Employment Lawyer - SA - Special Counsel

Exciting role with real autonomy and a pathway to Principal.

Join a leading South Australian commercial law firm with a recognised employer side employment practice, advising businesses from owner managed operators through to large corporate companies, major construction and building groups, and not for profit organisations.

The firm has been advising South Australian business for more than two decades and has an enviable reputation.

Why this opportunity?

- Step into a genuinely senior role in a recognised employer side practice, acting exclusively for employer clients
- Real autonomy from day one.
- You run your own client relationships and speak directly to decision makers, without a layer between you and the client
- A truly collaborative firm where clients belong to the firm rather than to individual practitioners, so work and credit are shared
- Work alongside an experienced employment and disputes practitioner with deep South Australian market knowledge

The role: Working within the corporate group alongside disputes and transactions, you will advise employer clients across matters including:

- Employment contracts and executive service agreements
- Workplace policies, compliance and risk management
- Industrial relations, enterprise agreements and workplace agreements
- Terminations, unfair dismissal and general protections claims
- Workplace investigations
- Bullying, discrimination and harassment claims and investigations
- Post termination restraints
- Work health and safety
- Restructures, redundancies and organisational change
- Fair Work Commission and tribunal proceedings
- Strategic workplace advisory to boards and executives

You will work with clients across a broad range of industries,



including construction, health and care, professional services and government, helping them manage workplace risk with advice that is commercial and practical rather than academic. The firm is looking for someone with the standing and gravitas to be put in front of its corporate clients in their own right, and the judgement to run those relationships without close supervision.

About you

You will ideally have

- Senior Associate or Special Counsel level experience in employment and workplace relations
- An employer side background acting for corporate and commercial clients
- Genuine breadth across advisory, litigation and workplace investigations
- The presence and gravitas to hold client relationships independently, including with larger corporate clients
- Strong drafting, strategic thinking and commercial judgement
- A collaborative approach and a willingness to contribute to the growth of the practice
- Australian admission and a current practising certificate

Candidates with employment experience gained at boutique, mid tier or national firms are encouraged to apply. What you can expect

- A flat structure with approachable people and no hierarchy to navigate
- Realistic billables of 6 a day
- WFH Wednesday and a collaborative culture.
- Meaningful client responsibility and the autonomy to run matters your way
- A collaborative culture, closer in feel to a London firm than a traditional local practice
- An inclusive setting where people are genuinely accessible across the firm

If you are a senior employment lawyer looking for autonomy, quality corporate work and a firm that shares its clients, I would welcome a confidential conversation.

Apply now

All approaches are treated in strict confidence.

📌 Employment Lawyer (Adelaide)
🏢 PGR Recruitment
📍 Adelaide