Solicitor-Senior Associate - Construction & Engineering

DAC Beachcroft LLP; North East; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm is seeking a Solicitor-Senior Associate for its Construction & Engineering team in Newcastle. This role involves managing High Court litigation, drafting documents, and engaging with clients. Candidates should be qualified solicitors with experience in construction law preferred. The firm values team collaboration and offers an environment for professional growth and client engagement.

Qualifications

• Experience in construction and engineering law desirable but not essential.
• Experience in a commercially focused firm or litigation provides a useful foundation.
• Ability to deal confidently with clients on day-to-day issues.

Responsibilities

• Progress and manage High Court litigation and related proceedings.
• Draft documents and manage your own caseload.
• Support marketing and business development activities.

Skills

Relationship and client handling skills

Strong understanding of commercial context

Self-sufficiency in managing caseload

Flexibility towards new initiatives

Team orientation and collaboration

Education

Qualified solicitor (~2PQE+)

Job description

Solicitor-Senior Associate - Construction & Engineering

Department: Professional and Commercial Risk

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Newcastle

Description

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 looking to expand our Legal 500 Band 1 ranked team.

Key Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

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 (~2PQE+); 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.