Associate Solicitor (4-8 Years PQE) Personal Injury - #1784131

Job Description

Job title: Associate Solicitor

Department: Personal Injury

Location: Liverpool – with hybrid working

Reporting to: Partner

Hours: 9:30am – 5:30pm, Monday to Friday.

Contract: Permanent, full time (4-8 Years PQE)

About The Team

Our Asbestos team specialises in handling a range of complex, asbestos related diseases. We have represented many clients who have sustained serious and terminal conditions and work proactively to ensure our clients get the access to justice, private medical treatment and compensation needed to cover costs of equipment and care at the earliest possible opportunity.

Overall purpose of the role

• Assisting Partners and running their own case load, investigating and pursuing asbestos litigation and undertaking research and business development.
  
  

To assist the firm in achieving its stated professional and commercial objectives.

• The successful candidate will also support business development initiatives as required and provide supervision and mentoring to junior associates and paralegals.
• This opportunity is ideal for a skilled and ambitious asbestos lawyer who is currently operating at a senior level and will be ready to progress to partnership within one to two years. We are however open to discussing earlier partnership prospects for exceptional candidates already operating at the required level.
  
  

Main duties and responsibilities

File Management

• To obtain accurate information and instructions from our clients, analyse the legal and practical aspects of their claims and obtain the necessary documents/evidence to provide preliminary advice on liability/quantum/costs & funding.
• To instruct medico-legal experts to advise on liability, causation and quantum, negotiate acceptable terms for their instruction, ensure their fees are paid promptly, prepare formal instructions and liaise with those experts and/or their secretaries during the running of the case.
• To analyse and advise on strategy, tactics, and how best to achieve the most successful outcome for each client according to the particular circumstances of their case.
• To endeavour to achieve optimum settlements for clients, whether that be pre-litigation, or by conducting litigation through to trial or earlier settlement and to deal with post trial/settlement considerations such as costs and enforcement proceedings, and to consider whether any decision should be appealed.
• To enable clients and/or their litigation friends, where a client lacks capacity, to make informed decisions based on advice on legal and other appropriate considerations e.g. costs, funding and risks of litigation.
• To ensure the timely and effective deployment of others involved in the matter e.g. expert witnesses, enquiry agents, counsel, cost draftsmen.
• To monitor all aspects of the case on behalf of the client and advise on whether subsequent developments affect views previously expressed.
• To heed the procedural timetable and time limits, to make necessary applications where required to protect the client's position.
• To comply with the Civil Procedures Rules.
  
  

Client Relations

• To deal with clients in a sensitive, professional and compassionate way.
• To identify clients' objectives and to seek to further them in a manner consistent with all professional and ethical obligations.
• To anticipate as well as to respond to clients' needs and demands.
  
  

Professional Standards

• To work and behave in a professional manner and within the highest ethical and other standards of the profession.
• Comply with procedures set out in the office manual, professional standards and any requirement set by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or similar interested bodies e.g. Legal Expense Insurers.
• To ensure monetary transactions are dealt with efficiently and in accordance with professional rules.
• To maintain the strictest standards of client confidentiality at all times.
• To participate in the growth and development of the department/firm.
  
  

Management of resources

• To assist the firm in maximising income and profitability by effective time recording, billing and staff planning.
• To delegate appropriately and to supervise and motivate reporting staff.
• Sharing of information with colleagues
• Wherever possible, to utilise I.T. to provide a quality, cost effective and efficient service to clients.
  
  

Business development and marketing

• Support with the business development strategy for asbestos claims to grow and develop this practice.
• To provide support in undertaking business development tasks with existing clients
• Familiarity and use of social media platforms is helpful
• Participate in the wider Personal Injury team's strategy by attending presentations, seminars, writing articles, and activities with wider professional and other relevant organisations as required.
  
  

Compliance and risk management

• To always maintain the strictest concern for and awareness of the need for GDPR and data protection and in accordance with the Firm's internal policies.
• To immediately report any compliance or risk management concerns to the relevant persons without delay.
  
  

Learning & development

• Stay updated on relevant law developments to ensure accurate and up-to-date advice to clients.
• To ensure learning and development plans are completed and that records are up to date and compliant with SRA and Lexcel requirements.
• To support with the training and development of more junior staff members as required.
  
  

Other Responsibilities

• Any other tasks as might from time to time be required.
  
  

Performance Measured By

• Conducting matters on behalf of clients to their satisfaction.
• Careful file management and the keeping of detailed contemporaneous attendance. notes of all work done on behalf of our clients.
• Compliance with time recording requirements and reaching financial targets.
• Efficiency in dealing with work and accuracy of work produced.
• Ability to work with initiative, maintaining a flexible and responsible approach.
• Knowledge and use of court rules and procedures.
• Personal development and contribution to the overall objectives of the firm.
• Good attendance and timekeeping.
  
  

Person Specification

• Ability to demonstrate a commitment to equality, access to justice and affordable legal advice of the highest quality.
• Qualified lawyer with solid demonstrable experience in asbestos litigation. Preferably an APIL accredited Asbestos and Occupational Disease Specialist It would ideally suit lawyers with 4-8 years of relevant post qualification experience (or equivalent experience).
• Sympathy with the aims and interests of asbestos sufferers and their families
• Demonstrable knowledge in conduct of cases from initial advice through to trial.
• Substantial experience in calculating losses in Schedule of Loss (often large and complex).
• Relevant experience in analysing complex factual and legal situations and advising clients in accordance with their aims.
• Substantial experience in dealing sensitively with clients and experts, providing solutions and managing difficult situations and conversations.
• Ability to analyse complex factual and legal situations and advise as to the critical path that should be followed.
• Some relevant experience in creating new business opportunities.
• Solid experience in using a variety of IT packages (MS Word, Excel, Case Management Systems and Outlook).
• Excellent communication skills, demonstrated by ability to communicate accurately, clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.
• Excellent time management skills demonstrated by ability to organise and prioritise a complex workload and work to tight deadlines.
• Experience in working and contributing in a team environment, including supervision and mentorship of junior colleagues.