Construction Disputes Solicitor 1-5 PQE

Norton Rose LLP; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - GBP 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm based in Leeds is seeking a Solicitor or Associate with 1-5 years of PQE to join their growing construction disputes team. This role involves handling high-value construction disputes and requires excellent drafting and legal analysis skills. The ideal candidate will thrive in a flexible work environment, be client-focused, and ready to tackle challenging legal cases. Opportunities for development and mentorship are abundant within the firm.

Benefits

Minimum 25 days holiday

Discretionary bonus scheme

Private medical insurance

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in contentious construction dispute resolution.
• Ability to work on high-value, complex construction disputes.

Responsibilities

• Advise clients on a wide range of construction dispute matters.
• Work within a national team across multiple offices.

Skills

Excellent drafting and legal analysis skills

Ability to manage time efficiently

Client liaison skills

Education

Qualified Solicitor with PQE 1-5

Job description

Location Leeds

Description

Make a Real Impact

Bevan Brittan is a leadingcommercial law firm. Alongside our recognised expertise in housing,local government, and health and social care, we are specialists inthe construction, energy and resource management, higher educationand financial services sectors.

Supported by our valued businessservices professionals, our award-winning and growing legal teamsprovide almost 2,000 organisations with commercial, corporate,property, finance, regulatory, employment and litigation (commercialand clinical negligence) legal and advisory services.

As a responsible business, weembrace four values: Relationships, Reputation, Responsible andResults. These give us a sense of purpose. They influence thedecisions we make and how we work with each other. Importantly, theymotivate us to deliver meaningful outcomes for our clients and thecommunities that we're part of.

Consistently recognised as one ofThe Times Best Law Firms and highly ranked across the legaldirectories, we are proud of our hard-earned reputation. Our 2023/24financial results confirmed both revenue and profit growth for aneleventh consecutive year, ensuring our ability to continueinvesting in our people.

Looking to the future, we'retargeting ambitious growth and success. And we're looking for thebest people to be part of it.

Join a team of experts andprogressive thinkers

We are proud to have a nationally recognised, award winningconstruction disputes team, led by expert Partners including:

• Louise Robling, who heads the team and is based in Bristol. Louiseis recognised as a "Leading Individual" in Legal 500(where our Bristol construction practice is ranked in Band One)
• Judith Hopper, who is based in our Leeds office and specialises inPFI/ PPP and projects disputes. Judith is a recommended lawyer inLegal 500 (where our Leeds construction practice is ranked in Band Three)
• Sarah Wilson, who is also based in our Leeds office and works on arange of construction disputes, including a number of adjudicationsprimarily on behalf of contractors. Sarah is also a recommendedlawyer in Legal 500

Our contentious team is based in Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds; ourtransactional colleagues work across all four of our offices. Weroutinely work across different offices and truly operate as anational team.

Bevan Brittan has strong recognition in the independent legaldirectories for its construction practice - Chambers & Partnersand Legal 500. In both guides, we are consistently ranked in the toptiers for our practices across the UK, with multiple individualsrecognised as leading lawyers.

"The team offers a personal service and a broad spectrum oflegal experience" Chambers, 2026

"Louise is very open, honest and nothing is too much. She is able to quickly grasp the concept of the issue we have and find the most appropriate solution, supporting us to the conclusion" Legal 500, 2026

The Role

As our construction team continues to grow, we are looking for a 1 -5 PQE Solicitor or Associate to work from our Leeds office, as part ofthe team focusing on contentious construction dispute resolution andadvisory work.

Our national construction team currently has 5 partners, withambitious plans for future growth at all levels. You will be involvedin advising on a wide range of construction dispute matters, rangingfrom traditional final account/loss and expense type claims, tosignificant defect issues and PFI/projects disputes.

Our panel appointments mean that you will have the opportunity towork on high value, complex instructions including local authorities,NHS Trusts and housing associations. The wider relationships withinthe construction team will also expose you to working within the widerconstruction industry, including developers, funders and contractors.Some recent examples include:

• A significant Court of Appeal win in relation PFI disputeresolution procedures
• A £30 million plus dispute for an NHS Trust arising from latecompletion, significant compensation event claims and defects on theconstruction of a high-profile mental health facility
• Multiple high-value claims arising from non-compliant claddingreplacement at at 65 building high rise development in East London
• A successful £23 million PFI highways adjudication for a localauthority arising from previously certified milestones
• A multi-million-pound adjudication for a global engineeringcompany in respect of a dispute over payments
• Acting for a subcontractor in a contract adjudication under NEC 3,dispute resolution clause W1 for claim value of over £1m relating toadditional time and cost
• Acting for an authority in examining the impact of the change inenvironmental legislation on the construction of an energy fromwaste PFI project, and the contractual responsibility for thecapital costs to be incurred as a consequence, which are estimatedat £30m.

What we are looking for from you

The successful candidate will have the ability to manage their owntime efficiently, possess excellent drafting and legal analysis skillsand have an ability to liaise effectively with clients.

Most importantly, we are looking for ambitious lawyers who want towork as part of a high-quality team, taking on challenging work in thedevelopment of their careers. The partners have ambitious plans forgrowth and so career prospects are excellent for the right candidate,with plenty of mentoring and support available from senior team members.

We are happy to consider candidates who are looking to work flexiblyand welcome applications from those who are seeking a part-time ratherthan full-time position. There are no requirements in relation to aparticular number of days in the office. We prefer our teams to have ahigh degree of flexibility to determine where they will work frombased on client and team needs.

Work with approachable people

When we ask colleagues what makes Bevan Brittan a great place towork, the most popular thing they say is "the people". Theoverwhelming consensus is that we make time for each other. We welcomequestions and support each other. Naturally, we look for newcolleagues who align with our values.

Supported to be your best

We operate a hybrid working model based on the needs of our clients,teams and people. Our core business hours are 9am - 5:15pm Monday toFriday, but we're open to our people working more flexibly aroundthose times and welcome a conversation with you if you have anyquestions about this. We try to offer you the flexibility to work yourweek in a way that suits you.

Learning, Development & Progression

We're committed to supporting your professional and personaldevelopment needs. This means that we offer a range of tailoredtraining courses and you will have lots of opportunity to learn fromthose around you. We actively encourage progression and this isreflected in our annual review and promotion processes. You will besupported by your line manager to achieve your full potential.

As a Bevan Brittan employee, you'll have access to a variety ofservices that support your wellbeing. We've pledged our commitment toThe Mindful Business Charter and lots of our people contribute to ourWellbeing Responsible Business strand, which organises an annualcalendar of wellbeing events and initiatives.

• A minimum of 25 days holiday(plus the option to buy up to an additional 5 days)
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Private medical insurancethrough Vitality
• Biennial private healthassessment through Nuffield Health
• Life assurance
• Access to Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to work scheme

Embracing our differences and valuing inclusion

Our shared aim is that everyone is welcome and can feel comfortable being themselves atBevan Brittan. To support this, we actively value and promoteequality, diversity and inclusion in everything that we do. You'll beempowered and supported through our employee led networks, diversecolleagues, and a broad range of firm-wide initiatives.

Recognising the unique contributions that a diverse workforce canbring to our business, we encourage applications from people of allbackgrounds. We take great pride in being a Disability ConfidentEmployer. If you need any adjustments throughout the recruitmentprocess or have any questions, please get in touch with ourrecruitment team by emailing [e-mail]

Acting responsibly, now and forthe future

To us, being a responsible business is second nature; a core part ofBevan Brittan's identity. Our colleagues are heavily involved inshaping and delivering activity across the four pillars of our Responsible Business strategy :Community Engagement; Environmental Sustainability; Equality,Diversity & Inclusion; and Wellbeing.

Our people deliver pro bono legal work for charities andnot-for-profit organisations. We play an active role in our localcommunities and donated £100,000 across our four regional officecharities last year. We are also proudly carbon neutral. We'veachieved the UN's Climate Neutral Now accreditation and ourenvironmental sustainability plan focuses on achieving our net zerocarbon target by 2040.

Collectively, the four pillars ensure we look after our colleagues'wellbeing; offer an environment in which everyone can progress onmerit, give something back to the communities in which we work; andprotect the environment.