At a Glance
- Tasks: Join a top Shipping Team and handle exciting maritime legal challenges.
- Company: Hill Dickinson, a leading firm in the Marine Business Group.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, supportive environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace committed to diversity and equal opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the maritime industry while developing your legal skills.
- Qualifications: Qualified Solicitor or equivalent with maritime experience preferred.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00 - 17:30 (37.5 hours per week)
Team: Shipping – UK (Marine Business Group)
Location: Liverpool
Role Overview: This is an exciting and rare opportunity to join a highly regarded Shipping Team within the wider Marine Business Group in the Liverpool 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:
- 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 (e.g., Legal Executive)
- Maritime and contentious experience preferred
- 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 work under pressure
- Excellent organisational skills and time‑keeping
- 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)
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 on 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. If there is anything that we can do to make your interview or working conditions easier, please let us know. You can contact the HR team should you require any adjustments to the application or interview process. 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.
Application Note: 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.
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