Associate - Construction Disputes

Trowers & Hamlins is a City-led, international and national law firm with over 170 partners and 1000 staff. With offices across the UK, Middle East and Asia. Our global footprint is further enhanced by our strategic partnership with Interlaw which works to facilitate our management of multi-jurisdictional matters. We have leading practices in Corporate, Litigation, Tax, Banking and Finance, Real Estate and Private Wealth.

We've always been proud of our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and value the variety of our partnership. We are different and we believe it is our people that make us unique. We expect and respect that you and your talents are too. Our strategic direction is shaped by a desire to grow our business in a way that is responsible and sustainable and has the principles of ESG at its core, guiding the way we operate firmwide.

Construction is core to what we do, and our team enjoys a formidable reputation across the industry. Our work focuses on a broad scope of UK contentious construction matters which sees us acting for both private and public sector developers. Our experience extends across all the major contract forms (JCT, NEC, ICE, FIDIC, PPC and GC Works) as well as PFI and bespoke contracts.

As part of a dedicated 27 strong national contentious construction team you can also expect to work alongside colleagues on work which is being led out of our other UK offices as well as, working closely with our London real estate practice in advising developers, major international and domestic contractors, consultants and public sector bodies such as central and local government, and social housing providers. To accommodate year-on-year growth in client work we are seeking Associates to join our team in London.

What you'll be doing

• Alternative dispute resolution, including adjudication, mediation, the resolution of claims under the pre-action protocol for construction and engineering disputes and litigation
• Dispute avoidance and risk management
• Contractual interpretation
• Professional negligence
• Domestic projects in the main but with the opportunity to become involved in international matters
• Play an active role in business development and work to raise the firm's profile and help win new business
• Collaborate closely with colleagues in other offices and other practice areas, and travel as required
• Participate in firm-wide and departmental training sessions
• Initiate, build and maintain effective client relationships
• Ensure files are managed in compliance with Lexcel procedures

What you'll need

The firm has a Career Development Framework which sets out the competencies we expect of those at the Associate grade. In particular for this role we require:

• Qualified solicitor with up to 2 years' experience in contentious construction
• Experience of adjudication and UK contentious construction work, or international arbitration in the construction sector
• Knowledge of construction standard form contracts such as JCT, FIDIC and NEC
• Demonstrable passion for business development
• Drive, enthusiasm and vision
• Proven ability to manage files and excellent time management
• Flexibility and can-do approach
• Excellent communication skills with a collaborative approach

Trowers & Hamlins is an equal opportunities employer and values equity, diversity and inclusion. All applications will be considered on merit and the applicant's suitability to meet the requirements of the role and will be treated equally irrespective of Ethnicity, Gender (including Trans and non-binary) Race, Disability, Religion and sexual orientation.

If you require any further information on any of our vacancies or would like to discuss any adjustments or additional support that you might need either during the recruitment process or after the offer stage, please feel free to contact our recruitment team on

As part of our firm recruitment policy our candidates are subject to employment screening background checks. These checks include personal details, education and employment history, professional qualifications and credit and criminal checks as appropriate.