Solicitor - Costs

Department: CSG - Strategic (Advocacy / Costs / Safety, Health and Environment / Criminal / Abuse / Travel)

Location: Birmingham

Description

We are looking for an experienced lawyer to join our costs team, ideally with at least three years paying party costs experience. The successful candidate will directly supervise lawyers in a team specialising in acting for paying parties and dealing with claims for costs of up to £100,000 in value.

Currently the costs product has two Partners, five Legal Directors and two Associates. There are over 50 lawyers dealing with all aspects of costs litigation, including Solicitors, Chartered Legal Executives, Costs Lawyers and Paralegals.

The costs product comprises several distinct teams specialising in a specific area of costs including paying party teams, complex claims team and a receiving party team. An opportunity has arisen for a supervisor role for one of the paying party teams. The work type across the paying party section of teams is varied to include injury, accidents abroad, data breach, judicial review and clinical risk. This role will report directly to the Manager (Legal Director) of the paying party section.

What you will do?

Paying party team supervisor specific responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Handle a case load focusing on paying party claims


• Supporting the Manager of the paying party section with operations and delivery of the paying party service


• Provide line management to a team of around five paying party claims lawyers to include performance and technical supervision


• Demonstrate leadership (with support from the paying party Manager and other members of the Costs Product Leadership Team) of the provision of the team's service including the management and allocation of new instructions


• Acting as a point of contact for clients, demonstrating a level of knowledge and skill commensurate with experience


• Ensuring full compliance with clients' SLAs and DAC Beachcroft's internal protocols


• Assume responsibility for quality control and benchmark compliance on own caseload, including accuracy and timeliness of management reporting and information


• Ensure strict and ongoing adherence to benchmark standards in all work undertaken.


• Demonstrating a high level of financial management in respect of own files


• To hit, maintain and apply a consistent approach to all individual targets of chargeable time, financial performance, realisation rates, settlement rates and average claim spend.


• Achieve a minimum budgeted annual target of around 1300 chargeable hours per year based upon a full time lawyer


• Exercise full compliance with DAC Beachcroft protocols on billing and credit control and demonstrate a high level of financial management in respect of own files.


• Supporting marketing and business development activity within the team e.g. attending marketing events and client training


• Maintain an awareness of the firm's strategies and plans.


• Maintaining and developing technical knowledge through attendance at training sessions, reading appropriate publications


• Handle confidential information in line with the firm's data security protocol

Who you are

This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced lawyer specialising in costs to develop their career by managing specific service deliveries and supervise a team of lawyers.

• Ideally at least three years experience dealing with costs arising from litigation to include drafting points of dispute and all aspects of challenging costs. Candidates with less than three years experience but able to demonstrate a suitable standard of competency will also be considered and applications welcomed.


• Experience of supervision of other lawyers or being able to demonstrate technical leadership preferable.


• Advocacy experience an advantage although not essential.


• Being able to demonstrate a track record of pursuing strategic points and liaising with clients with a strong customer service ethos ideal.


• Experience of business development of the costs product preferable


• Qualified Costs Lawyer, Legal Executive or Solicitor (although applicants that can demonstrate extensive experience who are not qualified will be considered)


• Confident negotiator, who can communicate clearly and concisely both verbally and in written form


• IT literate with a good working knowledge of Excel and Word. Previous knowledge or experience of a case management system would be an advantage but is not essential


• Willingness to follow a process driven system, working within set parameters.


• Ability to work on own initiative without close supervision


• Able to demonstrate strong team working skills and that they are a flexible and self-motivated team player


• Have excellent organisational skills and able to effectively prioritise and organise a workload/tasks


• Experience of working within a pressurised and deadline driven environment


• Have an ability to adopt a commercial perspective to legal issues rather than a purely academic approach


• Able to produce work to a high standard, with excellent attention to detail


• Flexible with an ability to adapt to rapid change, both internally and in the context of clients' businesses;


• Knowledge of the Civil Procedure Rules (academic or practical).


• Must be able to work under pressure and with a high volume caseload, to meet required deadlines

What's in it for you?

• High levels of flexibility and a great work life balance - https://jobs.dacbeachcroft.com/whats-in-it-for-you/


• A well-rounded remuneration package (which includes private medical insurance, income protection insurance and discounted gym membership, amongst many other benefits)


• Opportunities for growth and progression including professional funding


• In person and remote social events


• Opportunity to get involved in a range of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) activities

We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, which aligns closely to our cultural principles (Determined, Clear, Creative and Supportive). If you are excited about this role and being part of our culture, but your past experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!