Commercial Litigation Associate / Senior Associate

The role

We're looking for a commercially astute and talented Commercial Litigation Associate or Senior Associate (1+ PQE) to join our growing Litigation, Regulatory & Compliance (LRC) team in Manchester.

This is an excellent opportunity to work in our nationally recognised commercial litigation team on a broad range of complex, high value disputes. With a loyal and expanding client base that includes FTSE listed companies, multinational organisations, entrepreneurs, and high growth businesses, you'll play a key role in advising clients through their most significant and business critical disputes.

As part of a collaborative national practice, you'll have the opportunity to work across multiple sectors and jurisdictions, developing your expertise while helping to shape the continued growth of our litigation offering.

The Team

Shoosmiths is making significant investment in its litigation practice with a clear ambition to be a market leading destination for contentious work.

Our Litigation, Regulatory & Compliance team advises businesses on all aspects of dispute resolution, whether through court proceedings, arbitration, adjudication, mediation, or other forms of alternative dispute resolution. With litigators across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland we provide seamless coverage across all UK jurisdictions and regularly advise on international disputes.

The wider practice comprises a number of specialist teams, including:

• Commercial Litigation
• Financial Services Disputes & Investigations
• Insurance
• Competition
• IP Litigation
• Regulatory & Compliance
• Telecoms and Technology Disputes

Working closely with colleagues across these disciplines, you'll have access to a breadth of expertise and a genuinely collaborative platform from which to develop your career.

Main Responsibilities

You will have responsibility for managing a varied caseload of commercial disputes, while working closely with partners and senior colleagues on larger, strategically important matters. Responsibilities will include:

• Advising clients on a wide range of commercial disputes and contentious matters.
• Managing litigation through all stages of the dispute lifecycle, from pre action strategy through to trial, enforcement and settlement.
• Drafting pleadings, witness statements, expert instructions, applications and correspondence.
• Supporting and, where appropriate, leading on mediation, settlement negotiations and other forms of ADR.
• Working with clients across a range of sectors, including technology, financial services, real estate, manufacturing and retail.
• Coordinating with colleagues across offices and specialist practice areas on complex and multi disciplinary matters.
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships and becoming a trusted adviser.
• Contributing to business development initiatives, thought leadership and client events.
• Supporting the development and supervision of junior lawyers and trainees.

Skills And Experience

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales with at least 1 year of PQE
• Strong technical grounding in commercial litigation gained within a reputable private practice team.
• Experience managing a broad range of commercial disputes, including High Court litigation.
• Excellent drafting, analytical and problem solving skills.
• Strong commercial awareness and an ability to provide practical, solutions focused advice.
• Confidence managing client relationships and taking ownership of matters.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A collaborative approach and a willingness to work as part of a national team.
• An interest in business development and contributing to the continued growth of the practice.

Experience in any of the following areas would be advantageous, but is not essential:

• Technology and telecoms disputes.
• Financial services disputes.
• Cross border litigation.
• Arbitration.
• Regulatory investigations or related contentious matters.

The firm

Shoosmiths is the law firm clients choose for excellent service, incisive thinking and above all for our ability to focus on what matters. From offices across the UK and Brussels, we support some of the world’s most exciting and ambitious businesses; amazing clients making an impact. We empower our people to be their authentic selves and deliver together in supportive teams committed to excellence and innovation. The first top 50 law firm to achieve ‘Platinum Standard’ Investors in People, our values and culture are not just words on our website but are the heartbeat of the firm.

We have an outstanding benefits package to complement our competitive remuneration system. In addition to the competitive salaries, great working environment and high-quality work, we believe that all staff should be rewarded for their commitment to the continued success of the firm through a comprehensive and flexible range of benefits.

To discover more about our benefits, please visit: Benefits Package

Shoosmiths is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. Disability Confident is a government scheme designed to encourage employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term conditions.

As part of our accreditation, we commit to interviewing any applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for each vacancy. In some circumstances we may only be able to interview those that best meet the essential criteria due to the volume of applications received.

Further information on the Disability Confident scheme is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to and usable by everyone. If you have a disability or long-term condition and would like to receive information in a different way, or need us to make any adjustments, changes or do anything differently during the recruitment process, please get in touch with the Talent Acquisition team on Experienced.Hire@shoosmiths.com. We can consider your needs and requirements, and how we can assist you to apply for our roles. For example we can provide a copy of our application via email so that you can complete it using your own accessibility software.

Our approach to our people is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well-being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues.

This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.

Equal opportunities

Our approach to our people is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well-being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues.

This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.