Senior Associate

Join to apply for the Senior Associate role at Lewis Silkin. Successful businesses rely on a unique set of ideas and people. We help our clients protect and develop those vital assets, unlocking possibilities for future success. From iconic brands and leading multinationals to pioneering start‑ups, we are proud to work with a huge range of inspiring clients, helping them to turn their ideas into reality and get the best from both their people and their businesses.

Our people are exceptional at what they do, they also enjoy doing it and consistently give their best to a firm they’re proud to be part of. This stems from our firm culture and ethos of bravery and kindness, which run through everything we do – from recruitment to day‑to‑day practice, from DEI activities to client relationships. With an internationally minded team of more than 700 working across key areas of law and strategic partnerships around the world, we bring the right combination of legal expertise to enable our clients’ businesses to thrive.

About the Employment team: Consistently top‑ranked among our peers for over two decades, we advise UK and multinational clients of all sizes. Our Partners are independently rated as leaders in the field. We have the largest employment team in the UK and a truly global reach as members of Ius Laboris, the world’s leading employment law alliance, with bases in Hong Kong and Dublin. We help clients realise the potential of their people and navigate strategic HR and legal issues, with specialists in all areas of employment law and a record of pioneering precedent‑setting cases.

• General employment – day‑to‑day queries such as disciplinaries, grievances, contracts and policies, flexible working, maternity rights, discrimination, and support on restructuring and redundancies.
• Employment litigation – defending Employment Tribunal claims against employers and pursuing high‑value claims on behalf of individuals, with mediation and arbitration support.
• High Court litigation – restrictive covenants, team moves, injunctions, and misuse of confidential information.
• Trade unions/collective – advising on industrial action, consultation, union recognition, and works councils.
• Transactional support – employment aspects of M&A, divestments and outsourcing (including due diligence and TUPE).
• Atypical working – agency workers, zero‑hour contracts, status, apprenticeships, the gig economy.
• Global mobility – relocation support covering employment, immigration, and tax.
• Reward – employment tax, incentive plans, shares and options.
• Health & safety – policy implementation, risk assessments, and legal obligations.
• Senior executives – high‑value litigation, bonus/breach of contract claims, and exit advice.
• Irish employment law – all aspects of Irish employment law.
• Northern Irish employment law – all aspects of Northern Irish employment law.
• Hong Kong employment law – all aspects of Hong Kong employment law and coordination across Asia Pacific.
• International employment support – coordinating single‑country matters and global projects.

About the role: We have detailed career benchmarks that outline what will be expected at each level of professional development.

• Providing technical legal expertise – continually build on current knowledge and proactively improve advising skills.
• Delivering excellent service – analyse legal information to solve problems, formulate relevant arguments or strategy, and manage work with independent initiative, providing timely updates to stakeholders.
• Building relationships – develop positive working relationships with colleagues, collaborate respectfully and professionally.
• Developing our business – understand the firm’s goals and clients, and contribute to building and maintaining client relationships and prospects.

About you: 5–8 years post‑qualification experience in an employment team. Deep technical knowledge across the employment areas listed. Excellent drafting, analytical, communication skills and strong attention to detail. Comfortable taking responsibility for autonomous work and interacting directly with clients. Experience supervising junior lawyers is helpful. Examples of marketing and business development initiatives. Experience acting for employer clients on general advisory and litigation work is preferred. Team player keen to support others and to develop personal skills.

At Lewis Silkin our ethos is simple – deliver the best for our clients, our people, and communities. We recognise that an inclusive workplace fosters diverse ideas and perspectives, delivering innovative service. We are committed to supporting candidates throughout recruitment, providing adjustments where needed, and encouraging application from all who qualify. All applicants will be considered equally and fairly. If you’d like to request adjustments or discuss flexible working, email the recruitment team in confidence (recruitment@lewissilkin.com).

Location: City Of London, England, United Kingdom