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 Business Defence team defends individuals and businesses in investigations and prosecutions of a criminal and regulatory nature. We advise our clients, which include solicitors, medical professionals, company directors, prison and police officers, key political figures and professional sportsmen, on cases of financial crime including fraud, money laundering and bribery, along with other criminal allegations. Our expertise also involves advising on drivers employed by large fleet operators in respect of road traffic offences and dealing with regulatory offences, including Health and Safety offences. Increasingly, our team is also being instructed to conduct private prosecutions when potential criminal conduct of another party involved in litigation. |
The role:
We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to join our Business Defence team in Stratford, and are open to applications at Litigation Legal Assistant through to Legal Executive level.
Your key duties will be:
At a junior level, you will assist the partners and solicitors to produce high quality legal services to clients on a broad range of work. This will include:
- providing key, proactive, quality support for ensuring efficiency and productivity to the partners and senior fee earners
- managing the team’s diary and assisting in the set up and co-ordination of meetings
- assisting in the planning, collation and circulation of documents
- dealing with clients and third parties in a professional manner, maintaining close and regular contact as required
- undertaking billing, all client specific billing and other related financial administration
- dealing with all forms of health & safety, insurance and motor crime claims
- supporting and assisting senior fee earners and partners in the delivery of service level agreements
- assisting with promotional and business development activity, as required
- maintaining good file management, including electronic and paper storage, archiving and filing
- taking telephone calls, handling queries and enquiries where appropriate
- photocopying, scanning and collating documentation
- opening and closing files, as required
- carrying out legal research, as required
If you bring 2 years’ experience or more you can expect to manage your own caseload of files and should have experience in one or more of the three areas listed below:
- handling a caseload of both contentious and non-contentious, complex and less-complex matters, which will consist of repeated instructions from institutional clients, as well as undertaking standalone instructions from a cohort of individual commercial clients
- running cases efficiently and cost effectively and within strict service level agreements as required by the client
- having active involvement in business development activities, both individually and as part of a team
- reviewing defences and dealing with disclosure
Skills and experience you will ideally have:
- some previous experience of contentious legal work
- a BVC, LPC or CILEx (or equivalent) qualification
- previous experience in using a case management system
- previous experience in drafting documentation for sending letters before action, and dealing with negotiations on disputed cases
- previous experience in drafting and issuing legal proceedings
Key competencies you will need:
- a desire to exceed client expectations
- strong negotiation and communication skills
- the ability to build rapport with colleagues and clients alike
- a high degree of initiative and the ability to cope in a demanding environment
- excellent organisational and prioritising skills
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
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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. |
