Description:
We are looking for a civil litigator (6-10 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 14 fee earners and 3 legal administrators.
The work is fast-moving, varied and challenging, and the successful candidate will receive full training in our internal practices and procedures.
What you’ll be doing:
- Provide initial prospects opinions to insurers on a wide variety of civil disputes, including those relating to commercial property, rights over land, trespass, restrictive covenants and easements, boundary disputes, breach of contract, professional negligence and debt
- Be expected to manage a case load of their own, including recommending reserves and setting strategies under the supervision of senior fee earners
- 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 in an efficient and courteous service at all times
- Be expected to deliver on billing and other key performance indicators
- Ensure all files are progressed and maintained within required standards and in line with relevant procedure
- Have the opportunity to develop their understanding of the insurance industry 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
- Have technical knowledge of Landlord and Tenant legislation and be experienced in both county court and Lands Tribunal
- Ideally have previous experience dealing with insurance claims (in particular, legal expenses insurance claims), but not essential
- Be accustomed to running their own caseload under supervision
- Demonstrate strong communication and organisational skills with an ability to prioritise workload
- Have good IT skills, certainly with experience in using Microsoft Office 2010 and case management systems (preferably Partner for Windows)
- Be able to work under pressure
- Deliver against tight 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 stakeholders
- Have excellent written communication skills
- Be an effective team player, demonstrating a positive ‘can do’ attitude and displaying co-operative interaction with team members