Costs Lawyer

Department: CSG - Strategic (Advocacy / Costs / Safety, Health and Environment / Criminal / Abuse / Travel)

Location: Birmingham

We are looking for an experienced lawyer to join our complex (paying party) costs team, ideally with at least ten years paying party costs experience. The successful candidate will have dealt with costs claims exceeding £100,000 (often in excess of £1 million) on behalf of paying parties, either conducting proceedings if authorised or supporting the conduct of proceedings. The complex (paying party) costs team regularly handles high‑value, high‑complexity costs claims and accepts instructions from throughout DAC Beachcroft LLP. We currently have two Partners, five Legal Directors and two Associates, with over 50 lawyers advising, supporting or conducting all aspects of costs litigation.

Responsibilities

• Handle a day‑to‑day case load of complex paying‑party claims each of at least £100,000 claimed value.
• Draft points of dispute and provide legal advice on likely assessed outcomes for complex paying‑party claims.
• Support the Legal Director with operations and delivery of the complex (paying party) service.
• Act as a point of contact for clients, demonstrating knowledge and skill commensurate with experience.
• Ensure full compliance with clients' SLAs and DAC Beachcroft's internal protocols.
• Assume responsibility for quality control and benchmark compliance on own caseload, including accuracy and timeliness of management reporting.
• Maintain strict adherence to benchmark standards in all work.
• Exercise high‑level financial management of own files.
• Meet individual targets of chargeable time, financial performance, realisation rates, settlement rates and average claim spend.
• Achieve a minimum budgeted annual target of 1,440 chargeable hours per year for a full‑time lawyer.
• Comply with DAC Beachcroft protocols on billing and credit control.
• Support marketing and business‑development activity within the team (e.g., attending marketing events and client training).
• Maintain awareness of the firm's strategies and plans.
• Develop technical knowledge through training and reading appropriate publications.
• Handle confidential information in line with the firm's data security protocol.

Qualifications

• Ideally ten years’ experience dealing with costs arising from litigation, including drafting points of dispute and challenging costs. Candidates with less than ten years’ experience but with a suitable standard of competency will also be considered.
• Preferable experience of technical leadership.
• Advocacy experience is an advantage but not essential.
• Track record of pursuing strategic points and liaising with clients with a strong customer‑service ethos.
• Qualified Costs Lawyer preferred; applicants with extensive experience but not qualified will also be considered, including other relevant qualifications.
• Confident negotiator, able to communicate clearly and concisely both verbally and in written form.
• Strong team‑working skills and a flexible, self‑motivated team player.
• Excellent organisational skills, able to prioritise and organise workload/tasks.
• Experience working in a pressurised, deadline‑driven environment.
• Commercial perspective to legal issues rather than a purely academic approach.
• High attention to detail and ability to produce work to a high standard.

Benefits

• High levels of flexibility and a great work life balance.
• A well‑rounded remuneration package, which includes private medical insurance, income protection insurance and discounted gym membership, among other benefits.
• Opportunities for growth and progression, including professional funding.
• In‑person and remote social events.
• Opportunity to get involved in a range of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) activities.
• We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, which aligns closely to our cultural principles (Determined, Clear, Creative and Supportive).
• If you are excited about this role and being part of our culture, but your past experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
• We are happy to talk flexible working with our Flex Forward scheme. We would encourage you to talk to us about our approach to flexible working during the hiring process if you would like to explore this further.