The HR Law Practice Group for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) handles and advises on a broad portfolio of contentious and non-contentious employment matters, counselling an innovative Human Resources function, in respect of all the firm’s corporate functions and lines of business in EMEA (the Commercial and Investment Bank, Asset and Wealth Management and International Consumer Bank), working across 35+ locations in the region, with opportunities to work on cross-border employment issues arising within the US as well as the Latin America and Asia Pacific regions.

As an Employment Lawyer - Vice President within EMEA HR Law Practice Group, you will be responsible for handling and advising on HR matters. As part of your role, you will work with HR professionals, legal colleagues, control partners, business stakeholders and outside counsel on HR strategies and products, litigation, risks, and challenges for the firm.

Job responsibilities

• Work closely with Human Resources, providing legal support to all its functions across EMEA, including working with external counsel as necessary and directly delivering employment law advice.
• Manage employment litigation in EMEA; instruct and liaise with outside counsel, supervise disclosure, proof witnesses, review draft documents, discuss strategy, and advise stakeholders, include Legal, the business, Employee Relations (ER) and HR
• Support ER and HR with advice on grievances, disciplinaries, dismissals, appeals, redundancies, recruitment, contracts of employment, termination agreements, restrictive covenants, matters relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, and employee data protection issues
• Advise generally in relation to non-contentious employment issues, including outsourcings and transactions involving TUPE transfers and share acquisitions, which often involve more than one jurisdiction, either in EMEA or on a global basis
• Advise on investigations of fact in relation to business and conduct issues
• Provide support on 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 handling regulatory inquiries
• Manage relationships with external employment counsel across EMEA

Required qualifications, capabilities and skills

• Strong academic qualifications
• Solid employment law experience from either the employment department of a law firm, with experience of acting for banks, or equivalent experience within a legal department of a large financial institution
• Sound knowledge of all aspects of employment law, including discrimination, whistleblowing, grievance procedures, disciplinaries, changes to terms and conditions, redundancies, TUPE and reorganisations, drafting and negotiating settlement agreements and experience in employment litigation
• Strong relationship management and people skills with an ability to build and maintain effective partnerships with HR, control partners, business stakeholders and legal colleagues
• Ability to demonstrate ownership of matters and drive them forward, act with urgency as appropriate and, when needed, respond to issues under time critical deadlines
• Lawyer must be licensed to practise law and a member in good standing in the state/jurisdiction in which the position is based or otherwise in compliance with the in-house counsel registration rules of that state/jurisdiction and successfully complete a conflicts of interest clearance review prior to commencement of employment.

Preferred qualifications, capabilities, and skills

• Previous in-house experience, whether on secondment or in employment
• Familiarity with the regulatory requirements applicable to a firm like JPMorganChase
• Experience in dealing with multi-jurisdictional matters and/or advising on local employment law requirements across EMEA