Associate/Senior Associate

Department: Professional and Commercial Risk

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Newcastle

You will play an active role in the continued growth and success of the financial professionals team in Bristol, although we are flexible as to your location for this role. The team's clients include leading firms of accountants, financial advisers, pensions professionals and insolvency practitioners. We deal with high value, complex and interesting claims which are sometimes international in nature. The claims we handle include court proceedings and FOS and POS referrals and our work very often comes with a fiscal or regulatory angle to it. We also support clients involved in regulatory investigations by the FRC, ICAEW and FCA. Our focus is always on achieving the best outcome possible for the client.

The team has grown rapidly in recent years and consists of 2 partners, 2 legal directors and approximately 10 other lawyers who regularly work in the area. High work levels coupled with anticipated future growth mean there is an opportunity for an experienced lawyer to join the team and progress their career. For the right candidate this could include entry as a Senior Associate or a career path to promotion to that level.

We work in close collaboration with our wider professional indemnity and commercial litigation practices in Bristol, as well as nationally. The Bristol based professional indemnity practice is ranked in Tier 1 in both the Legal 500 and Chambers directories, with a number of leading individuals named. It is the longest established professional negligence team in Bristol, acting for most of the leading insurers, as well as large professional services firms and with specialist service lines covering all the key professional and financial lines of business, including, in addition to accountancy and financial services, the legal, surveying, insurance broking and construction sectors.

We are looking for an experienced lawyer to assist in the defence of professional indemnity claims, particularly in the financial professionals line of business. The role will involve acting as a point of contact for clients, managing a caseload with supervision and supporting Partners in larger matters. Specific responsibilities include but are not restricted to:

• Responsibility for conducting both pre-action and litigated matters as well as assisting more senior fee-earners.
• Advising insurers on coverage across a range of insurance policies and issues.
• Acting as a point of contact for clients, demonstrating a level of knowledge and skill commensurate with experience.
• Reporting to Insurers and conducting work according to insurer protocols and SLAs.
• Participating in and initiating marketing and business development activity in order to maintain and develop work from existing clients and potential clients. Including by presenting and assisting in client and other external seminars and writing articles.
• Providing supervision and coaching to junior fee earners.
• Maintaining and developing technical knowledge through attendance at training sessions, reading appropriate publications and exceeding Law Society CPD requirements.
• Ensuring full compliance with DAC Beachcroft protocols on billing and credit control and demonstrate a high level of financial management when supporting others in managing files and in relation to own files, where appropriate.

• A qualified solicitor of more than 4 PQE will be considered. Previous experience dealing with financial professional claims is essential. Experience of advising on professional indemnity coverage issues is highly desirable.
• A desire to specialise in financial professional claims and the complex, technical issues they involve is essential.
• Good numeracy and an interest in financial/money related matters and tax.
• Solid academic track record at degree and CPE and/or LPC level (or equivalent).
• Excellent relationship and client handling skills. Able to deal confidently and professionally with insured and insurer clients on day to day issues.
• Able to operate with a high level of self-sufficiency, combined with an awareness of the boundaries of own competence/authority.
• A demonstrable ability to adopt a client focused and commercial perspective rather than an 'academic' approach to legal issues, coupled with a keen grasp of legal issues, as these arise (demonstrating a clear ability to learn quickly 'on the job').
• Change oriented with a positive, flexible approach towards the implementation of new initiatives.
• Team oriented and collegiate with a willingness to share knowledge with and support other members of the team.
• Willingness to work hard as part of a highly ambitious and driven team to help it continue to develop and to achieve its objectives.