Solicitor - Casualty EL/PL

Job Introduction

Our Claims Solutions Group advises insurers, self-insured and corporate clients in their defence of claims relating to fatal accidents, catastrophic injuries, rehabilitation, employer liability, product liability, sports injuries, aviation injuries, occupational stress, repetitive strain, occupational cancers, new diseases, noise-induced hearing loss, safety, health and environment and severe road traffic accidents. Services cover both high value specialist claims and smaller, less complex ones. In addition to this, the team provides advice on fraudulent claims and coverage disputes.

Role Responsibility

The role is part of a team working for a mixture of household name insurer clients and self Insured companies who instruct us directly.

Day to day responsibilities will include:

• Assisting partners within the team in handling/running their predominantly EL/PL caseload as well as handling EL/ PL cases of significant value in your own right, with minimal supervision. .
• Instructing experts and collating accompanying documents
• Instructing counsel
• Reviewing medical records and preparing chronologies.
• The performance management of junior solicitors in relation to billing and time utilization.
• Drafting pleadings and preparing inventories of productions
• Investigating liability, precognosing witnesses and discussing liability and quantum issues with clients
• Drafting letters and reports to clients

You will handle a varied workload in accordance with client protocols and with an appropriate level of supervision.

Due to continued expansion there are additional opportunities for solicitors with dual qualification in both England and Wales and Scotland

You will be expected to demonstrate sound file management – to include compliance with DAC Beachcroft protocols and any applicable client protocols; you will be expected to achieve consistent and accurate time recording and appropriate billing and credit control management, administration of WIP and file closures and accurate Management Information recording.

You will be expected to maintain an awareness of firm procedures and strategies and assume responsibility for quality control. You will demonstrate an awareness of the financial issues involved in your role to include regular monthly billing in line with targets and file management and closure.

At a more general level you will be expected to support marketing and business development activity within the team eg attending marketing events and client training and build an awareness of DAC Beachcroft's other services by establishing effective internal and external networks.

Finally, the role requires you to 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 and handle confidential information in line with the firms data security protocols

The Ideal Candidate

• An enthusiastic solicitor with knowledge of and demonstrable interest in EL and PL claims commensurate with your level of experience and a proactive approach towards claims investigation and resolution. The ideal candidate will have relevant previous experience in this area of work
• You will able to deal confidently and professionally with a range of clients and colleagues on day to day issues. You will be able to demonstrate a reasonable level of self-sufficiency, combined with an awareness of the boundaries of your own competence/authority.
• You will have an ability to adopt a commercial perspective rather than an ‘academic’ approach to legal issues, with a positive, flexible approach towards the implementation of new initiatives.
• You will be a team player with a willingness to share knowledge with and support other members of the team.
• You will have had experience of working as part of a small team

About the Company

We are a leading international legal business with over 2,400 colleagues and a diverse range of capabilities. We have 12 offices in the UK as well as offices in Dublin, Madrid, Paris, Singapore, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Miami. We also have associations/alliances with firms in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Brazil, Peru, Central America, Argentina, the USA, Australia and Germany.

We are known for our market-leading presence in sectors such as Insurance, Health and Real Estate. This is complemented by a fast-growing Business Advisory capability. We represent a wide range of clients, ranging from household names to government departments and NHS bodies. We act for the majority of the top 30 insurance and financial services companies operating in the UK. We are the asset management lawyers for the UK’s largest shopping centres and act for 9 of the UK’s top 10 housebuilders.

We have an impressive legal pedigree, with 155 Chambers UK 2019 practice area and individual lawyer rankings, including 30 rankings at 'Band 1' level. In Legal 500 UK, 2018, the firm received top tier ranking for 32 of its practice areas and 59 practice areas in the top two tiers. In March 2018, we were named as one of Legal Week's Best Legal Advisors for the third year running, achieving category-leading satisfaction scores for our commercial approach, service delivery, quality of legal advice, communication & responsiveness and overall relationships.

Our vision is to be leading business advisers, recognised for our insight and our outstanding commitment to clients, and for being the place where talented people want to work. For further details on our work and our culture, please visit www.dacbeachcroft.com.

DAC Beachcroft is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from every sector of the community. We also welcome direct applications. If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV. Your application will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence.

DAC Beachcroft