Recruitment Supply Chain Solicitors: JMW People Solutions
The recruitment supply chain is a highly regulated environment that continues to change. Employment / recruitment law changes and wider compliance obligations can place increasing demands on business owners, senior executives, managers and in-house teams. JMW People Solutions provides specialist legal and commercial advice that reflects how the supply chain operates in practice, supporting business objectives while managing legal risk.
Our specialist team advises recruitment businesses, umbrella companies, MSPs and neutral and master vendors across the UK on employment law, regulatory compliance, contractual documentation and dispute resolution. We also advise end users of recruitment agencies. Our approach focuses on practical, commercially aware guidance that supports your business, your clients/customers and your candidates.
As specialist recruitment solicitors with longstanding industry experience, we advise on employment contracts, the Agency Workers Regulations, the Conduct Regulations, GLAA matters, restrictive covenants and Employment Tribunal claims, alongside broader commercial agreements and corporate considerations. We also work closely with the sector’s main trade bodies and industry organisations, giving us insight into current challenges facing those in the supply chain.
We understand that your time is limited and your focus remains on growing and protecting your business. JMW People Solutions works as an extension of your organisation, providing clear legal advice, professional support and a personal service from a dedicated legal team.
Our Trade Body Support
Alongside direct client work, our specialist recruitment sector team advises members of leading industry and trade bodies, including:
This close involvement with the recruitment sector allows us to provide informed, up-to-date guidance that reflects current industry practices and regulatory expectations, supporting recruitment businesses as they grow, diversify and adapt.
To speak to our recruitment sector lawyers and find out how we can support your recruitment business, call 0345 872 6666 or complete our online enquiry form.
JMW People Solutions Services
Our specialist recruitment sector team provides recruitment law advice and practical support to recruitment businesses, umbrella companies and employment agencies across the UK. We understand that legal and regulatory issues often require timely input, particularly where employees, agency workers and contractors are concerned. Our recruitment solicitors work closely with senior executives, managers and in-house teams, offering clear guidance that supports your business and reduces exposure to disputes and compliance issues.
We can support your recruitment business with the following services:
- Protecting your business: drafting and reviewing employment contracts, contracts for services, terms of business with clients, contractual documentation for candidates, employee handbooks, social media policies and related workplace policies.
- Agency Workers Regulations advice: advising on the Agency Workers Regulations 2010, implementing compliant processes and policies, addressing complaints and representing recruitment companies in Tribunal claims where agency worker issues arise.
- Employment status and IR35 advice: advising on employment law status for employees, agency workers and self-employed contractors, and reviewing contractual arrangements alongside tax advisers where IR35 or other tax legislation applies.
- Commercial and contractual agreements: drafting and reviewing terms of engagement, neutral vendor and master vendor agreements, service level agreements and other commercial agreements used within the recruitment sector.
- Recruitment business audits: reviewing working practices, documentation and compliance frameworks to identify potential risks and provide clear recommendations.
- Transfer fee disputes: assisting with disputes relating to transfer fees, enforcement issues and associated contractual claims.
- Conduct regulations and compliance: advising on obligations under the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, including compliance support and regulatory guidance.
- People solutions: providing advice on handling employee, worker and self-employed contractor issues across various recruitment companies and operating models.
- Employment disputes and claims: supporting recruitment businesses through ACAS early conciliation and Employment Tribunal proceedings, including drafting responses, managing disclosure and preparing witness statements in cases involving unfair dismissal, discrimination claims and other employment disputes.
- GLAA advice and disputes: advising on GLAA licensing standards, disputes and appeals where regulatory concerns arise.
- Training and resources: delivering training and guidance materials to help recruitment teams understand legal obligations, compliance requirements and sector-specific regulations.
- Immigration support: our immigration lawyers advise on individual visa applications and immigration issues affecting candidates and workers.
- New and evolving recruitment models: advising on emerging and alternative operating models within the recruitment sector, including joint employment arrangements and structures developed in collaboration with industry bodies such as the FCSA.
Our recruitment sector lawyers focus on providing professional, commercially aware legal advice and a personal service, working as an extension of your organisation to support your recruitment services and long-term business objectives.
Meet the Team
Our recruitment solicitors form part of a specialist recruitment sector team with nationally recognised experience in recruitment law and people solutions. We pride ourselves on delivering a personal service combined with practical, commercially focused legal advice for recruitment businesses, umbrella companies and employment agencies across the UK.
The People Solutions team is led by:
Paul Chamberlain
Partner and Head of Employment
Paul leads JMW’s Employment team and brings nearly 30 years’ employment law experience, with nationally recognised expertise in the legal issues affecting recruitment businesses, umbrella companies and employment agencies. He regularly advises on employment status matters, the Agency Workers Regulations, GLAA compliance, the Working Time Regulations and industry-specific regulatory frameworks, and provides training on these topics to clients and sector bodies.
Paul has long-standing relationships with key trade associations including TEAM, the REC, ALP and the FCSA, and acts for senior executives as well as recruitment businesses, giving him deep insight into how legal issues intersect with commercial goals. His pragmatic, commercially aware approach helps clients manage risk while keeping their business moving forward.
Simon Bloch
Partner and Head of Employment
Simon is co-Head of the firm’s Employment team, having joined JMW as a Partner in September 2017.
Simon is nationally recognised for his expertise in the recruitment sector by both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners and has supported recruitment sector clients for over 20 years and has longstanding working relationships with TEAM, REC, FCSA and APSCo.
He has extensive expertise in how legislative and regulatory frameworks apply to employment agencies, particularly the Agency Workers Regulations and other recruitment-specific regulatory requirements. His practical, client-focused guidance helps businesses navigate complex employment law challenges with clarity and confidence, and he is trusted by clients to provide commercially sound solutions that reflect sector realities.
Emma James
Senior Associate, Employment
Emma has over ten years’ experience supporting recruitment businesses and umbrella businesses as well as others in the recruitment sector. She has successfully assisted businesses in the sector with both contentious and non-contentious legal issues and has significant experience advising on regulatory issues and drafting compliant contractual terms.
Emma has conducted audits of recruitment businesses and umbrella businesses and is recognised for her attention to detail and ability to build long-lasting relationships with clients.
Paul, Simon and Emma work alongside other experienced lawyers who have advised various recruitment companies for many years. The team supports clients across the full range of recruitment law, employment law, compliance and dispute resolution issues, and works closely with key trade bodies within the recruitment sector and their members. This close involvement with the industry allows our legal professionals to provide advice that reflects current market practices and regulatory expectations
Recruitment businesses also benefit from access to JMW’s wider legal team, allowing us to provide joined-up commercial advice when matters extend beyond employment and recruitment law.
Our JMW People Solutions Team
How We Can Help You
Expanding your recruitment business, launching a new desk or moving into temporary or contract recruitment can introduce new legal and regulatory considerations. Recruitment companies that have traditionally focused on permanent roles often face additional obligations when supplying agency workers, particularly around employment status, compliance processes and workforce management. We provide recruitment law advice that supports growth while keeping regulatory and commercial risks under control.
Where recruitment businesses move into temporary recruitment, we advise on the practical application of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010, including how these obligations affect working practices, client relationships and internal processes. We also help recruitment teams put appropriate policies and procedures in place, so they understand what is expected of them and how to operate compliantly from the outset.
We also advise on obligations under the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003. These requirements differ depending on whether you operate as an employment agency, an employment business, or both. Our recruitment solicitors help you understand which rules apply to your organisation, review existing documentation and implement compliant processes that align with how your business operates in practice.
Training plays an important role when setting up a new desk or entering a new recruitment sector. We provide guidance and training for consultants on recruitment law, employment law and sector-specific compliance requirements. This is particularly relevant for recruitment companies operating in regulated sectors, such as healthcare, where regulatory scrutiny and the consequences of non-compliance can be greater.
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Get in Touch
If you would like to speak with recruitment solicitors who understand the recruitment sector and the challenges faced by recruitment businesses, our People Solutions team is here to help. We provide clear recruitment law advice, practical guidance and ongoing support tailored to how your organisation operates.