Associate Solicitor, Personal Injury, NQ-3PQE

About the team

Our band 1 ranked Personal Injury practice specialises in handling a range of complex, life changing and catastrophic injury claims including brain and spinal injury, amputee claims and fatal accidents.

We have represented many clients who have sustained life-changing injuries and work proactively to ensure our clients get the rehabilitation and compensation needed to cover costs of equipment care and therapy at the earliest possible opportunity.

Overall purpose of the role

This role will support Sarah Saldanha and David Preston with a caseload of personal injury claims across a range of specialisms. The role will involve managing end to end litigation through investigating and pursuing serious injury claims. The successful candidate will also support with business development initiatives.

This opportunity is ideal for an ambitious NQ to 3PQE personal injury lawyer who is ready for the next step in their career at a leading claimant firm.  

Main duties and responsibilities

Case management

• To obtain accurate information and instructions from our clients, analyse the legal and practical aspects of their claims and obtain the necessary documents/evidence to provide preliminary advice on liability/quantum/costs & funding.
• To instruct medico-legal experts to advise on liability, causation and quantum, negotiate acceptable terms for their instruction, ensure their fees are paid promptly, prepare formal instructions and liaise with those experts and/or their secretaries during the running of the case.
• To analyse and advise on strategy, tactics, and how best to achieve the most successful outcome for each client according to the particular circumstances of their case.
• To endeavour to achieve optimum settlements for clients, whether that be pre-litigation, or by conducting litigation through to trial or earlier settlement and to deal with post trial/settlement considerations such as costs and enforcement proceedings, and to consider whether any decision should be appealed.
• To enable clients and/or their litigation friends, where a client lacks capacity, to make informed decisions based on advice on legal and other appropriate considerations e.g. costs, funding and risks of litigation.
• To ensure the timely and effective deployment of others involved in the matter e.g. expert witnesses, enquiry agents, counsel, cost draftsmen.
• To monitor all aspects of the case on behalf of the client and advise on whether subsequent developments affect views previously expressed.
• To heed the procedural timetable and time limits, to make necessary applications where required to protect the client's position.
• To comply with the Civil Procedures Rules.

Client relations

• To deal with clients in a sensitive, professional and compassionate way.
• To identify clients' objectives and to seek to further them in a manner consistent with all professional and ethical obligations.

Professional standards

• To work and behave in a professional manner and within the highest ethical and other standards of the profession.
• Comply with procedures set out in the office manual, professional standards and any requirement set by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or similar interested bodies e.g. Legal Expense Insurers.
• To maintain the strictest standards of client confidentiality at all times.

Business development and marketing

• Support with wider business development initiatives.
• Participate in the wider Personal Injury team's strategy by attending presentations, seminars, writing articles, and activities with wider professional and other relevant organisations as required.

Compliance and risk management

• To always maintain the strictest concern for and awareness of the need for GDPR and data protection and in accordance with the firm's internal policies.
• To immediately report any compliance or risk management concerns to the relevant persons without delay.

Learning & development

• Stay updated on relevant legal developments to ensure accurate and up-to-date advice to clients.
• To ensure learning and development plans are completed and that records are up to date and compliant with SRA and Lexcel requirements.

Other responsibilities

• Any other tasks as might be required from time to time.

Person specification

• Ability to demonstrate a commitment to equality, access to justice and affordable legal advice of the highest quality.
• Qualified lawyer with solid demonstrable experience in personal injury. It would ideally suit lawyers with 0 to 3 years of relevant post qualification experience or equivalent.
• Demonstrable knowledge in conduct of cases from initial advice through to trial.
• Experience in calculating losses in Schedule of Loss (often large and complex).
• Relevant experience in analysing complex factual and legal situations and advising clients in accordance with their aims.
• Experience in dealing sensitively with clients and experts, providing solutions and managing difficult situations and conversations.
• Ability to analyse complex factual and legal situations and advise as to the critical path that should be followed.
• Solid experience in using a variety of IT packages (MS Word, Excel, Case Management Systems and Outlook).
• Excellent communication skills, demonstrated by ability to communicate accurately, clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.
• Excellent time management skills demonstrated by ability to organise and prioritise a complex workload and work to tight deadlines.
• Experience in working and contributing in a team environment. 

About Leigh Day

We are a top 100 law firm committed to claimant-only cases, ensuring that individuals have the same access to justice as the UK Government and large corporations. We're not afraid to take on difficult and challenging cases involving medical negligence, serious personal injuries, discrimination in the workplace, defective products and human rights abuses in this country and overseas.

Benefits 

29 days' holiday per annum inclusive of 4 days' compulsory leave to be taken during the Christmas office closure, plus all public and bank holidays; two weeks' of working elsewhere; contributory pension scheme; life assurance (4 times annual salary); private medical insurance; interest free season ticket loan; childcare vouchers; cycle to work scheme; electric vehicle scheme. Our hybrid working policy for full-time employees is three days in the office and two at home, and we also offer free breakfast and lunch every day for those coming into to the office. 

We also have annual social activities and genuinely pride ourselves on having a supportive and friendly culture.

Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion

Leigh Day is committed to the principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion.  We value the diversity of our colleagues, our clients and the third parties with whom we work.  We seek to create an environment where everyone feels included and valued for their unique characteristics, skills and abilities and supported in their needs and responsibilities.

We welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. Please let us know if you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the application or recruitment process. There is an option to detail this on your application form, however, please just get in touch should you wish to discuss this prior to formally submitting an application. Please note all conversations or disclosures are treated in the strictest confidence.