Senior Employment Solicitor

Harper James is a national commercial law firm designed to support entrepreneurial businesses from start-up to exit. We aspire to disrupt the model for which legal services are provided to businesses. The firm’s innovative approach to delivering highly tailored and accessible legal advice is considered genuinely different to the establishment.

Harper James was founded in 2014 and continues to grow at c40%+ year on year. Today we are more than 117 people, who will support more than 2500 businesses this financial year and will turnover around £13m. We expect to double in size over the next 3 years.

Our lawyers work on an employed and flexible basis, working remotely with access to meeting space in Birmingham, Cambridge, London, Manchester, Oxford, Southampton and Sheffield.

We work really hard to ensure our lawyers still feel part of a team so they can collaborate, share ideas and enjoy each other’s company. The remote set up allows people to work from wherever they want, to give people the flexibility they need, for whatever reason. We want people to feel that they belong to an ambitious company and that their contribution towards our growth is recognized individually and as a team.

We are looking for a senior employment lawyer of 10 years plus PQE with the following experience:

• advising on both contentious and non-contentious matters.
• drafting contracts of employment, policies and procedure.
• advising on the difference between employed, worker and self-employed relationships.
• drafting Consultancy Agreements.
• some knowledge of IR35.
• managing disciplinary and grievance processes.
• advising on discrimination and whistle-blowing cases.
• assisting with TUPE transfers and other corporate transactions.
• business restructures & redundancies.
• being able to advise upon and negotiate during the ACAS Early Conciliation process.
• defending Employment Tribunal claims.
• enforcement/defence of restrictive covenant claims.
• handling senior exec severances.

You will have the following attributes and approach:

• friendly, positive and can-do attitude
• collaborative team-worker
• proactive
• good communicator
• commercial, practical and pragmatic.

• Work where and when you want.
• No client following is required. We care about experience, expertise and commitment to our clients.
• An environment with no politics, no bureaucracy and a great team of people who all play a fundamental part in the success and continued growth of the business.
• Competitive salary and bonus, pension, holiday and healthcare
• Full time or part-time hours are available as part of a fully remote and collaborative team (we are looking for a minimum of 4 days a week)

If you are ready to apply this role, please complete the application form using the link below.

Alternatively, if you would like to have an initial informal chat with our Head of talent, Leah Horwood, to find out more about the role, you can call her direct on
07809 475202 or arrange a convenient time to speak by emailing her via leah.horwood@harperjames.co.uk. Please be assured that all conversations are confidential and we will act discreetly throughout the process.