Solicitor/CILEx - Criminal Motor Defence

Job Introduction

Working within our Criminal Motor Defence team in London and as part of our national Claims Solutions Group, being part of the Criminal Motor Defence team which is a recognised market leader in the criminal representation of drivers involved in serious motoring offences. Clients range from professional drivers to individual motorists.

Role Responsibility

• Provide legal representation to drivers at police station interviews for offences of causing death by dangerous/careless driving;
• Handle indictable/either way and summary offence cases;
• Handle Inquest cases related to fatal road traffic collisions;
• Day to day responsibilities will include analysing and advising upon evidence, attending police interviews, briefing counsel, reporting to insurer clients, interviewing witnesses and drafting witness statements;
• Responsible for financial management of own caseload, to include regular billing;
• Working to productivity and fee income targets, as well as client Key Performance Indicators (KPIs);
• Handle a varied workload in accordance with client protocols;
• Act as a point of contact for clients, demonstrating a level of knowledge and skill commensurate with experience;
• 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;
• Build an awareness of the Firm's other services. Build effective internal and external networks;
• Maintain an awareness of the firm's strategies and plans;
• Maintain and develop technical knowledge and handle confidential information in line with the firms data security protocols.

The Ideal Candidate

• Experienced and knowledgeable Solicitor/Chartered Legal Executive - police station accredited and with at least 3 years’ experience gained in criminal litigation.
• Experience in representing drivers charged with road traffic offences.
• Previous experience in personal injury preferable though not essential.
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to deal appropriately and sensitively with drivers involved in fatal road traffic accidents.
• Meet and exceed budgetary requirements in terms of both time and fee income.
• Proactive and energetic with a tenacious approach to identifying issues and solving problems.
• Willingness to work out of hours where required to attend police stations.
• Quality and customer service oriented with a concern for accuracy and an eye for detail.
• Ability to work to productivity and fee income targets, as well as client Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and adherence to strict quality working standards; and Team oriented. A collegiate approach to sharing knowledge and working with both senior and junior colleagues across different locations and practice groups is essential.
• IT literate with good knowledge of Word. Knowledge/previous experience of a case management system is also essential, as are good keyboard skills.
• Must have full driving licence and be prepared to travel.

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, Paris, 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