Associate - Private Wealth Disputes (2-4 PQE)

We have a fantastic opportunity for an Associate to join our Tier 1 Private Wealth Disputes team in London. Forming an integral part of the Private Wealth Disputes (PWD) team, the Associate role will provide support across all of the disciplines within the PWD offering, with considerable client contact and business generating activities. The role will enjoy a large amount of responsibility and experience of a wide variety of disputes, usually involving complex international subject matters. Our PWD team acts for individual and corporate trustees, beneficiaries and fiduciaries. We cover a full range of complex private trust and estate disputes including hostile litigation, administration actions and trust issues on divorce. We are one of the country’s leading practices dealing with contentious Court of Protection proceedings relating to unauthorised gifts and capacity issues. All members of our team are experienced in dealing with alternative dispute resolution to try to resolve disputes. Mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution is a significant part of our day‑to‑day practice.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Support Senior fee earners and Partners around complex big-ticket trust, probate and family business disputes offshore and internationally.
• Manage own files across a broad case load of domestic and international contentious trusts and estates matters.
• Work with trainee solicitors and junior fee‑earners on complex matters.
• Collaborate on firm-wide client matters, working closely with the international private client, corporate and family teams.
• Support on Tax Litigation where appropriate.
• Engage in client marketing and business development activities including attending internal and external events and publishing technical marketing material.
• Draft more complex documents with minimum instruction and supervision.
• Provide client advice in a succinct, practical and persuasive manner.
• Apply a commercial approach to research and evaluate relevance and accuracy in delivery of advice.
• Contribute to divisional knowledge and know‑how initiatives.
• Attend and assist in organising and hosting of client marketing events.
• Comply with all relevant legal and regulatory obligations including the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Standards and Regulations, and Principles.

Person Specification

• Be an England and Wales qualified solicitor, from 2 to 4 years’ PQE.
• Demonstrate good judgement and a good legal and commercial understanding of client’s particular needs.
• Understand scope of the tasks, manage time effectively and perform well under time and work pressures.
• Take a ‘hands on’ approach to managing own files and a broad case load.
• Have a high degree of attention to detail.
• Have strong problem‑solving skills.
• Be flexible and willing to undertake a wide variety of tasks.
• Be a pro‑active team player, who is also highly self‑motivated and able to work on their own initiative.
• Build rapport with clients and develop an effective working relationship.
• Flexible and willing to go the extra mile.
• Have excellent all‑round IT skills, MS Office including Excel and Word.