Employment Associate – 1-3 years’ PQE
Belfast
Brief
We are looking to expand our team and have a number of opportunities for Employment Associate with 1-3 years PQE, to join the Employment & Reward Group in our Belfast office.
Background
Our Employment & Reward Group is independently recognised as one of the best and most experienced teams in the country. We have one of the best resourced teams of employment specialists of any law firm in the country, offering both national coverage from our UK offices and an international offering through our employment specialists in Europe, the Gulf, Asia Pacific and Australia.
We act as trusted advisor to a number of leading FTSE blue chip organisations (both in the UK and internationally). Our clients rely upon us to help them not only with technical legal issues but also to act as true business partners, understanding the challenges and opportunities within their respective sectors and businesses.
We pride ourselves on being confident and commercially aware, pragmatic and responsive. We provide our clients with innovative commercial solutions, not merely details of the legal issues. We help our clients navigate their daily challenges and deliver their strategic objectives. We do not let employment law get in the way of our client's workforce management. Our approach has resulted in us developing long term relationships and partnerships with clients, many of whom are household name companies.
We regularly deal with cutting edge claims, projects and corporate transactions for a variety of blue chip corporates and financial institutions. Our work regularly involves an international dynamic, working closely with colleagues in our international offices. For example, we regularly advise clients on cross border information and consultation, benefit redesign exercises and global mobility. Our team also regularly advice clients in relation to executive level employment law issues such as senior level recruitment and termination, executive compensation arrangements, bonus claims, team moves and enforcement of restrictive covenants.
The Employment & Reward Group are increasingly engaging with clients on strategic projects such as global change management exercises, reward philosophy projects and gender pay gap audits.
The Employment & Reward Team's strategy is to continue to grow so this is an excellent opportunity for Associate lawyers who are looking for a platform for future career progression.
The Team
Pinsent Masons LLP serves a diverse clientele, ranging from local and national businesses to international corporations, with a focus on business change projects, corporate deals, and employment litigation.
In the UK the team has over 60 employment lawyers across offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Leeds, Birmingham and London. The successful candidates will work with the wider team across the UK and be based in the most appropriate office for them.
The Candidates Required
The successful candidates will have at least one years employment law experience in a commercial practice, having built up technical and market knowledge and with specific experience of dealing with strategic employment law advice, complex employment tribunal claims, cross-border issues, restructuring and redundancy, complex grievances at a senior level including discrimination and whistle blowing complaints and senior executive/board room issues. The role may also involve high value and High Court litigation so experience in this area will be an advantage. In addition, the successful candidates will have the opportunity to help our clients deliver solutions within the M&A and outsourcing space, so an appetite for this type of work would be beneficial.
The candidates will have a strong academic background and will be technically strong. Equally important, candidates must be commercially aware and understand how a large international firm operates. They will also be team players with excellent communication skills and a desire to help grow the team and be actively involved in multi-disciplinary cross-office initiatives.
Testimonials
‘The service provided by Pinsent Masons is excellent.’
‘We appreciate the free updates and webinars offered as the topics are always timely and clearly presented.’
What will we offer you?
- We are a market leading, dynamic and growing global team who work together to produce outstanding results for our clients.
- We invest in our team and have a first class training and career development programme, regular 121s, career discussions and biannual appraisals. Our training reflects our position as a market leader in communications and sourcing. Our training will assist you to develop as a specialist with valuable sector knowledge and the ability to deliver "best of breed" services.
- Early responsibility and opportunities to develop client relationships.
About the Firm
Pinsent Masons is a global 100 law firm, with over 4000 employees operating out of 31 locations across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. We have a long-standing reputation for delivering high-quality legal advice rooted in a deep understanding of the sectors and geographies in which our clients operate. Our global reach ensures that we are well-placed to advise on complex multi-jurisdictional matters across a full range of legal disciplines.
Awards
Pinsent Masons has been recognised as the ‘Most Innovative Law Firm’ in Europe by the Financial Times, having received the award three times in the last decade. The firm also holds more Tier 1 Legal 500 rankings than any other law firm and was named International Law Firm of the Year at the Trust Law Awards 2025. It continues to be recognised for innovation and ESG commitments, including awards at the Law.com Legal Innovation & Technology Awards, ESG Firm of the Year in Asia and the Middle East 2025, and recognition as a Top 10 Employer for Working Families. Go to www.pinsentmasons.com/accolades to view all of our global awards and nominations.
Should you require further details, please contact our in-house Lateral Recruitment Advisor Steffy Lam who can discuss the role and requirements.
Contact details:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffy-lam-715241238/
At Pinsent Masons we value diversity and inclusion. We are committed to creating a better workplace where all our talent can succeed and feel like they belong. We want to attract, retain and develop people at all levels and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates whatever your ethnicity, religion, age, physical or mental disability/ long term condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristics protected by local law in the jurisdictions in which we operate.
As an inclusive employer, we are willing to consider any flexible working requests.
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Skills Required
- 1-3 years PQE in employment law in a commercial practice
- Experience advising on strategic employment law matters
- Experience with complex employment tribunal claims and cross-border employment issues
- Experience with restructurings, redundancies and complex grievances including discrimination and whistleblowing
- Experience with senior executive/board-level employment issues (recruitment, termination, restrictive covenants)
- Strong academic background
- Commercial awareness and understanding of large international firm operations
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills
- Experience in high-value and High Court litigation
- Interest or appetite for M&A and outsourcing related employment work
What We Do
Pinsent Masons is a multinational law firm with a reputation for delivering high-quality legal advice rooted in its deep understanding of the sectors and geographies in which our clients operate. Our expertise is recognised globally. In recent years we have achieved more tier 1 rankings in The Legal 500 UK guide than any other firm, and been counted among the most innovative law firms in Europe and Asia Pacific by the Financial Times. With over 1,500 lawyers operating from 27 locations throughout Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, we are well-placed to advise on complex multi-jurisdictional matters across a full range of legal disciplines. The firm has significant international credentials in the global energy, infrastructure, financial services, real estate and technology, science and industry sectors. Pinsent Masons looks at your business needs differently. This means we don't just apply lawyers to solve clients' problems; we deploy a wider range of professional disciplines, enabled by people, process and technology, to deliver a global professional service with law at its core.
