Average Director Legal salary in the UK

About us Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning over 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals 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 and opportunities 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. 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 Responsible Business strategy. Birketts is a certified B Corporation™, and diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 45% of our partnership as of 1 April 2026. The team you will join Our Employment Team sits within the wider Corporate Division. The team specialise in all aspects of employment law facing employers and HR professionals - from everyday operational challenges through to advising on strategic issues.The team currently comprises of specialist qualified employment law solicitors, including partners, working across all offices, making us one of the larger employment teams across the East and South. We have the strength and depth of expertise to ensure we deliver the service you would expect in respect of technical quality, practical approach, and timeliness of advice.Birketts’ Employment Team has experience in all areas of contentious and non-contentious employment law matters, representing clients from a broad range of public and private organisations as well as senior executives. We are proud to act for sector leading clients nationwide and some important and high-profile businesses and institutions across a number of key sectors.Our employment advice is supplemented by a well-developed in-house employment client training offering (known as Shaping Excellence), an immigration team, an employee incentives group and Resolve, which consists of  an HR consultancy service, a workplace investigations service and a team of accredited mediators. The work you will be doing The role holder will be responsible for maintaining and growing client relationships, ensuring the delivery of high-quality legal services and contributing to the strategic direction and success of the firm. You will be commercially astute, technically excellent, and confident in managing complex transactions and an enthusiastic team.   You will be expected to: Play a key role in the growth and development of the teamLeading and mentoring a team of junior lawyers, fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment.Build and maintain strong client relationshipsContribute to thought leadership and sector-focused marketing initiativesAdvising on general employment issues ranging from maternity rights to general contractual issuesDrafting and reviewing employment policies ranging from performance, sickness, and misconduct procedures to maternity and parental leave schemes.Acting for senior executives in relation to recruitment, service agreements, remuneration arrangements, exits, boardroom disputes and negotiated departures.Drafting, reviewing and negotiating employment contracts, executive service agreements, bonus arrangements, incentive plans and workplace policies.Advising on restrictive covenants, confidentiality obligations, team moves and the protection of business interests, including enforcement action where appropriate.Awareness of boardroom disputes and severance claims Employment litigation in the employment tribunal Advising multinational organisations on international employment law issues, including cross-border employment matters, global workforce projects, international restructurings and the coordination of advice from overseas counsel.Conducting settlement negotiations and drafting settlement agreements on behalf of employers Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested. What we are looking for Birketts has designed a 'Talent Management Framework' which provides a career structure that will help us develop, retain and reward talented people.  As a Legal Director, we typically expect candidates to have a minimum of 8 years PQE. Ability to supervise and mentor team members and contribute to team developmentBusiness development acumen with experience in growing a client base and identifying new business opportunities.Strong attention to detail to produce work documentation which is consistently of a high standardProfessional integrity and a commitment to providing excellent client serviceTo be competent in using Microsoft Word, Excel, time recording software, case management, Outlook and digital dictation Any information provided in relation to PQE should be used for guidance only and will not be determinative in the recruitment decision. Applicants will be considered on their individual merits.  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. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.  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 servicePrivate 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 InsurancePaid CSR DayEnhanced Maternity/Paternity LeaveSubsidis

Legal Director - Commercial Litigation | ManchesterI'm working on a Legal Director opportunity with a difference for an ambitious commercial litigator looking to step into something less traditional.The firm operates with a highly developed operational support structure, allowing its lawyers to work in a fast-paced, specialist and commercially focused environment.The role will involve: Working on high-profile and complex commercial litigation matters Opportunity for long-term progression A genuinely entrepreneurial and pragmatic approach to legal work A strong focus on commerciality and delivering resultsI'm particularly interested in speaking with commercial litigators who are commercially minded, pragmatic and enjoy operating at pace, rather than simply looking for another traditional law firm environment.At Gleeson Recruitment Group, we embrace inclusivity and welcome applicants of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. We are proud to be a disability confident employer.By applying you will be registered as a candidate with Gleeson Recruitment Limited. Our Privacy Policy is available on our website and explains how we will use your data.

Senior Director - International Employment Law Counsel London (Hybrid - 2-3 days per week) Senior Leadership Opportunity | International ScopeI'm currently supporting a global, highly regarded organisation on the appointment of a Senior Director - International Employment Law Counsel.This is a rare opportunity for a senior employment lawyer to take ownership of employment law strategy across EMEA and other international jurisdictions, partnering directly with executive leadership and HR stakeholders on high-profile, business-critical matters.Key ResponsibilitiesLead complex employment law matters across multiple international jurisdictionsAdvise senior executives and HR leaders on workforce strategy, employee relations and organisational changeSupport restructures, investigations, executive matters and sensitive workplace issuesDevelop and implement employment governance frameworks, policies and compliance programmesProvide strategic advice on cross-border employment issues, risk management and regulatory developmentsSupport major business initiatives including M&A, integrations, transformations and international expansionManage external counsel and coordinate multi-jurisdictional legal strategiesAbout YouMust be a UK qualified Solicitor with significant employment law expertise in the UK and EU regionsExtensive experience advising multinational organisations on complex international employment mattersStrong grounding in UK employment law with exposure across Europe and wider international jurisdictionsProven ability to influence senior stakeholders and provide commercially focused legal adviceExperience handling investigations, restructures, executive employee relations issues and employment disputesComfortable operating autonomously within a fast-paced global environmentWhy Consider This Opportunity?Genuine strategic leadership roleSignificant international exposureDirect access to senior executive stakeholdersOpportunity to shape employment law governance and workforce strategy on a global scaleHybrid working model based in LondonIf you're an experienced UK/ EU qualified Employment Lawyer looking for a high-impact leadership role within a global organisation, I'd be delighted to have a confidential conversation. Please email your most up-to-date CV to me at , stating your notice period, current salary, and availability for an initial call.