Employment Counsel

This is a Full Time Job

What You'll Do:
• Partner with HR and business leaders as a strategic advisor on all employment-related legal matters across multiple jurisdictions in the EMEA and APAC regions, including advising on complex, cross-border employment issues.
• Deliver clear solution-oriented advice to HR and business stakeholders, including senior decision-makers, on a broad range of day-to-day employment matters including recruitment, compensation, performance management, terminations (including collective consultation and similar processes), investigations, EU Pay Transparency, contingent workers, employee relations and other regulatory obligations.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with business stakeholders, HR teams and other legal team members (including privacy, compliance, immigration and tax) and coordinate on cross-functional issues affecting employees throughout the EMEA and APAC regions.
• Draft, review, analyse, and negotiate employment clauses of commercial agreements and employment-related agreements, including staffing, temporary workers, independent contractors, incentive schemes, volunteer workers, and settlement agreements.
• Advise on grievances, disciplinary, performance and dismissal processes, and internal investigations, as well as early negotiation of potential employee disputes and settlement agreements.
• Drive good business results from difficult ER situations by successfully managing ER issues, pre-dispute conflicts and advising on pre-litigation strategy and managing employment related litigation.
• Draft, revise, and implement employment policies suitable for a commercial environment.
• Develop, implement and conduct training on employment policies and best practices.
• Support employment-related aspects of reorganisations, restructures, and M&A activity and related integration of employees across EMEA and APAC.
• Manage projects across EMEA and APAC and work with in house and external counsel across the relevant jurisdictions.
• Stay fully up to date with legal developments across EMEA, and APAC ensuring proactive compliance.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities
• Supporting HR and the business by providing practical and commercially sound advice in a fast-paced environment in relation to a variety of employment-related legal issues across EMEA and APAC
• Pro-actively working with the global legal team on shared projects and to ensure that best practice and knowledge is understood, shared and utilised amongst the team
• Maintain regular communication and transparent reporting to the SVP, Global Head of Employment, ensuring timely escalation of significant issues and comprehensive visibility into global employment matters.
• Liaising with the business so that commercial and pragmatic advice and guidance on business opportunities can be followed at all times
• Assisting with and running projects as and when appropriate

You Have These:

Knowledge and Experience

Mandatory
• 5+ PQE Qualified lawyer who has worked in a commercial environment;
• Experience handling employment law matters in the UK together with significant experience of EMEA /multijurisdictional employment law;
• Strong knowledge and experience in a broad range of employment law areas in both contentious and non-contentious matters;
• Experience in drafting employment documentation including policies and contracts;
• Employment law experience in a reputable law firm or in-house team; and
• Experience with HR policy and procedure creation and implementation to reduce risk while meeting business requirements.

Desirable
• In-house legal experience within a media and/or sports organisation, preferably at a multinational company.
• ''Business affairs'' mentality / experience.
• Experience working with or advising on works council matters.

Skills and Abilities

Mandatory
• Practical, business-oriented approach to providing advice to internal clients on all employment law related matters and the ability to analyse complex situations and develop simple, concise, and effective legal solutions;
• Outstanding stakeholder management skills with a demonstrated ability to become a trusted advisor, establish and maintain collaborative working relationships;
• Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written;
• Ability to juggle and prioritise a varied and heavy workload with the ability to plan ahead;
• Demonstrated ability to work efficiently, meet demanding deadlines in a fast-paced environment, prioritise workflow and adjust to workload fluctuations;
• Able to communicate clearly and concisely with clients of all levels both internally and externally;
• Ability to take responsibility and show initiative; and
• Professional demeanor with ability to interact across different levels within an organisation.

Qualifications and Training

Mandatory
• Fully qualified Solicitor in English law.

Aptitudes/Personal Profile

Mandatory
• Team orientated and focused
• Positive and proactive attitude
• Ability to develop rapport with immediate and wider colleagues
• Disciplined, hard-working and committed
• Ability to exercise judgment and common sense
• Ability to take ownership and responsibility for projects

Working Conditions:

Perm, London - Chiswick Park

Mon-Fri, 9am -5pm