Legal Executive / Solicitor

Shakespeare Martineau is a Top 50 law firm that combines creativity, commerciality and clarity. We work with blue-chip companies, leading organisations, high street brands and individuals across the country.

As enterprising and original thinkers, we’re driven to create exceptional experiences for our clients and our people. We handle personal and business-critical issues and game-changing deals across many dynamic sectors. It’s stimulating and rewarding.

We’re hardworking and deeply ambitious about creating opportunities for our employees; to move forward and achieve our ambition together. We provide an environment in which you’re supported to reach your potential.

Our people have a blend of excellent technical and business skills with the talent to do things differently.

Here you’ll find top quality work, cutting edge training, high profile clients, and supportive colleagues. We think it could be time you joined us.

Our Litigation & Dispute Resolution group has a long-standing experience of working with some of the most successful and influential businesses in the UK and also internationally. Our specialist teams combine expertise with a sound understanding of the commercial landscape to provide exceptional solutions for every aspect of our clients’ corporate requirements.

Our Social Housing Litigation team specialises in all aspects of Landlord & Tenant, housing and asset management and anti-social behaviour law. We act for more than 60 Registered Providers across the country.

The role:

We are looking for a Legal Executive or NQ-2yr PQE Solicitor to join our growing Nottingham-based Social Housing Litigation team, part of the firm’s wider Litigation & Dispute Resolution group.   

You will provide support to help our legal team deliver great service to our clients, this will include the following:

Your key duties will be:

• liaising with clients in a professional manner
• working with experienced lawyers on a broad range of social housing litigation work
• assisting on large, complex cases with appropriate supervision, and also building up your own caseload of housing management matters
• handling telephone calls, and handling queries and enquiries where appropriate
• attending at client offices
• providing advocacy at court and tribunal hearings
• producing forms and documentation
• providing quality advice to clients
• working to strict deadlines

Skills and experience you will have:

• a minimum of 12 months’ practical previous experience, ideally gained working within a social housing team or civil litigation (for Newly Qualified candidates, relevant experience gained during your training contract is essential)
• experience of using a case management system
• strong IT skills
• the ability to manage files effectively
• excellent client service skills
• experience of injunctions, possession claims and arrears recovery is preferred

Key competencies you will need:

• a desire to enhance client relationships through day-to-day activity
• excellent communication skills
• to support the growth of the team
• a high degree of initiative and the ability to cope in a demanding environment
• excellent organisational and prioritising skills
• the ability to work in a busy team
• good communication skills with the confidence to liaise openly and clearly with colleagues and clients
• the ability to produce a high standard of work, sometimes under pressure, whilst maintaining accuracy and good attention to detail

About you – you will be:

• highly enthusiastic, willing to go the extra mile and be happy to go beyond the job description
• respectful towards others and have a positive, willing and ‘can do’ attitude
• keen to learn, interested in driving your own career progression and be proactive in taking ownership of this

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Shakespeare Martineau is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.