions up to 7%, holiday trading, plus many more.
• Nurturing your talent: Take a 'build a career' approach to your training. You'll be on a pathway but free to wander if you see something you'd like to study more closely.
• Funnel your interests: You have a life outside work, and we can help it to flourish. Join clubs, affinity networks, inclusive events, and pro bono/charity initiatives.

Inclusion at Fieldfisher

At Fieldfisher, inclusion is central to how we work. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported and able to succeed.

If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process or once you join us, we will work with you to put the right support in place.

What to do next: Click 'Apply Now', complete an online application and upload a CV. Successful applications will be invited to a 20–30-minute introductory call with a recruiter.

We recruit on a rolling basis. Your application may be reviewed before the application deadline. We accept applications until we have filled the role.

The Firm

We are not a UK firm with offices in Europe. We are a European law firm at our core. While our HQ is London, we are spreading across Europe at pace. In addition to UK, China and Silicon Valley we have offices in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. With 1,800 people across 28 offices across 14 countries you might expect an impersonal office culture, but you will find a homely, family feel even in the largest offices.

Quality on both sides: Across all our offices and jurisdictions are market-leading practices in corporate/M&A, finance, real estate, energy and natural resources, technology and life sciences. We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and are actively working towards improving the diversity of our staff. Applications will be considered on merit and the applicant's suitability to meet the requirements of the role.

Benefits: Generous annual leave, health insurance, pension contributions.