“Employment practices and employment lawyers used to be the poor cousins in the legal world, servicing law firms’ corporate departments. That has changed. Now we have a seat at the table,” says Edward Goodwyn, employment partner at Pinsent Masons.
Just 15 years ago, former Simmons & Simmons partner Janet Gaymer founded the Employment Lawyers Association, having already set up Simmons’ own employment department and begun the long process of raising the profile of her chosen practice area. Roll forward to 2007, and the standing of the employment teams in the largest City law firms is far higher. Not only is it a popular area of law to qualify into, but it is proving more lucrative as bluechips demand frequent and complex employment law advice across the globe. In short, employment law has soared in status as the financial implications of ‘getting it wrong’ have become clear.
