Senior Associate - Court of Protection in Basingstoke

Penningtons Manches Cooper is a leading UK and international law firm which provides high quality legal advice tailored to both businesses and individuals. We address the specific objectives of each client through our flair and technical expertise and offer a personal service founded on a strong team ethic. Today, we have UK offices in the City of London, Basingstoke, Birmingham, Cambridge, Guildford, Oxford and Reading while our growing overseas reach covers Singapore, Piraeus, Paris, Madrid.

The COP Team have established a significant reputation for advising and assisting individuals, their families, carers, trustees, beneficiaries and other professionals on a broad range of issues arising from catastrophic personal injury, including serious brain injury with high value compensation awards. The team supports litigation lawyers throughout the conduct of the claim. We work closely with the Court of Protection, the individual and their family to establish long-term relationships and to ensure all decisions are made in their best interests.

Our aim is to relieve the pressure of financial decision making from family members, enabling them to continue to make the key choices and to support their relative on a day-to-day basis. Although our work largely focuses on financial management, we also become involved with welfare matters such as care funding, welfare benefits, deprivation of liberty special education and generally issues relating to capacity. The quality of work is both complex and rewarding undertaken within a dedicated growing team.

In the Legal 500, the COP Team are noted as “a very friendly yet professional team and are keen to ensure everything they do is centred fully around the client and in their best interests”, which epitomises the ethos of the team; supporting each other and their clients to achieve the best outcomes.

We are looking for a qualified solicitor of 5–8-years PQE with experience in Court of Protection work to increase and strengthen our successful team.

Responsibilities

• The successful candidate will be responsible for day-to-day general management of the clients’ affairs, and in most cases will act as a primary point of contact for the client (with a particular focus on high value complex cases).
• Working on both Deputyships and Personal Injury Trusts, the successful candidate will be required to be aware of the full details of the clients’ affairs and ensure compliance with the OPG Deputyship Standards in all general management tasks.
• They will have an allocated case load of clients with the support of a senior member of the team and a paralegal and will be expected to undertake all or any of the following tasks:
• Running their own case load of Property and Affairs Deputyships and Personal Injury Trust management with training and supervision;
• Drafting routine and non-routine applications to the Court of Protection (for lay and professional deputies) with accompanying documentation including Witness Statements;
• Supporting with the preparation of Expert Witness Statements for Deputyship costs;
• Assisting with the preparation of OPG Reports and managing the annual review process;
• Assisting senior members of the team with discrete tasks as required;
• Taking a role in the implementation of policies and processes relating to the team;
• Supervising and mentoring junior staff and delegating tasks as appropriate;
• Liaising with Case Managers, clients, and their family and other professionals;
• Liaising and consulting with senior members of the team as appropriate on team policies, learning and development and general management of client matters;
• Setting a positive example to junior members in meeting time recording targets and in contributing to the growth and development of the team.

Essential & Desirable Criteria

• 5-8 years PQE with experience in Court of Protection.
• Degree qualification or equivalent.
• Expected to be broadly able to run own caseload with supervision.
• Good working knowledge of OPG deputy standards.
• Proven technical expertise and experience in running complex cases.
• Experience of working with brain injured clients and vulnerable clients and their families.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• IT literate, confident user of MS office and potentially legal systems.
• Strong problem solving skills, ability to think strategically and work to deadlines whilst managing a busy workload.
• Collaborative team member with ability to quickly build relationships with a wide range of people.
• An interest and enthusiasm for BD including social media as well as in person and team growth/ development.

At our firm, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a priority and at the heart of everything we do. We actively want to attract a diverse workforce and welcome applications from everyone, from all backgrounds. We are committed to promoting an inclusive culture where everyone can be their full selves and experience being seen and heard. We ensure that there are equal opportunities and treatment for all job applicants and employees, at all stages of the recruitment process and employment, regardless of age, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, disability, race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and social background. We aim to provide adjustments for people who have a disability, long‑term health condition (including mental health) or neurodiversity.