Disputes Solicitor / Barrister

Solicitor / Barrister - ALT Disputes, Belfast, Suit 4 years + PQE. Our client is a global law firm. Their Alternative Legal Services business harnesses the firm's key legal and client technology expertise around the world to offer cost-efficient legal products and technology services for clients.

ALT is a market leader in the use of technology assisted review for e-disclosure in the UK and worked on the first UK Commercial Court matter to use it.

The Role

The role involves supporting the Senior Managers, Legal and Managers, Legal in supervising the performance of Solicitors/FPBs, Trainees and Legal Analysts on fee earning projects on a day-to-day basis. Senior Solicitors/Senior FPBs will be expected to assist the Senior Managers, Legal and Managers, Legal with strategic management and delivery of matters. They will also be expected from time to time, to lead projects, escalating to Senior Managers, Legal and Managers, Legal who will support as necessary.

Senior Solicitors/Senior FPBs will have people management responsibility for groups of Solicitor/FPBs, Trainees, Legal Analysts. If qualified as a Solicitor in England and Wales, they may also have supervision responsibility for one of the Trainees in the team.

This role will require the successful candidate to balance using their legal knowledge, skills and experience to assist the Senior Managers, Legal and Managers, Legal in developing the disputes practice. It will also require a "can do" approach and – if appropriate, in specific circumstances – a willingness to lend a hand to other practice areas in the office, if time permits.

Key responsibilities

• Management of own fee earning workload, including fee earning of a complex nature.
• Supervision of the junior legal team on day-to-day fee earning projects including dealing with complex issues on individual matters that are escalated by the team; ensuring that relevant legal issues are fully understood by the team working on an individual matter; and conducting quality control on the junior team's fee-earning work.
• Supporting Managers with and where appropriate taking responsibility for project management of large-scale document reviews, pre-trial support and customer file reviews or claims assessments.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to ensure that service delivery meets expectations.
• Support the development of workflow for specific projects, including drafting relevant sections of case and client manuals or review guides and supporting our instructing teams generally with the drafting of project instructions.
• Scoping, set-up, training and pricing in relation to fee earning projects, often which are large scale.
• Supporting Managers with financial management, including reporting on WIP recovery and managing billing procedures.
• Ensuring own compliance with financial disciplines on matters (e.g. daily timesheet recording and target chargeable hours).
• Recruitment support as and when necessary.
• Assisting with people management, including performance reviews and performance management.
• Contributing towards team business planning.
• Providing any other assistance to the business on client matters and related tasks as required.

Qualifications and skills

TECHNICAL

Essential

• Qualified solicitor or barrister in England and Wales or Northern Ireland, but Republic of Ireland or other common law jurisdictions will be considered. (If not qualified in England and Wales then willing to complete process to requalify as such, if required.)
• 4+ year's post qualification experiencegained working in a litigation/disputes environment.
• Strong analytical ability, coupled with sound judgement and ability to provide solutions to challenges.
• Strong IT literacy, including an aptitude for learning (and becoming proficient in) the use of software and IT applications.

Desirable

• Experience working in a commercial legal environment, ideally a private practice law firm.
• Knowledge and experience of legal work for the Disputes practice group, for example claims assessment, with the ability to project manage the process from instruction to completion.
• Experience of managing project teams, including direct reports.

Competitive Salary and excellent benefits package along with hybrid working.

For more details please contact Orla Milligan at Energis Recruitment on the number above or email your cv to in complete confidence.

By applying for this role you are consenting to Energis Recruitment holding your details for a period of 12 months to be considered for other roles. As a candidate you have the right to consent or object to this.

By applying for this role you are consenting to Energis Recruitment holding your details for a period of 12 months to be considered for other roles. As a candidate you have the right to consent or object to this.