Legal Counsel | NQ-3 PQE | Employment OR Construction / Projects
Newcastle | Very Flexible Hybrid Working
Competitive Salary | Excellent Benefits
Are you an early-career lawyer looking for an in-house role where you can build genuinely broad experience while developing a particular area of expertise?
Haggerty Jaques is working with a high-profile organisation in the North East which is looking to appoint two Legal Counsel to its established in-house legal team.
These are excellent opportunities for junior lawyers who want to develop their careers in-house, working on interesting and varied matters within a supportive and experienced legal team.
There are two distinct areas of technical expertise being sought. Candidates do not need experience across both.
Legal Counsel – Employment
For one of the vacancies, we are particularly interested in hearing from lawyers with experience or a good grounding in employment law.
Working closely with HR and stakeholders across the organisation, you will advise on a broad range of employment and people-related matters. Your experience might include:
- Advising on day-to-day employment law and employee relations issues
- Supporting HR on disciplinary, grievance, absence and performance matters
- Advising on organisational change, restructuring and consultation
- Reviewing employment documentation, policies and contractual arrangements
- Managing or supporting contentious employment matters
- Providing pragmatic advice which balances legal risk with wider organisational considerations
You might already be an Employment Solicitor looking to make your first move in-house, or a more broadly trained lawyer who completed a strong employment seat during your training contract and would like to develop this specialism further.
Some wider commercial experience would be helpful but is certainly not essential.
Legal Counsel – Construction / Projects
The second vacancy will have a particular focus on construction and projects.
You will support significant projects and work alongside colleagues and external advisers on the legal issues arising from their delivery.
Relevant experience could include:
- Construction and engineering contracts
- NEC contracts or other standard-form construction agreements
- Infrastructure or major projects
- Drafting, reviewing and negotiating project documentation
- Procurement and contractual issues associated with project delivery
- Advising stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of a project
- Managing legal and commercial risk across complex projects
Importantly, you do not need to be a construction specialist already.
The organisation is very open to junior lawyers who have gained relevant experience during a construction, projects, real estate or commercial seat and would like the opportunity to build on it.
A Great Place to Develop In-House
Whichever specialism you join, you won’t be expected to know everything from day one.
You will be joining an established legal team with experienced senior lawyers around you, giving you access to plenty of support and development while also having the opportunity to take responsibility for your own matters.
The breadth of the organisation means you will gain exposure beyond your immediate specialism too, making this particularly attractive for someone who wants to develop into a well-rounded commercial in-house lawyer.
Candidates coming from private practice or another in-house environment are equally welcome.
As well as commercial, we would also be interested in hearing from lawyers with litigation or real estate backgrounds who have gained some relevant employment, construction or projects exposure.
Interesting, High-Quality Work
This is a large and complex organisation where the legal team is closely involved in a wide variety of operational and strategic matters.
You’ll work with numerous stakeholders and will need to be comfortable operating within an environment where good governance, stakeholder management and robust decision-making matter.
We’re therefore looking for lawyers who are pragmatic, resilient and personable, with the confidence to build relationships with people at all levels.
This could be a particularly good fit for someone who enjoys looking beyond the purely legal answer and wants to understand the wider organisation they are advising.
Genuinely Flexible Hybrid Working
Flexibility is a real selling point of these opportunities.
Although the legal team is based in the North East, you do not necessarily need to live locally, and there is genuine flexibility around office attendance depending on individual circumstances.
This opens the roles up to candidates across a much wider geographical area who are happy to travel into the North East when required.
Salary & Benefits
This is a particularly attractive overall offering for a junior lawyer looking to develop their career in-house.
Alongside a competitive salary, the organisation offers an excellent benefits package, including a very strong pension, genuinely flexible hybrid working and a supportive working environment with a good work/life balance.
Combined with the quality and breadth of the work, and the opportunity to learn from experienced senior lawyers, this is a great opportunity for someone at an early stage of their career to build strong foundations as an in-house lawyer.
Who Should Apply?
We would love to speak to junior solicitors who have relevant experience in either:
Employment law
or
Construction / Projects / NEC contracts
You do not need extensive specialist experience. Relevant experience gained during a training contract could be sufficient, particularly where you can demonstrate a genuine interest in developing further in that area.
For more information and a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Haggerty Jaques – Katie Haggerty (07974 131 939) and Amy Jaques (07740 662995).
**Please note that Haggerty Jaques advertises vacancies only through established legal and professional recruitment channels. Vacancies appearing elsewhere may not be authorised and details may be inaccurate or out of date. To ensure your application reaches us, please apply via the method outlined in this advert or if you’re unsure contact us directly. **
Any references to PQE are provided purely as a guide and should not deter candidates with the relevant skills and experience from applying.
Haggerty Jaques is committed to promoting equality and diversity. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of background.
