Costs Draftsperson

**Description**: Are you an experienced Law Costs Draftsperson looking to make a significant impact in a dynamic Costs London Unit? We are seeking a highly skilled professional to join our Costs Department, working to maximise costs recovery and manage a diverse caseload effectively. We would particularly like to see someone with strong advocacy skills and a keenness to attend hearings. This role involves handling PI Multi Track cases, including Serious Injuries, Asbestos, Clinical Negligence, and high costs matters, from the preparation of cost budgets to advocacy stages. **Key Responsibilities**: - Assist Fee Earners with preparing Costs Budgets (Precedent H), Statements of Costs for Summary Assessment (N260’s), Estimates (Precedent H’s), and Formal Bills of Costs. - Negotiate costs budgets and settle claims for costs on the best possible terms. - Manage all aspects of your caseload, complying with Costs Department protocols and service standards. - Provide day-to-day coaching and technical assistance to lower graded team members as a "Supervision Buddy". **Skills, Knowledge and Expertise**: - Self-confident and able to work independently as well as part of a team, accepting supervision. - Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbally and in writing. - Strong advocacy skills and a persuasive, assertive negotiator with a good telephone manner. - Highly organised with excellent file management skills and attention to detail. - Competent in IT packages (e.g., Outlook, WORD) with good keyboard skills. - At least 2 years of successful experience in personal injury case handling or costs recovery in Multi Track matters. - Trained to a high level of understanding the CPR. - Enthusiastic, committed, accountable, and trustworthy with a willingness to learn and undertake continuing training and development. **Benefits**: - £4,000 car allowance in addition to base salary - Contributory pension scheme - 5 days additional leave over Christmas (Xmas shut down) - Permanent health insurance - Healthcare Cash Plan (MediCash) - Life assurance - Disability Confident Employer - 25 days annual leave (in addition to bank holidays) - Employee Assistance Programme - Enhanced maternity and paternity pay - Cycle to work scheme - Organised sports and social club - Annual travel and parking loans - Financial assistance for professional development **About Thompsons Solicitors**: For 100 years, leading social justice law firm, Thompsons Solicitors, has been fighting for the rights of the injured and mistreated and changing lives for the better. Since 1921, we have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with trade unions to implement key legal reforms and give a voice to those who might otherwise have been disadvantaged and marginalised. Thompsons ran: - the case that established the right for injured workers to be compensated in 1937 - the first asbestos case that was successful in the House of Lords in 1972 - the first equal pay for equal value claim in the UK (1988) and later in Europe (1993) - the case against UK construction companies for blacklisting union members in 2016 - hundreds of cases on behalf of women who received negligent treatment at the hands of disgraced breast surgeon, Ian Paterson (2017) and behalf of those injured by mesh (2019). Today, Thompsons employs 800 staff who work at 23 offices right across the UK. Key areas of legal specialism include: personal injury, serious injury, asbestos diseases, medical negligence, road traffic accidents, accidents at work, industrial diseases and trade union law. As a point of principle, the firm has never worked for employers or insurers. Over the last 100 years, we have consistently won the cases that have advanced the law for working people, but, as long as there are employers who put profit before the safety and rights of their workforce, there is always more to do. We continue to expose injustice, holding those responsible to account and campaigning for positive change. We want to hear from anyone who is keen to progress a legal career with a firm that won’t let up in its quest for fairness. Thompsons Solicitors is a trading name of Thompsons Solicitors LLP.