Choosing the best employment solicitors for your panel

For any UK business, making sure you have the best employment solicitors to work with is a vital part of the role of General Counsel. Employment law is a critical aspect of any company’s operation. Compliance at all stages of the employee lifecycle - from advertising and recruitment through the life of the employment contract, to termination is the only way to avoid costly Employment Tribunal litigation. Good Employment practices also make for happy employees which can be of significant benefit to any UK business. Choosing from the employment law firms in London is not always easy, so it’s worth taking time when considering your panel.

Expertise from a niche Employment firm

No UK business can predict when it will need employment law advice – or what employment law issue you will face on any given day. From discrimination to dismissal, contractual changes to TUPE transfers, staff handbook updates to collective bargaining, employment law is as broad as human nature. On top of all that, there may be changes in the law (and in employment law, there are many changes!) for which some notice is given, but the challenge of remaining up to date can be significant.

For many organisations with a small in house legal team – may be just a sole General Counsel – or for organisations with no in-house employment law capability, keeping on top of the latest developments can be a challenge. Working with a niche Employment firm means you can breathe a little easier knowing that the expert team you have engaged will be on hand to support your organisation through any changes.

Consider the flexibility of a partner arrangement for employment law solutions

Although employment law issues can arise at any time, and take many different forms, from handling a tricky disciplinary or a messy grievance matter, dealing with a settlement agreement negotiation to the wholescale updating of employment law procedures, or the writing of a new legally compliant HR policy, there may be times when your UK business has no need for a UK Employment lawyer on hand – and yet other days when you might wish you had several of the top employment law firms working solely for your organisation! For many organisations, this fluctuation in the need for employment law advice means that it may be more cost effective to have a partner arrangement with a top employment law firm that you can call on when needed.

You should be able to reach an agreement on fees and perhaps a monthly retainer that allows access to an experienced Employment solicitor when you need it.

Refresh your panel to ensure competitive and top quality employment law advice

Carrying out a review of an existing panel of law firms can eat in to valuable business time. However, the results can be worth it. If your incumbent employment law advisors are not offering value for money, or you have been concerned with the experience they have delivered in terms of flexibility and standard of advice and support offered, a review is a timely way to address this. Time is a precious commodity and taking the time to take a measured approach to reviewing your panel of employment law advisors will deliver in the longer term. It’s a wise investment for any UK business to make to ensure you receive the best, both the best employment lawyers and the best employment law advice for your business.

Choose a firm that fits with your UK business

There are many top employment solicitors operating in the UK – choosing which one to work with is down to personal preference. OTS Solicitors make it part of their business to hire the sharpest legal talent around – intelligent and practical employment law advice is what we specialise in, working with organisations to support them in their business objectives, while delivering timely and accurate employment law advice.

Look for complimentary skills and services

Running a business is not just about employment law. When choosing a panel, you will undoubtedly be looking for the best employment lawyers – but look to what additional skills and experience they may have. For example, if you routinely recruit from outside the EEA, it may be of benefit to have an Employment lawyer skilled in Immigration matters working with you. Satisfying the Ter 2 Sponsor Licence regime and remaining compliant is no easy task – so working with a firm that can assist not only with employment law advice but also business immigration matters can offer a more seamless approach to legal services.

OTS Solicitors offer high quality employment law advice and business immigration advice to employers and employing organisations at all levels. With a team of legal experts on hand to tackle all aspects of employment law and business immigration law, we can offer a ‘one stop shop’ to employing organisations. To discuss working with OTS Solicitors, call 0203 959 9123.