Personal Injury Paralegal / Legal Executive

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.

Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 5th best law firm to work at in 2024.

With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 40% of our partnership.

The department

The Shipping & International Trade Team acts on complex, high value multi-jurisdictional and cross-border shipping, marine, marine insurance and international trade disputes for UK and international clients in all major international jurisdictions.

Our 20 strong team is based in Ipswich, London,Bristol and Cambridge and has wide experience of acting in arbitrations under LMAA, LCIA, LME, ICC, GAFTA and Sugar Association rules in the English High Court.

The Team can assist in multi-jurisdictional disputes in all parts of the world and with the global enforcement of arbitration awards and judgements. Services range from bills of landing and cargo claims, charter-parties and marine insurance disputes to insurance policy working, international dispute resolution and international sales. Our expertise also extends to cruise and ferry line operations, claims and disputes and ship arrest.

Purpose of job

Supporting the specialist team within marine insurance claims with a particular focus on marine related casualties. Our lawyers handle a wide range of personal injury claims involving passengers, crew and shore side workers engaged in all areas of the marine industry including fishing. With extensive experience advising on marine litigation, Athens Convention claims and Admiralty Court procedure – we are regularly instructed to carry out accident investigation and provide support in the immediate aftermath of a marine casualty.

We seek an experienced Personal Injury Paralegal or CILEX qualified individual to assist with a mixed case load of defendant personal injury work to include:

• Demonstrate specific experience of handling personal injury claims on behalf of defendants / their insurers
• Assist in the management of a caseload of litigated and pre-litigated PL / EL personal injury claims - These will be fast track, intermediate track and multi-track claims
• Draft legal documents including defences, witness statements, instructions to counsel, and court applications.
• Assist with the investigation of accidents and be prepared to travel throughout the UK at short notice and weekends if required
• Liaise with clients, insurers, witnesses, and third parties with confidence and personability as appropriate.
• Conduct legal research and prepare case summaries.
• Ensure compliance with court deadlines and procedural rules (CPR).
• Support senior team members with complex and high-value claims.
• Attend court hearings and case conferences where appropriate.
• Maintain accurate case records
• Demonstrate experience in operating the Claims Portal
• Liaise with the DWP to obtain and manage CRU certificates as well as assist in the process of reviewing CRU certificates

The candidate

Birketts has designed a career structure that will help us develop, retain and reward talented people. Promotion is based on assessment of your performance, competency and achievements all of which is openly and clearly set out in our Talent Management Framework. This transparency is important to us and our culture and is well received by all colleagues. We actively encourage development, with a regular dialogue between individuals and supervisors to discuss career goals and aspirations. All employees within the team have a ‘buddy’ to monitor work type and provide support.

This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious junior lawyer to join a growing team in a successful firm which enjoys an enviable reputation and can offer excellent career prospects.

Equal opportunities

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Alongside a flexible and inclusive work environment, we offer the following core benefits:

• 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
• Dress for your Day Policy

https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.