NQ-Senior Associate - Direct Construction

Are you looking for a role that challenges you intellectually while offering support, industry-leading work quality, client contact, and real flexibility?

An opportunity in DAC Beachcroft’s highly rated Construction and Engineering team may be for you.

As one of the largest construction and engineering practices in the UK, we have more than 50 senior lawyers working on construction and engineering projects in the UK, Ireland and around the world.

We provide trusted advice from project start to completion, negotiating the best position for you and drafting clear, commercial and bespoke agreements. Our role frequently includes giving commercial and contractual advice on dispute avoidance, as well as formal dispute resolution processes.

Our teams work collaboratively across these disciplines and, whilst everyone will have their area of particular expertise, we encourage cross-working so colleagues have genuine variety in their work and can use their rounded expertise to provide creative, bespoke solutions for our clients.

With over 30 construction and engineering specialists across Newcastle and Leeds, we’re seeking those from NQ to Senior Associate level to join our Legal 500 Band 1 ranked team.

Key responsibilities of the role:

Adjusted based on seniority level:

• Progress and manage High Court litigation, adjudication, arbitration and related proceedings.
• Draft documents, deal with correspondence and manage the relevant procedural process; supporting in larger matters as well as managing own caseload.
• Use a strong understanding of the factual and commercial context to drive tactical thinking and decision-making from the outset of disputes.
• Help to develop a reputation for leading client service, taking responsibility and being encouraged to strengthen existing relationships and develop new ones.
• Support marketing and business development activity, contributing to strategic thinking and helping to implement it.
• Build an awareness of the firm's other services and effective internal and external networks.
• Maintain an awareness of the firm's strategies and plans.
• Maintain and develop technical knowledge through attendance at training sessions, reading appropriate publications and exceeding Law Society CPD requirements. Handle confidential information in line with the firm's data security protocols.

Key Technical / Knowledge:

Due to our growth and the reshaping strategy, we are open minded about the qualification level of the candidates we see and also welcome applications from candidates wishing to develop an alternative specialism.

We are most interested in what you think you can bring to the role and the team, and whether we are the right fit for you.

You will therefore:

• Be a qualified solicitor (NQ-Senior Associate): Some experience in construction and engineering law would be desirable but not essential, dependent on seniority level.
• Experience in a commercially focused firm or experience in litigation would provide a useful foundation for the role.
• Have good relationship and client handling skills, commensurate with your experience.
• Be able to deal confidently and professionally with clients on day to day issues
• Be able to demonstrate a good level of self-sufficiency, and manage a caseload including more complex and high value disputes.
• Be change oriented with a positive, flexible approach towards the implementation of new initiatives.
• Be team oriented and collegiate with a willingness to share knowledge with and support other members of the team.
• Demonstrate a willingness to work hard as part of a highly ambitious and driven team to help it continue to develop and to achieve its objectives.

About DAC Beachcroft

We are a leading international legal business with over 3,000 colleagues and a diverse range of capabilities. We are market leaders in insurance, health and real estate but with a full-service offering, including growing Financial Services and Tech capabilities. We represent a wide range of clients – from household names to government departments and NHS bodies. We act for nearly all of the top-20 UK and global insurers, we're market leaders in the provision of strategic, commercial and regulatory advice to providers and commissioners in the health sector, and in real estate we advise all of the UK’s top-five housebuilders.

We are a fast-growing international business with offices around the globe. In addition to our 11 UK offices, we also have offices in Bogota, Buenos Aires, Dublin, Lima, Hong Kong, Madrid, Mexico City, Miami, Milan, New York, Paris, Rome, Santiago, and Singapore plus a broad network of affiliations across the globe.

At DAC Beachcroft we are committed to and recognise the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion across the board, including and beyond the protected characteristics. We take decisions based solely on merit. We value, welcome and seek out people with different backgrounds and life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, ways of thinking and identities.