What do employment lawyers do?
Employment lawyers advise on employment law, essentially covering all aspects of the employer-employee relationship.
They advise corporate employers, employees and other organisations like trade unions on a wide range of matters, from individual workplace disputes to major corporate restructuring projects, ensuring compliance with employment laws and mitigating legal risks for their clients.
Their work spans both contentious and non-contentious matters. Typical matters for employment lawyers include:
- Corporate/M&A and Restructurings: Ensuring compliance with employment law during M&A transactions and restructurings, often involving managing the transfer of employees under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations) in the UK.
- Contracts and Policies: Assisting businesses in drafting and reviewing employment contracts, staff handbooks, and workplace policies to ensure they are legally compliant and reflect best practices.
- Employee Share Schemes: Advising corporate employers on employee benefits and share incentive plans.
- Workplace Disputes: Handling disputes involving issues like unfair dismissal, discrimination, harassment, and whistleblowing. They represent clients in employment tribunal claims or negotiate settlements through mediation or other alternative dispute resolution methods.
- Senior Executive Appointments and Exits: Advising on the hiring and termination of senior executives, including negotiating service agreements, restrictive covenants, and severance packages.
- Collective Employment Issues: Advising on matters involving trade unions, collective bargaining agreements, industrial action, and workforce consultations.
- Workplace Investigations: Guiding employers through internal investigations related to allegations of misconduct, discrimination, or whistleblowing.
- Regulatory and Compliance Advice: Advising on compliance with statutory requirements, including working time regulations, minimum wage laws, and health and safety standards.
What is the average salary for an employment lawyer?
Employment lawyers at the leading London law firms can expect to earn between £120,000 - £150,000 at the junior end of the associate scale (up to 2/3 years’ PQE).
Mid and senior-level associates can expect to earn north of £200,000.
We have a list of salaries paid by all of the UK’s top law firms here.
Which firms are the best for employment law in London?
Employment law is wide-ranging, as you can see from the broad range of matters outlined above.
Some firms are specialists in specific areas (e.g. employee share schemes, or trade union advice) so it’s worth digging a little deeper to find out the leading firms in those particular areas.
Generally speaking, the leading firms for employer-side advice are considered to be Lewis Silkin, Herbert Smith Freehills, Mishcon de Reya, Herbert Smith Freehills, Baker McKenzie, and A&O Shearman.
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