About us

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals and over 600 staff based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.

Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do.  RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 6th best law firm to work at in 2026.

With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 42% of our partnership.

The team you will join

We have an excellent opportunity for a senior employment lawyer to join us as a Partner within our highly regarded Employment Team, based in our Chelmsford office. The successful candidate will play a key role in the continued growth and development of the practice, working with a strong client base across a broad range of sectors. 

The work you will be doing

As part of a planned succession within the Chelmsford office, this role will include responsibility for the day-to-day management and leadership of the Employment Team in Chelmsford. The successful candidate will take a central role in shaping the direction of the team, supporting its continued development, and ensuring high standards of client service, supervision and team collaboration. 

What we are looking for

The successful candidate will bring strong technical expertise across the full spectrum of employment law, proven experience in developing client relationships, and the ability to contribute to strategic business planning at a senior level. 

We are looking for someone who is commercially focused, collaborative, and committed to maintaining the excellent reputation of the team and the wider firm. 

Sectors in which we work include education, financial services, construction, transport and private client/agriculture, charities and public sector. Particular areas of expertise sought include: 

Technical:  

• General employment issues ranging from maternity rights to general contractual issues. 

• Transactional corporate support work 

• Wrongful and unfair dismissal 

• Restrictive covenant enforcement and defence 

• Advice to Executives on joining and exiting appointments 

• Redundancy and restructuring 

• Transfer of Undertakings 

• Awareness of boardroom disputes and severance claims 

• Employment litigation in the employment tribunal 

• Discrimination (including sex, race, disability and age) 

• Trade union work for employers. 

• Professional Discipline and conduct, including advising professional conduct/fitness to practice panel 

 Management:  

• Drives efficient time recording, profitable pricing, strong cash flow, and team gross profit delivery. 

• Leads business development and high-profile pitches, builds a strong market presence, wins new clients, and drives cross-selling opportunities. 

• Delivers exceptional project and client management, consistently meeting expectations through strong communication and deep client understanding. 

• Builds trust through strong relationships, continual professional development, clear communication of vision, and championing positive change. 

• Demonstrates strong risk management, supports junior staff, upholds Lexcel standards, and maintains high compliance and file review performance.

Hybrid Working

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. This role attracts a split of 60% office days and 40% working from home days per week.

Benefits

As a Birketts colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits:

• 30 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays 
• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme 
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance – 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Dress for your Day Policy

You can find out more on our website: https://recognition-reward-benefits/

Inclusivity and Culture

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. 

Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil part