This is a great opportunity for a lawyer with expertise in employment law to join our London People & Reward team on a 6 month fixed term to cover a period of parental leave.

Our People & Reward practice provides innovative and commercial legal advice across the full spectrum of employment law issues, working on some of the most cutting-edge employment related litigation cases and most complex transactions and restructurings in the London market.

You'll work in a diverse and inclusive team, contributing to our client and people strategies. This is an opportunity to work with leading practitioners in considering cutting edge legal issues at an exciting time for this area of the law, with many key reforms in employment law on the horizon.

You will also be a part of the firm’s dynamic and welcoming multi-disciplinary Knowledge function, providing you with access to support and guidance from our experienced team of Knowledge lawyers and professionals.

Role summary

You'll focus on knowledge services related to employment law, mainly working with our London team.

This will include monitoring and analysing legal developments, providing insights, and translating these into initiatives for clients and internal teams. You will also work closely with the practitioners to ensure knowledge and insights from matters are captured and shared across the team.

You will work alongside another Knowledge Lawyer who provides support on pensions law, and pensions expertise is not required for this role.

Key Responsibilities

• Client Service: Keep track of legal and regulatory changes, share updates with the team, analyse the impact for our work and for clients, and develop or adapt internal knowledge products like guidance notes and checklists. Ensure processes are followed to capture and share knowledge and insights across the team for use on client mandates.

• Business Growth: Identify opportunities to use knowledge and new legal developments to drive market profile and client outreach, including creating client content like blogs, briefings, trainings and input into conferences etc.

• Legal Skills Development: Act as an advisor to the lawyers in the practice, overseeing and providing legal training, and acting as a sounding board for legal queries.

• International and Cross-Practice Outlook: Network and share information and insights with colleagues in other practice areas or offices to enable cross-practice working.

Key Requirements

• Qualified lawyer in England and Wales with a strong academic background.

• Experience in employment law, either as a fee earner or a knowledge lawyer.

• Strong knowledge of employment law and related market practice

• Commercial awareness, a growth mindset, and a self-starter attitude.

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.

• Team player with strong networking skills and the ability to build relationships.

• Strong technology skills, including a good understanding of new technologies, and an approach that fosters innovation.

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered by the firm on the basis of their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case-by-case basis and take a number of factors into account (eg the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.

Please let us know if you require any support or adjustments to be made in order to submit your application to Freshfields.