Legal Director - Employment

Why join us?

Are you an experienced Employment lawyer looking for a role where you can have a genuine influence on clients, colleagues and the future growth of a practice?

DWF is looking for an ambitious Legal Director to join our nationally recognised Employment team.

This is an opportunity to combine sophisticated employment work with a senior role in client development and practice growth. You’ll be trusted to lead complex matters, build meaningful relationships with clients, develop junior lawyers and help shape the continued growth of our Employment practice.

Our Employment and Pensions teams work nationally and internationally, supporting organisations ranging from local SMEs through to multinational businesses and advising HR teams, in-house lawyers and senior stakeholders. The team supports clients across the employment lifecycle, from recruitment through to termination, alongside areas including compliance, reward, governance and workplace change.

The Legal 500 currently ranks DWF's North West Employment practice Tier 2. Chambers UK 2026 ranks the firm's North West Employment practice Band 3, highlighting its work for clients across sectors including retail, education and finance.

We’re open to candidates based in our Manchester, Newcastle or Birmingham offices, with hybrid working available to support a flexible approach to where you work.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

• Leading complex contentious and non-contentious employment matters and providing strategic, commercially focused advice to employer clients.
• Advising on TUPE, reorganisations, restructuring, senior exits, contractual matters, policies and complex employee relations issues.
• Leading employment aspects of corporate transactions, working alongside colleagues across DWF's Corporate and Commercial teams.
• Taking ownership of complex Employment Tribunal litigation, including strategy, stakeholder management and advocacy where appropriate.
• Building trusted relationships with existing clients and identifying opportunities to broaden those relationships.
• Playing an active role in winning new work through networking, pitching, thought leadership and cross-selling.
• Supervising and mentoring junior colleagues, helping the next generation of DWF lawyers develop.
• Collaborating across Employment, Pensions and DWF's wider legal and business services offering to provide joined-up solutions to clients.

What will help you succeed in this role?

Essential

• Qualified Solicitor with significant experience in Employment Law gained within a national, international or well-regarded regional practice.
• A strong track record of providing practical, commercial and strategic advice to employer clients.
• Experience advising on TUPE, business reorganisations and employment issues arising from corporate transactions and M&A activity.
• Proven ability to build, develop and maintain strong client relationships, with experience of managing key client accounts.
• Demonstrable involvement in business development activities, including networking, pitching, cross-selling opportunities and winning new work.
• Experience supervising, mentoring and developing junior lawyers and contributing to team growth.
• Tribunal experience and confidence managing complex employment disputes from inception through to conclusion.
• Excellent negotiation, drafting and advocacy skills.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to identify risks and opportunities for clients.
• Ability to analyse complex legal issues and provide clear, pragmatic and commercially focused advice.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Collaborative leadership style with a commitment to supporting colleagues and fostering an inclusive team culture.

Desirable

• Existing network of employer contacts and intermediaries within the local market.
• Experience leading client relationships for national or multi-site organisations.
• Previous involvement in strategic initiatives, team leadership or practice development.
• Experience developing and implementing client growth strategies.
• Track record of winning new business and contributing to revenue growth.

What we offer?

We are committed to ensuring that each member of our team feels valued and duly rewarded during their time at DWF.

We are an equal opportunities employer that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. We aim to create a positive experience for all candidates and offer any adjustments or additional support needed. If you're excited about the opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with all the requirements, please apply anyway. You may be the right candidate for the role or others across the wider team.

About us

DWF is a leading global provider of integrated legal and business services. Our approach delivers efficiency, price certainty and transparency for our clients across the world without compromising on quality or service. Our purpose is to deliver positive outcomes with our colleagues, clients and communities and we foster a culture that places our colleagues at the centre of all that we do.