Wilson Sonsini is the premier legal advisor to technology, life sciences, and other growth enterprises worldwide. We represent companies at every stage of development, from entrepreneurial start-ups to multibillion-dollar global corporations, as well as the venture firms, private equity firms, and investment banks that finance and advise them. The London office, since opening in 2018 is focused on offering Silicon Valley-style business and legal advice to UK and European tech companies. The team offers international experience to support the growth of such companies, from launching, scaling, and raising capital to exiting via M&A, IPO or otherwise, with a particular focus on UK and European tech companies exploring US expansion, fundraising or exit.
We are looking for an English law qualified Employment lawyer to join the London office to work with the existing UK Employment partner and senior associate. The successful candidate will gain experience and direct exposure to clients, with opportunities for progression. They will advise the firm’s clients on the full range of employment matters, with a particular focus on advisory work (helping companies manage all aspects of the employment lifecycle from hiring to termination) and supporting the corporate team on M&A, financings and IPO transactions, usually with a cross-border element. Although a substantial portion of our advisory work is contentious in nature, the firm does not currently handle litigation work directly and we partner with other firms at the point formal proceedings are commenced.
Given the current small size of the team, the candidate will work closely with the partner and senior associate to gain experience and exposure to clients as well as the opportunity to work alongside our market-leading US employment team and lawyers in other practice groups across the firm in different offices. We would like to hear from candidates with 1-3 years PQE as employment lawyers.
The role includes:
- Drafting employment and consultancy agreements.
- Advising on workforce hiring strategies, including the classification of employees, workers and independent contractors.
- Guiding employers on handling performance, disciplinary and grievance matters and other day-to-day employment issues.
- Advising on terminations (including redundancies) and drafting and negotiating settlement agreements.
- Advising clients on cross-border employment processes and working with local counsel.
- Working with the corporate team on transactional matters, including due diligence, drafting and negotiating warranties and other employment provisions, advising on TUPE transfers and other related employment matters.
- Involvement in business development activities such as attending client facing events, presenting at seminars, and drafting articles and alerts.
- Assisting in development of the London Employment team’s precedent bank.
Requirements:
- English law qualified, holding or being eligible for a valid Solicitors Practicing Certificate.
- 1-3 years PQE specialising in employment law.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage a dynamic to-do list.
- Strong interpersonal skills.
- Commercially minded and solution driven, with knowledge of market practice in tech and VC sectors a benefit but not a requirement.