Senior Associate - Employment at Baker McKenzie

The Role

• We are looking for an exceptional Senior Associate to join our market-leading Employment Practice.
• Our Employment team work with our clients on the full range of domestic and international employment issues. We work with a broad range of blue chip and global clients across a range of sectors, including information technology, financial services, pharmaceutical, healthcare, transport, consumer products, and retail.
• This is an exciting opportunity to join an expanding and leading Johannesburg team working on high quality, varied and interesting work. This will include global projects and transactions, high profile domestic instructions, complex litigation and strategic HR advisory work.
• If you have broad employment experience from a top-tier employment practice, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate evidence of good quality training and extensive experience gained from a leading employment practice.

The successful candidate will need a good commercial mindset, be a strong team player and have the ability to build excellent client relationships.

Main Responsibilities

Advising clients on a wide range of complex employment matters (often on an international basis) including:

• Workforce redesign and reductions
• Employment agreements, management services agreements and consultancy related contracts for executive hiring
• Day to day employment law advice on individual employment law aspects, including advice on termination, conditions of employment, compensation and other benefits, as well as on collective labour law issues such as mutual interest disputes and the impact of corporate transactions on employees
• Employment litigation
• Developing relationships with clients including gaining a good knowledge of the client's businesses, economic drivers, and market and sector requirements in order to ensure the advice is relevant and commercial
• Engaging in business development activities, being active in the promotion of the firm, and seeking new opportunities
• Working as part of a team includes taking an active part in sharing knowledge and experience within the team and guidance and training of juniors

Experience and Skills Required

• Minimum 5 years of experience in employment law with a preference of experience in a reputable law firm;
• Bachelor of Laws degree;
• Master of Laws degree in Labour Law (preferable);
• Admitted as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa
• Ability to be self-motivated, organised and pragmatic while being able to deliver under pressure;
• Strong quantitative and analytical abilities as well as problem-solving and time-management skills;
• Excellent organisational and general communication skills.