The Newcastle team currently comprises 2 Partners, 18 lawyers, a Graduate Solicitor Apprentice and 6 paralegal and administrative colleagues. To support the continued expansion, we are seeking an additional Associate to join the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake a busy and varied workload of employment matters advising employers in a variety of sectors, including health and social care, charities, telecommunications, marine, retail, logistics and acting for insurers.
• Progress and manage a wide variety of client matters both contentious and non-contentious
• Work on complex dismissal, discrimination and whistleblowing litigation with appropriate supervision.
• Assist on non-contentious projects including organisational change processes.
• General employment advisory work by telephone and email.
• Manage own matters, time and relationships with minimum supervision
• Take an active role in supervising the work of and assisting in the development of trainees, apprentices and paralegals
• Maintain an awareness of the appropriate limits of own competence/authority.
• Presenting and assisting in client and other external seminars, taking part in pitches and contributing positively to business development.
• Actively identify and exploit business development opportunities and marketing activity for team clients and own contacts.
• Maintain and develop technical knowledge through leading and attending training sessions, reading appropriate publications and exceeding Law Society CPD requirements.
• Provide support for colleagues where appropriate e.g. progressing matters in colleagues’ absence, supporting CRM activities.
• Continually monitoring and taking responsibility for own financial performance and demonstrating proactive financial management; attention to billing regimes, credit control, debt collection, accounting procedures and client service level agreements.
• Handle confidential data in line with the firm's data security protocols.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• We would expect the post holder to be a solicitor of 4 years or more, post qualification experience (but will consider strong candidates with a different level of experience), from an established respondent focused practice, who will be able to manage their own work and caseload with minimal supervision
• Must have experience of tribunal claims and other contentious matters.
• Must have experience of non-contentious matters, preferably including advising on major projects involving TUPE, organisational change, collective consultation as well general advisory work with clients on a wide range of employment issues.
• Prior experience of working with or advising large institutional employers in heavily regulated sectors (e.g. health, local and central government, PLCs) would be advantageous.
• Good academic record, together with experience in a well-recognised firm
• Independent thinker with a focus on generating commercial solutions to problems on behalf of clients.
• Up to date knowledge of key trends in order to maintain credibility in conversations with clients.
• Confident communicator with an ability to develop relationships, undertake client marketing and influence at all levels.
• Enthusiastic team player with a flexible approach.