Senior Associate Civil Litigation

Are you looking to further your legal career?

The opportunity:

This client is an independent SRA authorised and regulated legal business offering services to both insured and non-insured clients. Our clients and business partners comprise businesses, high net worth individuals, and associations across a broad spectrum of industries.

They operate out of offices in Manchester, Leeds, London and Croydon and employ over 60 specialist solicitors. Our legal teams guide, support, defend and protect clients through a wide range of key legal services.

We are looking for a commercial litigator (5-10 PQE) to join our legal expenses insurance Civil Litigation team in Manchester. At present the dedicated team comprises of 5 fee earners. The team forms part of the firm's wider Civil Litigation department, which currently comprises of 12 fee earners and 2 legal administrators. This is a hybrid working role with 3 -4 days in the office / 1-2 days working from home.

What you'll be doing:

• Provide initial prospects opinions to insurers on a wide variety of disputes, including those relating to breach of contract, rights over land, trespass, restrictive covenants and easements, boundary disputes, professional negligence and debt

• Manage a case load of your own, including recommending reserves and setting strategies under the supervision of a Partner

• Support the Head of Department with the supervision of solicitors and paralegals, and in achieving the strategic aims of the department. Achieving the department's fee targets and assisting and enabling others to do so by assisting in the development of junior members of the team
• Set and deliver objectives personally and through the team. Set team objectives in conjunction with Head of Department, monitor performance and progress and provide professional guidance to team members as appropriat
• Have a mixed case load of claimant and defendant work
• Work predominantly on cases that are funded under legal expenses insurance policies but will also gain exposure to privately funded matters
• Embrace the challenge of expanding their knowledge into new areas of law
• Deliver clear, accurate and pragmatic advice based on both the legal and commercial realities of a client's position
• Provide our clients with an efficient and courteous service at all times
• Deliver on billing and other key performance indicators
• Ensure all files are progressed and maintained within required standards and in line with relevant procedures
• Have the opportunity to develop your understanding of the insurance industry, by undertaking additional qualifications, and the contribution an insurance panel law firm can make to the success of a large insurance company

Our must haves:

• Have existing commercial litigation experience
• Have a thorough understanding of the Civil Procedure Rules
• Ideally have previous experience dealing with insurance claims (in particular, legal expenses insurance claims), but not essential
• Be accustomed to running your own caseload under appropriate supervision
• Demonstrate strong communication and organisational skills with an ability to prioritise workload
• Good IT skills, certainly with experience in using Microsoft Office 2010 and case management systems (preferably Partner for Windows)
• Deliver against deadlines and display key time management skills when prioritising tasks to ensure compliance with deadlines
• Have high attention to detail and accuracy in their work
• Demonstrate first-class client care and communication skills across all levels
• Demonstrate an ability to develop relationships with key internal and external partners
• Excellent written communication skills
• Be an effective teammate, demonstrating a positive 'can do' attitude and displaying co-operative interaction with team members

What's in it for you:

• A great starting salary plus 10% annual bonus & strong benefits package…
• 25 days paid holiday plus Bank Holidays, with the opportunity to buy / sell extra leave
• Fantastic company pension scheme, private medical and dental cover, life assurance, travel insurance cover, income protection, season ticket loan as well as other great benefits on offer
• There are countless opportunities to learn new skills and develop in your career, and we can provide the support needed to do just that!