Solicitor/Associate - Clinical Risk

Job Introduction

Acting for the NHS Resolution, NHS trusts, as well as private hospitals in the health market, our highly rated clinical risk team has a proven track record in defending high value complex claims. In Winchester our dedicated clinical risk team handle clinical risk claims across all areas including cerebral palsy, oncology, paediatrics and plastic surgery.

Please contact Sophie Willis from the DAC Beachcroft recruitment team for more information on sowillis@dacbeachcroft.com / 01173 662908.

Role Responsibility

• Handle a challenging caseload of defendant clinical negligence work on behalf of NHS Resolution. This will include drafting pleadings, witness statements and letters of response, conducting face to face negotiations and mediation of claims as well as preparing counter schedules.
• Act as first and primary contact for clients on a day to day basis providing them with commercially focused legal advice.
• Adhering closely to client protocol and process.
• Provide supervision and coaching to junior fee earners.
• Make an appropriate contribution to non fee-earning activity e.g. knowledge sharing, training, client seminars, and business development.  
• Comply with the required standards for internal procedures e.g. financial 
• Management of files, billing regimes etc as well as the specific requirements of individual clients.
• Writing articles for publication both for in-house and external publications.
• Handle confidential information in line with the firm's data security protocols.
   

The Ideal Candidate

• A Solicitor with experience in defendant or claimant clinical negligence, or defendant insurance law typically to have been gained 1+ years post qualification. 
• Experience gained within an NHS Resolution panel firm would be preferable (but not essential) as would an understanding of the NHS and their business drivers, including knowledge of and ability to deliver against client protocols and KPIs.
• Strong technical skills and an ability to understand and work through complex issues.
• A demonstrable ability to adopt a commercial perspective rather than an ‘academic’ approach to legal issues and to be highly client focused.
• Ability to operate with a high level of self sufficiency, combined with an awareness of the boundaries of own competence/authority.
• Team oriented and collegiate with an experience of and a willingness to mentor, coach and supervise less experienced members of teams.
• Exposure to and success within business development activities.
• Confident communicator with an ability to develop relationships, undertake client marketing and influence at all levels. Ability to deal confidently and professionally with clients on day to day issues, building up strong relationships. 
• Strong organisation skills to ensure a pragmatic and methodical approach to handling a variety of clinical negligence claims simultaneously, through an IT case management system.
• Change oriented with a positive, flexible approach towards the implementation of new initiatives.
• Able to handle a complex and constantly changing workload and to work under pressure. 
• Detail conscious with a concern for quality.

About the Company

We are a leading international legal business with over 2,400 colleagues and a diverse range of capabilities. We have 11 offices in the UK as well as offices in Dublin, Madrid, Singapore, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Miami. We also have associations/alliances with firms in Northern Ireland, 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