The Vacancy

Join Fieldfisher as a Paralegal!

Fieldfisher's highly regarded Employment, Pensions, Immigration and Compliance team has enjoyed significant success in the past five years and is quickly growing. The team, made up of leading Partners, Senior Associates, Solicitors and Apprentice Solicitors are seeking to recruit an ambitious Paralegal to support its growing litigation practice.

The successful candidate will provide support to several team members, including Partners and a sitting Employment Judge, with the opportunity for the successful candidates to take responsibility for case handling and management of all aspects of Employment Tribunal claims. The team's practice includes high quality work for some of the UK's leading brands and with nationally recognised Lawyers and Barristers.

This is a great opportunity to develop your experience and responsibility for case handling and client skills in a fast growing, ambitious, supportive and collaborative team.

What You'll Do

• Reviewing Employment Tribunal claims
• Assessing litigation strategy
• Liaising with clients on disclosure obligations and collation of documents
• Drafting Employment Tribunal defences
• Preparation of early case assessments
• Managing disclosure exercises
• Preparation of trial bundles, including indexing and pagination
• Drafting agendas and documents for preliminary hearings, with potential advocacy opportunities
• Interviewing witnesses and drafting witness statements
• Assisting with witness preparation
• Attending hearings and conferences with Counsel
• Diary and internal tracker management
• Ad-hoc company searches, etc. in support of legal opinions or as part of case progression
• Proof reading documents
• Document management
• Working with legal technology tools
• E-Discovery
• Liaising closely with the Partner/Associate supervising the matter
• Attending team meetings and providing reporting as required
• Liaising with the client and third parties in both written and verbal format, including case progression updates and providing legal advice or advice on litigation strategy
• Communicating with third parties in both written and verbal format, including negotiating with adverse parties
• Legal research and other investigative tasks
• Providing essential support to the team
• Administrative tasks

What We're Looking For

• Experience of working as a Paralegal
• Strong educational background
• Previous experience in employment and/or litigation work is desirable but not essential
• Experience handling a varied and busy workload
• Excellent organisation and communication skills are essential
• Excellent research and analytical skills
• Commercial understanding allowing you to foresee upcoming needs and act proactively
• Team player
• Ability to work methodically and at pace, even when time pressured
• Reliable and professional
• Good written and strong communication skills
• Excellent IT skills
• Enthusiastic, keen and proactive
• Preparedness to exceed expectations and be fully committed to the role

Who are we looking for?

• We don't have a type. We believe our differences are our strength; varied cultures, approaches and experiences can only benefit us.

What do we offer?

• You can be yourself: It takes everyone to make us who we are. We're a culture of diverse perspectives, with each of us making unique contributions that make us better together.
• In the office or WFH?: We think the best balance is more time in the office than at home, so we operate a 60:40 rule.
• Beyond salary: We offer plenty of benefits; private medical insurance, health cash plan, dental insurance, life assurance, critical illness insurance, matched pension contributions up to 7%, holiday trading, plus many more. Visit: Reward & Benefits ¦ Fieldfisher.
• Come for the WOW views: Based on the 17th floor in No.1 Spinningfields, with views of the entire City.
• Nurturing your talent: Take a 'build a career' approach to your training. You'll be on a pathway but free to wander if you see something you'd like to study more closely.
• Funnel your interests: You have a life outside work, and we can help it to flourish. Join clubs, affinity networks, inclusive events, and pro bono/charity initiatives.

Inclusion at Fieldfisher

At Fieldfisher, inclusion is central to how we work. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported and able to succeed.

If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process or once you join us, we will work with you to put the right support in place. Examples include extra time for assessments, accessible document formats, alternative interview formats, quiet rooms, or physical and technological accessibility support.

For accessibility information on our Manchester office, visit: Accessing Fieldfisher Manchester ¦ Fieldfisher

What to do next:

• Click 'Apply Now', complete an online application and upload a CV.
• Successful applications will be invited to a 20-30-minute introductory call with a recruiter.
• Every role recruits differently. But we'll always let you know what to expect from the process, so you get no surprises.
• For hybrid opportunities, you'll be invited to visit our offices for a face-to-face meeting.
• We try to make sure the process takes around 2-3 weeks only, but we can't always promise that. We will work around everyone's availability. You can contact us at Brianna.Hartridge@fieldfisher.com.

We recruit on a rolling basis. Your application may be reviewed before the application deadline. We accept applications until we have filled the role.

The Firm

We are not a UK firm with offices in Europe. We are a European law firm at our core. While our HQ is London, we are spreading across Europe at pace. In addition to UK, China and Silicon Valley we have offices in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.

With 1,800 people across 28 offices across 14 countries you might expect an impersonal office culture, but you will find a homely, family feel even in the largest offices.

Quality on both sides
Across all our offices and jurisdictions are market-leading practices in corporate/M&A, finance, real estate, energy and natural resources, technology and life sciences.

We count as clients large corporations including major technology firms, pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, energy suppliers, infrastructure companies, global banks and financial institutions.

We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and are actively working towards improving the diversity of our staff. Applications will be considered on merit and the applicant's suitability to meet the requirements of the role.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Health insurance

Pension contributions

Life assurance

Season ticket loans

Bike to work loans

Testimonial

Charlotte Round - Finance Partner, Manchester

"It is great being in a firm which "gets" cross-office working - to feel properly part of a national team and to work with colleagues in other specialisms who are unconstrained by geography."

Richard Dwight - DMS Team Leader at Fieldfisher

"I consider Fieldfisher to be a progressive firm with an understanding of social values. I'm pleased that staff is able to have input in the firm's direction and purpose as well as help to shape wider society. I'm encouraged to perform by being able to develop in a natural way, whilst being supported at every step.

Fieldfisher has managed to nurture a really positive and friendly culture. If they have drive and ambition, I would encourage anybody looking for a role here to grab the opportunity."

Rebecca Reardon - Executive Assistant

"Since joining Fieldfisher in 2016, I have progressed from an entry-level secretarial role to an experienced executive assistant. This was made possible by a supportive and inclusive working environment that allows staff to progress at a pace that is best suited to them which in turn makes for well-rounded, home-grown talent.

The firm strikes a great balance between providing the foundations for success and autonomy of your own growth and development. An insight I would give to potential applicants is that Fieldfisher offers the opportunity for a career and a sense of belonging to a community and not just a job."