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Dan Easton, Ewan Tant and Clare Spearpoint are looking to appoint up an associate to work in the Industrial Disease team within the Personal Injury department. Their team is involved in representing clients who have suffered from asbestos-related diseases, silicosis and other industrial diseases, including acting for claimants with limited life expectancies.
The ideal candidate will have previous personal injury experience, and be able to demonstrate a keen interest in specialising in industrial disease claims. Candidates should be able to work fast under pressure due to the tight timelines associates with these types of cases, and also understand the challenges that arise from working with terminally ill clients or bereaved families.
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 advise on limitation dates and to act promptly once instructed and/or to provide preliminary advice on liability/quantum/costs & funding.
- To advise clients on the merits of their claims.
- To identify appropriate medico-legal experts to advise on liability 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, where appropriate, to achieve settlement pre-litigation; otherwise to conduct 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 and/or Employment Tribunal 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.
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 Legal Services Commission 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.
Other Responsibilities
- To delegate appropriately and to supervise and motivate reporting staff.
- To anticipate as well as to respond to clients' needs and demands.
- Sharing of information with colleagues.
- To participate in the growth and development of the department/firm.
Marketing: social and technical
- To include presentation of seminars, writing articles, joining and participating in professional and other relevant organisations.
- To raise your profile through the department's marketing initiatives.
Management of resources
- To assist the firm in maximising income and profitability by effective time recording, billing and staff planning.
Training
- To keep up to date with developments in law and practice.
- Individuals who need CPD hours must keep their records up to date and comply with the relevant CPD requirements.
Information technology
- Wherever possible, to utilise IT to provide a quality, cost effective and efficient service to clients.
- To maintain the strictest concern for and awareness of the need for data protection at all times.
- 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.
- Newly qualified lawyer, with a demonstrable interest in working in the relevant area of law.
- Demonstrable knowledge in conduct of cases from initial advice through to trial.
- Experience in calculating losses in Schedule of Loss (often large and complex).
- Substantial experience in dealing sensitively with clients and experts, providing solutions and managing difficult situations and conversations.
- Solid awareness of the general legal and ethical principles and able to apply those to different situations.
- Solid research skills using on-line systems.
- 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.
- Substantial experience in working and contributing in a team environment.
