Associate (Dispute Resolution) in Manchester

Successful businesses rely on a unique set of ideas and people. We help our clients protect and develop those vital assets, unlocking possibilities for future success. From iconic brands and leading multinationals to pioneering start-ups, we are proud to work with a huge range of inspiring clients, helping them to turn their ideas into reality and get the best from - and for - their people. Our people are not only exceptional at what they do, they also enjoy doing it and consistently give their best to a firm they’re proud to be part of. This stems from our firm culture and our ethos of bravery and kindness. That ethos runs through everything we do, from our approach to recruitment, business practices, and DEI activities to the day-to-day environment in our office and our relationships with clients.

With an internationally minded team of more than 800 working across key areas of law – plus strategic partnerships around the world – we’ve got both the combination and calibre of legal experts it takes to enable our clients’ businesses to thrive. Whether it is providing global employment law advice, managing a global IP portfolio or piecing together a multijurisdictional corporate transaction, we are able to have the right people, in the right place, at the right time.

About the team: Our Dispute Resolution team advises businesses on a wide range of commercial disputes, supporting on complex and high‑value matters before the High Court, appellate courts, in arbitrations and across all forms of ADR. The team regularly works on cross‑border disputes and acts for a diverse client base including large (often multinational) corporates, professional services firms, financial services businesses, media organisations, sports clubs, and high‑net‑worth individuals and families. Associates in the team gain exposure to a mix of commercial litigation and insolvency‑related work, advising a broad range of stakeholders such as insolvency practitioners, directors, creditors, lenders and private individuals, with appropriate support and supervision as they develop their experience.

Our experts advise on the full range of disputes:

• Commercial disputes – domestic and cross‑border litigation covering contractual issues, civil fraud, economic torts, professional negligence and trust‑related claims.
• Corporate disputes – post‑transaction claims (including warranty, indemnity and earn‑out disputes), boardroom issues, directors’ duties, and shareholder and joint venture matters.
• LLP and partnership disputes – advising LLPs, partnerships and individual partners on contentious issues.
• Insolvency disputes – acting for and against insolvency practitioners and related stakeholders on matters including antecedent transactions, wrongful trading, misfeasance, unlawful distributions and retention of title claims.
• Media & Entertainment disputes – advising across film, TV, interactive entertainment, publishing and music on contractual and content protection issues.
• Technology & Crypto disputes – acting on IT and technology disputes, including missed milestones, defective software or hardware, service level breaches and disputes arising from crypto‑related transactions.

About the role: We have developed detailed career benchmarks which set out what you will be expected to achieve at each level of your professional development:

• Providing technical legal expertise: you will continually seek to build on your current knowledge and proactively look to improve your advising skills.
• Delivering excellent service: you will analyse legal information to solve problems and formulate arguments or strategy relevant to your clients’ needs. You’ll also use your initiative to proactively manage work, and provide regular and appropriate updates to your stakeholders.
• Building relationships: you will proactively develop positive working relationships with colleagues, ensuring that you work collaboratively and that you treat all colleagues with respect and professionalism.
• Developing our business: you will have an awareness of the firm’s goals and clients, and have an appropriate level of involvement in building and maintaining relationships with key clients and prospects.

About you: Our ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Two to four year’s post‑qualification experience in a Dispute Resolution team.
• Excellent drafting, analytical and communication skills as well as strong attention to detail.
• A keen interest in developing your marketing and business development skills.
• Comfortable with taking responsibility for work output and dealing directly with clients.
• A team player who is keen to support others to learn and who is keen to learn and develop their own skills.

At Lewis Silkin our ethos is simple. We strive to do the best for our clients, our people and the communities in which we operate. We recognise that an inclusive workplace allows for all kinds of ideas and thoughts, a variety of points of view that can trigger discussions or deliver innovative results, and a wide range of versatile skills and expertise. We are proud of the diversity within Lewis Silkin and of our culture that allows people to be themselves at work, ensuring we provide the best possible service to our clients. We are committed to supporting candidates throughout the recruitment process, ensuring that all applicants will be considered equally and fairly and given an opportunity to perform at their best.