Paralegal - Employment / Immigration

Are you keen to find an exciting new role where you will be part of a dynamic, forward-thinking, agile team? If so, come and join us on the journey.

Why Michelmores? Michelmores is the destination law firm for the ambitious, the imaginative and the distinctive. We help enterprises and individuals navigate change to find a positive future.

We are a flexible, friendly and inclusive organisation with as clear a focus on fresh thinking as we have on growth and success. We value and nurture our people’s potential and aspiration and give them a creative, open and collaborative environment in which to develop a career and succeed.

We believe that whatever your legal experience, you’ll find Michelmores different. From day one, we encourage our Paralegals to feel truly part of the team they support and the wider Firm. Our people are approachable and collaborative. Central to our culture is our friendly and flexible environment, which genuinely allows our people to grow and flourish, both professionally and personally. We really care about what we stand for and want to move forward, together.

What sort of work? Our highly experienced Employment & Immigration team is looking for a Paralegal to join our Exeter, Bristol or London team. In this role you will support the team in delivering a first-class service to clients. This will include:

• Responding to new client queries and assessing the scope for the team/firm to assist
• Liaising with existing clients directly to obtain information and evidence required to provide comprehensive advice and support in relation to their matters
• Supporting members of the team to ensure that clients receive the required advice and support within the appropriate timescales, this may involve liaising with the client direct via email, telephone, MS Teams and/or face-to-face meetings
• Attending client meetings with other members of the team to ensure that accurate instructions and information are obtained/retained and the client receives the best possible service
• Reviewing disclosure documents and assisting in the preparation of disclosure and Final Hearing Bundles, and associated Tribunal Documents
• Diarising and ensuring compliance with Employment Tribunal Orders. This will include liaising directly with clients and witnesses
• Supporting members of the team with the preparations of Particulars of Claim, Grounds of Resistance and witness statements
• Attending Tribunal Hearings to support Instructing Solicitor(s)
• Liaising with immigration clients to obtain a full and comprehensive immigration history
• Preparing draft online immigration application forms
• Reviewing and uploading supporting evidenced to the online UKVI portal
• Working with other team members and clients to improve our client processes
• Active participation in business development initiatives
• Reviewing and replying to correspondence
• Completing legal research and be aware of current legislation and legal issues
• Drafting correspondence and security documents such as legal charges
• Working closely with our Partners and Professional Support Lawyer to draft and update document templates
• Managing files diligently and review each regularly
• Managing deal data rooms
• Compliance with internal policies and procedures, ethical standards and regulatory requirements

Why this team? Our Employment team, led by James Baker, supports employers across all sectors, as they face their greatest challenges – especially in cases involving media scrutiny in highly unionised and litigious environments, where legislative uncertainty and organisational change compound pressures. With a focus on lasting relationships and innovative solutions, we work as an expert extension to in-house HR functions, providing reassurance and guidance in difficult, time-sensitive cases involving issues such as complex discrimination claims and whistleblowing investigations.

Our clients rely on our support during complex multi-faceted investigations; large-scale restructuring; the various forms of TUPE; insolvency implications for employees, industrial actions and employment tribunals / civil court enforcement actions. We also help businesses from SMEs to PLCs local authorities, government departments, and third-sector organisations to achieve excellent outcomes in complex employment disputes.

Our Immigration team provides specialist guidance to clients needing to sponsor workers from overseas, supporting them to secure and maintain sponsor licences, understand potential changes to regulations and helping them plan for future growth and visa renewals. We also offer guidance to individuals on a range of matters, from travelling to or settling in the UK to securing British citizenship.

Philip Barth is the Head of the Immigration team. He was named as a Top Recommended Lawyer for Immigration in the Spears 500 list 2023 and has been ranked in Band 1 of Chambers HNW for eight years.

We provide excellent training and career progression opportunities in an inclusive environment.

How do we work? We take a flexible, agile approach to working patterns. As a team we agree together on the best working arrangements that will enable each of us to provide exceptional client service, to collaborate and connect with colleagues, and to achieve the right home/work balance.

Most people in the team choose to work 2-3 days a week in the office, with the balance of time spent working from home, from other offices, at court or client meetings. We pride ourselves on our high-performance culture whilst offering a good work/life balance.

As a Firm we are committed to supporting our people across all levels to achieve the balance they need. We are open to talking about flexible working and empower any candidate to put forward a flexible working pattern to meet their needs.

Who are we looking for? We are looking for somebody who will understand our values and thrive in our culture. The role will be based in our Exeter, Bristol or London office and the ideal candidate will:

• Be an enthusiastic, friendly team player who has excellent attention to detail and a 'can do' approach to work
• Have excellent organisational skills with a methodical approach to workloads with ability to adhere to strict deadlines
• Be able to manage conflicting priorities and deadlines in a flexible and proactive way
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills as the successful candidate will need to deliver outstanding client service, having plenty of day-to-day contact with clients
• Have the ability to work under pressure
• Become a vital member of a busy, friendly team and will thrive from the opportunity to deliver a first-class service to our key clients

Candidates with previous experience of working as a paralegal are desirable. It is essential you have experience of delivering excellent client service to both external and internal clients desirable.

We will consider recent law graduates looking for an entry point into a top Law Firm with a view to further progression, but please note this is a permanent position. This is a great opportunity to join a Firm which believes potential, inspiration, and teamwork should be valued and nurtured.

We work hard to create and sustain an open and collaborative environment. We embrace change and constantly evolve to meet our people’s diverse needs, in the same way that we help our clients to navigate and stay ahead of developments, to move forward together.

Next Steps To apply please click below or if you would like to talk to someone about the role, please call Lisa Gater in our Recruitment Team on 07355677986.

Michelmores LLP is an Equal Opportunities Employer

We do not discriminate on grounds of race, gender, marital status, age, religion, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, disability or sexual orientation in the selection, recruitment and treatment of our staff.

View our Inclusion and Belonging pages for more information.

*No agencies please – any agency assistance will be via invitation only. Please note any speculative candidates submitted via agencies without invitation will not be considered as represented by that agent.