Job Description

About Us

Simmons & Simmons Adaptive:

Clients today need flexible resourcing solutions to meet the changing demands of the marketplace. Simmons & Simmons has always been willing to adapt and embrace new forms of service delivery to meet changing client demands. Simmons Adaptive is a flexible resourcing solution to meet client requirements at the same high quality you expect from Simmons & Simmons. We understand that our firm is equal only to the strengths of our people and place great emphasis on recruiting and retaining staff who meet our high standards.

As an Adaptive consultant, you will be fully supported by the Simmons & Simmons team with a sponsoring Partner and a client team with whom we would encourage you to engage on a regular basis. You will have access to the firm's resources and Know-how and have the opportunity to be involved in training and development at the Firm.

Simmons Adaptive is the flexible resourcing team for leading international law firm, Simmons & Simmons. For additional information on the firm, please visit www.simmons-simmons.com

Main purpose of the role:

Simmons Adaptive are keen to hear from employment lawyers to support our client, a leader in financial services.

This is a six-month assignment, expected to start in August 2026, with some flexibility on the start date. The role will support a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment law matters across EMEA, offering exposure to financial services, cross-border work and the regulatory environment applicable to major financial institutions.

The successful consultant will work closely with Human Resources, Employee Relations, Legal and business stakeholders, providing employment law advice across multiple jurisdictions and managing relationships with external employment counsel across EMEA.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide legal support to Human Resources across EMEA, working with external counsel where required and directly delivering employment law advice.
• Manage employment litigation across EMEA, including instructing external counsel, supervising disclosure, proofing witnesses, reviewing draft documents, discussing strategy and advising internal stakeholders.
• Support Employee Relations and HR on grievances, disciplinaries, dismissals, appeals, redundancies, recruitment, employment contracts, termination agreements, restrictive covenants, diversity, equity and inclusion matters and employee data protection issues.
• Advise on non-contentious employment matters, including outsourcings, transactions involving TUPE transfers and share acquisitions, often across more than one jurisdiction.
• Advise on investigations of fact relating to business and conduct issues.
• Support the implementation of legal developments and firm initiatives, including reviewing, drafting and updating related materials.
• Advise on regulatory issues in the context of conduct and remuneration matters and assist with regulatory inquiries.

Person specification:

• You are a qualified lawyer with a law degree and at least four years’ relevant employment law experience, gained within a law firm and/or in-house legal team.
• You have sound knowledge of employment law, including discrimination, whistleblowing, grievance procedures, disciplinaries, changes to terms and conditions, redundancies, TUPE and reorganisations.
• You have experience drafting and negotiating settlement agreements and advising on employment litigation.
• You have strong relationship management and people skills, with the ability to build effective partnerships with HR, control partners, business stakeholders and legal colleagues.
• You are able to take ownership of matters, drive them forward and respond effectively to issues under critical deadlines.
• Knowledge of the financial services sector and associated regulatory framework would be desirable, but is not essential.
• Prior in-house experience would be desirable, but is not essential.
• You will be required to hold the relevant right to work in the UK. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Why you should join Simmons Adaptive:

• You will have access to high-quality roles and work within Simmons & Simmons’ market-leading clients
• You’ll have support from a Simmons & Simmons ‘sponsor Partner’ whilst on external assignment
• You will be given access to the Firms’ resources and Know-how when on assignment
• We will invite you to our in-person and virtual networking events exclusively for Adaptive consultants, along with firmwide webinars and events
• You will have the backing of a leading international law firm.

Equal opportunities:

• We are committed to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to equal opportunities in employment.
• We believe in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re-assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity. This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment.
• At Simmons & Simmons we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding place to work. We are supportive of flexible working arrangements wherever possible and we would encourage you to discuss this with us, should this be something you are interested in.

Background screening:

All recruits of Simmons & Simmons will be required to go through our background screening process. Depending on the position you apply for this may include a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) certificate. We undertake not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a DBS certificate on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed. The firm's policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders is available on request.