Senior Associate

IBB Law is not your usual law firm. We work hard to understand our clients and deliver the best solutions to let them get on with what matters to them most – be that personally or in their businesses.  We have one foot in the Thames Valley and the other in the thriving inward investment market of West London. Close to Heathrow, we are perfectly placed to support businesses, both regionally and across the UK.  We are a modern law business that is proud of the people we work with – both our clients and our employees.  We care about the communities we serve and take time to reach out to those in trouble through our community legal services. We provide expertise in commercial, property and private client law. 

A contentious construction role, with some opportunity for non-contentious construction work. 

The successful candidate can expect to be responsible for: 

• Being the lead fee earner on contentious matters, and supervising junior members in relation to those matters 

• Dealing with the resolution of construction related disputes including adjudications, and court-based disputes.  The work will be a mix of work acting for claimants and defendants.  

• The clients might include large developers, construction companies, or corporate owner/occupiers. IBB has also been instructed by Lloyds market insurers in the defence of claims against construction entities. 

• There will be an opportunity to run adjudications and court-based disputes with a high degree of autonomy (with support).   

• There will be some opportunities to perform non-contentious construction work i.e. the drafting and negotiation of construction documents.  Work might involve assisting our real estate colleagues on the construction aspects of development transactions including development obligations, warranties and copyright issues. 

• Responsible for line management of Solicitor & Trainee in the team. 

The successful candidate should: 

• want to take responsibility for his/her own cases, and be happy to develop good working relationships with clients; 

• Take responsibility for the development of new business, and marketing initiatives. 

• feel free to bounce ideas off colleagues, and ask questions; 

• be able to carefully analyse information and reach sound decisions; 

• seek to recognise the commercial drivers and react accordingly; 

• recognise issues and problems that may arise and adapt (keeping clients and colleagues informed where necessary); and 

• be able to listen and communicate effectively and succinctly both orally and in writing. 

The successful candidate will be expected to meet the Firm’s quality standards including: 

• ensuring that all chargeable work is properly recorded on client matters; 

• adhering to the Law Society’s client care directive and to the firm’s own policies as set out in the Office Manual; and 

• maintaining good file management as set out in the Office Manual. 

Develop own self-organisational and interpersonal skills so that: 

• work is prioritised and progressed; and 

• there is a balance of working on own initiative and seeking advice/guidance from others. 

Qualifications 

• Law degree (or conversion) and LPC. 

• Successful Admittance to the Roll of Solicitors. 

Skills and Experiences  

• 8+ years PQE (indicative only).  We would also be happy to consider more senior solicitors (perhaps those returning to the profession after a period of absence). 

• Candidates should be able to demonstrate construction or commercial litigation experience.  Litigation experience is the key requirement. 

• Analytical ability: able to identify and deal with the core elements of a problem.  

• Adaptable: able to embrace change. Is responsive to different ways of working and learns new tasks quickly. 

• Collaboration with others: able to work with others to achieve a task; active team member. 

• Communication: able to express oneself clearly orally and in writing, and to do so in a manner that is concise and assertive, but courteous. 

• Quality: produces work which is consistently accurate with an attention to detail.  

• Initiative: thinks through what may need to be done and assists colleagues who are busy. 

• Planning and organising: thinks ahead to plan work so that tasks are not affected when additional tasks arise; is able to track and monitor progress of own work and alert clients or senior colleagues if a schedule may not be met. 

• Reliability: demonstrates commitment to achieving tasks; manages expectations of others and completes work when promised.