Associate / Senior Associate

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 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: property, corporate services, litigation and private client advisory.

We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.

Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do.  RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 5th best law firm to work at in 2024.

With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 40% of our partnership.

Our vibrant, energetic Employment Team boasts some of the best lawyers in the business specialising in all aspects of employment law facing a company's board or the HR professional - from everyday operational challenges through to advising on strategic issues.

The team currently comprises over 30 specialist qualified employment law solicitors, including nine partners working across six offices, making us one of the larger employment teams in the country. 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 law 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 individuals and senior executives and 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.

Ranked 1 tier in Chambers and Legal 500, you will join a highly successful Employment team who is seeing consistent and continuous growth, and which works and collaborates closely as a supportive team of colleagues. Our employment advice is supplemented by a well-developed in-house employment client training offering, a HR consultancy service, a workplace investigations service, an employee incentives group, a team of accredited mediators and an immigration team.

Our office in Cambridge has a highly experienced and dynamic employment team and due to growth, we are now recruiting for an Associate or Senior Associate Solicitor ideally at 4+ years PQE or above.

Sectors in which we work include education, financial services, construction, transport and private client/agriculture, charities and public sector. Particular areas of expertise sought include:

• General employment issues ranging from maternity rights to general contractual issues.
• Drafting service agreements, contracts of employment and staff handbooks
• Drafting and reviewing employment policies ranging from performance, sickness, and misconduct procedures to maternity and parental leave schemes.
• Transactional corporate support work
• Wrongful and unfair dismissal
• Redundancy and restructuring
• Transfer of Undertakings
• Awareness of boardroom disputes and severance claims
• Employment litigation in the employment tribunal
• Discrimination (including sex, race, disability and age)
• Trade union work for employers.
• Professional Discipline and conduct, including advising professional conduct/fitness to practice panels.

The successful candidate will have an exceptional knowledge of the law yet be able to think commercially and analytically to provide accurate and practical advice to company clients, education, public sector and high net worth individual, which is tailored to their needs, with an ability to think clearly under pressure and write concisely. You will also be expected to play an active role in marketing and practice development as well as providing a prominent level of service to existing clients. 

Birketts has designed a career structure that will help us develop, retain, and reward talented people. Promotion is based on assessment of your performance, competency, and achievements. Our Talent Management Framework will see you at Associate level at 3-6 years PQE, a Senior Associate at 6+ years PQE, Legal Director at 8+ years PQE with the opportunity to be promoted to Partner over 10 years PQE.

This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated initiative-taker to join a successful and friendly team in our Cambridge office in a growing firm which enjoys an excellent reputation. 

We are looking to recruit an individual who has the drive and commitment to assist Birketts’ in the continued growth and development of our Employment practice and to become an essential core member of our team. You will be involved in a range of business development activities, including attending networking and other BD events, supporting on tenders/pitches, and drafting sector-relevant articles for our own and external publications.

The role offers future career progression opportunities for the right candidate who demonstrates a strong business case during their career.

• 4 years+ PQE gained within a strong regional, national or city firm.
• Interest in and aptitude for business development and growth opportunities.
• A strong drive to produce work/documentation which is consistently of a high standard.
• To have a flexible approach to work to ensure client deadlines are always met and clients are communicated with on a consistent and regular basis.
• Knowledge of clientele within Cambridgeshire/Hertfordshire and the surrounding area and nationally.

We are committed to recruiting individuals on merits of suitability for each role, on the basis of qualifications and experience. All applications are treated fairly and equally regardless of sexual orientation, race, disability, religious beliefs and any other protected characteristic, ensuring that there are equal opportunities at all stages of the recruitment process.

Benefits

One of the best things about joining Birketts is our rewards package. At Birketts we are appreciative of the people who work for us and our rewards package is reviewed regularly to reflect that. A competitive salary and benefits package is given but you can also expect a great team and supportive colleagues, a strong focus on diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities, a programme of wellbeing and mental health support and structured career development and study support.

https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/

• 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays rising with service. (Senior Associate 30 days)
• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare - BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share / Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance   - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Season Ticket Loan
• Gym Flex membership
• Electric car scheme
• Dress for your Day Policy
• Agile Working Policy
• 35 hour working week

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. 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.