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Role Overview

JLL is seeking an experienced employment law solicitor to serve as UKI Labour and Employment Counsel. This Counsel position plays a critical role in supporting JLL's UK operations by providing sophisticated legal counsel on complex employment and labour law matters across the UK.

The successful candidate will work collaboratively within our employment law team while independently managing a diverse portfolio of employment and labour relations matters.

The role requires a strategic legal professional who can provide practical counsel to business leaders, ensure compliance with evolving UK employment legislation, and effectively manage complex employment disputes and trade union relations.

This position offers significant growth opportunities within JLL's dynamic legal department and the chance to impact employment practices across a leading global organisation's UK operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Legal Counsel & Compliance

Provide day-to-day legal guidance to HR, ER colleagues, UK Legal, and business leaders on technical employment legal matters and UK employment legislation interpretation

Provide comprehensive guidance on UK wage and hour matters, including Working Time Regulations 1998 compliance, holiday pay calculations, and minimum wage obligations

Create a comprehensive framework for compliance with relevant portions of UK Employment legislation

Monitor and ensure compliance with the Employment Rights Act 1996, including unfair dismissal, redundancy procedures, and statutory employment rights

Advise on equality and discrimination matters under the Equality Act 2010, including reasonable adjustments, harassment, and protected characteristics

Draft, review, and revise employment agreements, contracts of employment, restrictive covenants, settlement agreements, and consultancy arrangements compliant with UK law

Collaborate with legal and HR COEs on periodical and ad hoc reviews of template employment contracts, offer letters, confidentiality agreements, and contractor arrangements for legal compliance and validity

Provide guidance on UK Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR compliance in employment contexts, including employee monitoring and data processing

Collaborate with Data Privacy team to advise on ER cases involving lawful disclosure of employee records, privacy rights, retention periods, and GDPR compliance from an employment law perspective

Review and update HR/ER policies (sexual harassment, disciplinary, grievance, redundancy, equal opportunities, whistleblowing, etc.) to ensure alignment with current legal standards

Advise on statutory leave entitlements, including maternity, paternity, shared parental leave, and flexible working rights

Monitor and coordinate preparations for legislative and regulatory changes, analysing and reporting on changes to UK employment law and related HR regulations

Labour Law & Trade Union Relations

Manage trade union recognition procedures under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992

Provide strategic advice on collective bargaining negotiations and industrial relations matters

Handle collective consultation obligations, including redundancy consultations and TUPE transfers

Advise on strike action, industrial disputes, and picketing regulations

Support management of works councils and employee representative bodies

Coordinate responses to trade union correspondence and formal industrial action notices

Provide guidance on union membership rights and trade union activities in the workplace

Provide central coordination and management of large-scale redundancy processes, TUPE, and organisational change with legal oversight

Strategic Business Support & Regulatory Compliance

Provide legal advice to support Culture and Employee Experience initiatives whilst ensuring UK regulatory compliance

Advise on IR35 and off-payroll working regulations for contractor arrangements

Review commercial contracts and provide employment-related guidance, particularly regarding TUPE implications

Handle employment aspects of business transfers, mergers, and acquisitions under TUPE Regulations 2006

Support cross-border or multi-jurisdictional employment matters by advising on UK-specific aspects of global policies or harmonisation workstreams

Employment Tribunal Proceedings & External Counsel Management

Act as internal point of contact for correspondence with employees' or ex-employees' solicitors in dispute resolution, early conciliation, mediation, or pre-litigation negotiation processes

Coordinate responses to solicitor-represented employment proceedings and Employment Tribunal claims

Manage early conciliation and settlement processes, including via ACAS, coordinating internal information gathering and liaising with ACAS during formal processes

Draft or review settlement terms (COT3s, settlement agreements) and advise on risk, precedent, and cost-benefit outcomes

Draft and negotiate settlement agreements directly with claimants' solicitors

Conduct factual and legal analysis of potential claims, drafting internal position advice notes and advising on merits and remedies

Collaborate with UK Litigation and support case preparations, collating witness evidence, drafting timelines and bundles, liaising with external counsel

Manage relationships with external solicitors handling ET claims, reviewing pleadings and advice, centrally tracking and reporting on cases

Oversee ACAS early conciliation processes and settlement negotiations

Handle Employment Appeal Tribunal matters and judicial review proceedings where employment rights are concerned

Manage relationships with regulatory bodies including the Equality and Human Rights Commission

Coordinate responses to investigations by HMRC, HSE, and other relevant UK authorities

Litigation & Risk Management

Provide legal guidance on ER investigations involving potential legal claims (e.g., discrimination, whistleblowing, breach of contract), ensuring procedural fairness and defensibility

Advise on internal investigations of potential ethics and compliance violations, misconduct, and criminal conduct matters, including grievance procedures, disciplinary matters, and whistleblowing concerns

Advise on legal privilege and disclosure reviews in contentious cases and during employment disputes

Manage employment-related aspects of regulatory investigations and enforcement actions

Provide guidance on performance management, capability procedures, and fair dismissal processes

Handle complex termination matters including senior executive departures and compromise agreements

Assess and summarise trends in employee disputes or claims, preparing reports for senior HR, Legal stakeholders and UK ExecCo members

Assess and mitigate employment-related risks across UK business operations

Operational Excellence

Collaborate with Human Resources and Culture and Employee Experience teams to align legal requirements with business objectives

Work within the employment law team structure while maintaining independent judgment on complex matters

Run briefing sessions for HR and ER colleagues and management on policy updates and legal compliance

Develop and deliver workshops or written guidance for HR/ER colleagues and senior stakeholders on employment law updates, managing risk, and defensible decision-making

Ensure UK employment practices align with corporate values whilst maintaining legal compliance

Provide strategic input on UK workforce planning and restructuring initiatives

Core Competencies:

Collaborative Leadership: Ability to work effectively within a team environment while managing independent responsibilities

Business Acumen: Understanding of how employment law intersects with business operations and strategic objectives

UK Legal Expertise: Deep knowledge of UK employment and labour law, including recent legislative developments and case law

Risk Assessment: Sophisticated ability to identify, assess, and mitigate employment-related risks

Communication Excellence: Proven ability to present complex legal issues to diverse audiences including HR professionals and business leaders

Stakeholder Management: Experience managing relationships with trade unions, regulatory bodies, and external legal counsel

Continuous Learning: Commitment to staying current on evolving employment law developments

Reporting Structure & Organisational Context

This position reports directly to the Global Head of Labor and Employment Law and works collaboratively with regional Human Resources and Culture and Employee Experience teams. The role includes coordination with other legal team members and external counsel as needed to support JLL's comprehensive employment law strategy.

The right candidate can be based at any location across our regional office network.

Location:

If this job description resonates with you, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements.  We’re interested in getting to know you and what you bring to the table!

At JLL, we harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to efficiently accelerate meaningful connections between candidates and opportunities. Using AI capabilities, we analyze your application for relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications to generate valuable insights about how your unique profile aligns with the specific requirements of the role you're pursuing.

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For additional details please see our career site pages for each country.

Jones Lang LaSalle (“JLL”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.  If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process – including the online application and/or overall selection process –  you may email us at HRSCLeaves@jll.com. This email is only to request an accommodation. Please direct any other general recruiting inquiries to our Contact Us page > I want to work for JLL.