Commercial Costs lawyer

Commercial Costs Lawyer

A leading national law firm is looking for an experienced Costs Lawyer / Costs Draftsman to join its Commercial Litigation Costs team.

This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious costs professional to join a dynamic national team, working on high-value and complex commercial matters and gaining exposure to a broad range of commercial disputes.

The Role

You will be responsible for preparing Bills of Costs for detailed assessment and inter partes Bills, as well as handling costs negotiations and litigation across a range of commercial matters.

The role will involve working closely with fee earners and clients throughout the lifecycle of commercial disputes, providing strategic costs advice and ensuring costs matters are managed effectively.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Preparing Bills of Costs for detailed assessment.
• Preparing inter partes Bills.
• Handling costs negotiations and related costs litigation.
• Providing strategic costs advice to clients and case handlers.
• Supporting fee earners throughout the lifecycle of commercial disputes.
• Managing a varied and potentially high-value caseload.
• Maintaining strong technical and procedural standards across all costs work.
• Liaising directly with clients, fee earners and other stakeholders.
• Managing competing deadlines and priorities effectively.
• Contributing to the training, mentoring and development of junior members of the team where appropriate.

This is a great opportunity for a Costs Lawyer or experienced Costs Draftsman who wants to develop their commercial costs expertise while working on complex and high-value matters within a well-established national team.

About You

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• At least two years' experience in costs drafting, ideally gained within commercial litigation, business disputes or an insurance-related environment.
• Strong knowledge of legal procedures relevant to commercial litigation.
• Experience preparing Bills of Costs and dealing with costs negotiations and disputes.
• Good understanding of costs recovery and detailed assessment processes.
• Proven experience using IT systems and accurate time-recording procedures.The ability to manage a busy caseload and competing deadlines while maintaining excellent attention to detail.
• A flexible approach to changing priorities and commercial demands.
• Excellent communication skills and a professional, client-focused manner.
• The ability to work independently while also contributing effectively within a wider team.
• The confidence to communicate with clients, fee earners and senior stakeholders.
• A willingness to work the hours required by the role, including occasional extended hours where necessary to meet client or business requirements.

Desirable

• ACL qualification or another relevant legal or financial qualification.
• Experience working within a commercial legal department.
• Experience working with business or insurance clients.
• Experience supporting junior colleagues or contributing to training and development.

What’s on Offer?

• Competitive salary reflective of experience.
• Hybrid working with flexibility around office and home working.
• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Option to purchase additional annual leave.
• Generous and flexible pension scheme.
• Two paid volunteering days each year.
• Health and wellbeing benefits, including access to healthcare services and a digital GP.
• A strong focus on employee wellbeing, inclusion and professional development.
• The opportunity to join a collaborative, supportive and nationally recognised legal team.
• Exposure to complex, high-value commercial litigation and the opportunity to further develop your costs career.

The Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Costs Lawyer or Costs Draftsman with a background in commercial litigation, business disputes or insurance to join a nationally recognised team and take on a varied caseload of complex commercial costs work.

If you're looking for a role offering technical variety, client exposure and the opportunity to work on high-value matters, this could be an excellent next step.