Associate / Senior Associate - Shipping (Litigation) in London

Hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00 - 17:30 (37.5 hours per week)

Team: Shipping - UK (Marine, Trade & Energy)

Location: London

Benefits

• Annual leave starting at 25 days
• Annual bonus scheme
• Birthday privilege day and Christmas shutdown
• Holiday buy, sell and carryover scheme
• 2 charity volunteering or pro bono days
• Optional private medical insurance via BUPA
• Annual fitness allowance
• Flexible pension scheme
• ISA saving scheme and independent financial advice
• Electric or hybrid vehicle lease scheme
• Medicash EAP with access to counselling
• Enhanced family leave policies
• Access to confidential, expert support via Fertifa in relation to reproductive health and wellbeing
• Access to 10 days fully subsidised emergency or back‑up care per year via Bright Horizons
• Life assurance
• Group income protection
• Annual travel season ticket loan
• Hybrid working and dress for your day policy
• Bespoke training and development opportunities

Role Overview

This is an exciting and rare opportunity to join a highly regarded Shipping Team within the wider Marine Trade and Energy in the London office. The team is ranked in the Legal 500 and is recognised for its market‑leading work across both contentious and non‑contentious shipping matters. The team advises on a broad spectrum of wet and dry shipping disputes, international trade and marine matters, acting for a wide range of clients across the global maritime industry. You will be exposed to a wide cross section of clients in the shipping sector ranging from P&I clubs, cargo interests and owners to freight forwarders, shipping lines and major ports and terminals.

Key Responsibilities

• Major recovery actions for unpaid shipping and bunker claims
• Vessel arrests and associated Admiralty proceedings, including strategic enforcement advice
• Advising lenders on the recovery and sale of vessels under security documentation
• Handling bill of lading and charterparty disputes, as well as broader contractual disputes
• Supporting on English High Court litigation (Commercial Court and Admiralty Court) and international arbitration (including LMAA and other arbitration forums)
• Assisting on disputes arising out of marine casualties, including collisions, groundings, fires, explosions, container incidents, wreck removals and salvage matters
• Involvement in General Average disputes and complex multi‑party claims
• Advising on contracts of affreightment, vessel sharing agreements and related commercial arrangements
• Public inquests following fatality, including jurisdictional issues and indemnity and contribution proceedings
• Advising on ship sale and purchase, terminal and port operations and EEIGs
• Preparing and reviewing standard terms and conditions and commercial documentation
• Assisting clients with emergency response situations, providing practical, commercially focused advice under time pressure

What We Are Looking For

• Qualified Solicitor or equivalent
• Maritime and contentious experience preferred
• The ability to work as part of a team and independently
• Demonstrable understanding of clients, colleagues, and others
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Able to prioritise tasks and to work under pressure
• Excellent organisational skills
• Business development aptitude to promote Hill Dickinson and the Marine department through networking and business development activities
• Good adherence to deadlines, guidelines, and procedures (client and internal)

If you don't meet all of the criteria above but feel that you could add real value to Hill Dickinson, we encourage you to submit an application and if successful, we can help you develop along the way.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Hill Dickinson is committed to providing fairness and equal opportunity for all regardless of age, gender, gender identity, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital or transgender status, nationality, religion or belief. We understand that our power as a firm comes from empowering our people and that it is only by encouraging and enabling individuals to be themselves at work that we can truly benefit from their rich and varied strengths. Hill Dickinson is an equal opportunities employer. All applications received by the firm will be considered based on their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background and from all routes to qualification, with both the SRA and CILEx.

Disability Support

We are a Disability Confident employer, which means if there is anything that we can do to make your visit easier, so you are able to perform at your best, please let us know. You can contact the HR team should you require any adjustments to the application or interview process. At Hill Dickinson, we welcome applications from individuals that are looking to return to the law as well as all routes to qualification, with both the SRA and CILEx. All successful candidates will be subject to our standard pre‑employment screening, including a basic criminal record check via Disclosure and Barring Service. Any offer of employment made is conditional upon completion of all checks. Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.