Paralegal - Pensions

We are seeking a Paralegal to join the Pensions team in our Manchester based Employment department.

The Department:

Our specialist Employment law team in Manchester provide expert advice to both businesses and individuals on all areas of employment law as it constantly evolves. There is very little - if anything - relating to employment law that we haven't dealt with, which is why our clients find we are the ideal law firm to have in their corner.

As part of its ongoing development, the Employment team added pensions advisory expertise to their offering in 2022. Employment and pensions are, typically, closely related areas of law at the workplace and the decision to provide pensions advisory work adds value to the team's client offering. The make-up of this client base is spread across private individuals, employers, and pension scheme trustees, demonstrating the breadth of the appeal of offering pensions advisory work. In addition, this offering has benefited JMW's Corporate and Commercial teams as part of their transactional work, as well as offering a wider range of advice for the Family and Personal Injury teams.

We advise on all aspects of pensions law, specialising particularly in relation to scheme mergers, solvent restructuring, buy-ins/buyouts, pension issues on corporate transactions, as well as member complaints and grievances.

The Opportunity:

In this newly established role, you'll support our firm's specialist Partner, Julian Richards, who brings nearly thirty years of pensions experience and a reputation for providing pragmatic, solutions-focused advice to our growing client base. Julian advises on all aspects of occupational pension schemes, to both trustee and employer clients. Most recently he has advised extensively on pension scheme mergers following employer restructuring, managing section 75 debt on employer cessation events, re-assigning scheme liabilities through both scheme and flexible apportionment arrangements, scheme restructuring, liability buyouts, and dispute resolution. Julian works closely with other teams at JMW, supporting their advice to clients on personal pension arrangements, dispute resolution, distribution of insurance benefits and separation of benefits on divorce. He acts for trustees and employers on pension litigation matters including equalisation, rectification, and professional negligence. He is experienced in managing the litigation process through to compromise settlement and court hearings. Julian acts for a number of trustee boards of schemes provided by trade unions for their employees. His background as a trade union pensions officer prior to becoming a solicitor gives him a unique understanding of the particular issues faced by trustees of trade union sponsored schemes.

The role of Paralegal provides a great development opportunity for those at the start of their legal career who aspire to progress. You will have support from the team's Partner to learn and develop your expertise while assisting across a range of pension issues and you will be responsible for a wide range of general, administrative, and other legal services related tasks, including:

• Providing an effective and timely service to the firm's clients.
• Delivering accurate and prompt time recording.
• Creating and maintaining accurate and up-to-date records of work done on legal matters such as when opening new files, closing files, archiving etc. in the firm's case management system.
• Ensuring compliance with the SRA Accounts Rules, and the firm's internal policies and guidelines.
• In time, you will have the opportunity to undertake client facing work. This would involve managing an agreed caseload in a profitable and efficient manner and assisting in case-based tasks including drafting governing documents and written advice to clients, with appropriate support and supervision.

About You:

To succeed in this role, you should be able to demonstrate the following experience and interpersonal skills:

• Excellent client care skills.
• Ability to communicate well orally and in writing, including dealing directly with clients when required.
• Ability to maintain a very high standard when preparing emails, letters, reports and other documents.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong team working ethic.
• Ability to work well under pressure and be proactive.
• A good academic record.
• IT skills, particularly with experience in Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Whether you have held a similar role at another firm, or you have a trade union background where you have advised on pensions issues, a knowledge of the law and practices applicable to pensions and an awareness of employee benefits would be advantageous in this role.

Working for JMW:

As well as a rewarding career, JMW offers its colleagues many other opportunities and benefits, including:

• A minimum of 25 days' annual leave (increasing with length of service) plus office closure between Christmas and New Year.
• Travel Insurance – covering you and eligible family members.
• Death In Service - 3 x basic salary.
• Private Medical Insurance (subject to opting in) and option of contributing to add eligible family members.
• Income Protection - cover of up to 75% of salary.
• Access to an interest free travel pass/parking loan.
• A one-hour early finish, one Friday a month.
• Two days a year to do charitable work, with a huge variety of events to get involved in.
• The opportunity to participate in sports teams, hobby clubs, and social events.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders.