Solicitor

Property & Infrastructure Disputes, Edinburgh

Main information

• PQE: 2-5
• Term type: Permanent
• Department: Property & Infrastructure Disputes
• Location: Edinburgh

The team

The role will be to join Colin Archibald’s team within the firm’s Property & Infrastructure (PID) group, to specialise in both Property Litigation and Contentious Construction work. The role will involve providing, and supporting senior colleagues in the provision of legal advice to clients of the firm across a broad range of property and construction dispute work. The property litigation work includes advising on complex property contract disputes, landlord and tenant issues, title issues and boundary disputes, servitudes and rights of way, and property related debt recovery work. The team has a particular specialism in telecoms work, advising on issues arising under the Electronic Communications Code (ECC). In addition, the team regularly advises on a range of contentious construction matters, with a particular focus on post-completion defects claims and professional indemnity work. The team works closely with colleagues both within the PID practice group and around the firm, and in particular colleagues in the firm’s Property and Infrastructure teams.

The role

• Exceptional time management skills
• Exceptional communication skills
• Strong ability to carry out legal research independently
• Previous experience of both property litigation, including ECC work, and contentious construction work would be helpful, but not essential
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Experience of and enthusiasm for court and tribunal appearance work

• Demonstrates appropriate range of legal knowledge and, with assistance, can identify issues outside their expertise and seek appropriate assistance.
• Demonstrates initiative to obtain relevant information to complete tasks.
• Produces a solution best addressing the client’s requirements, with guidance.
• Demonstrates potential to display effective spoken and written advocacy skills.
• If appropriate, seeks to comply with formalities required in connection with spoken and written advocacy and deals with witnesses and opposing arguments effectively.

• Works as part of a team and identifies strategies to manage work in order to attain objectives within agreed timescales and budgets.
• Keeps all clients and colleagues up-to-date with latest developments.
• Complies with all firm policies and procedures, including financial.
• Implements improvements in working methods.
• Prepares well for meetings.
• Makes effective use of the firm’s information management systems, and complies with all legal and regulatory requirements.

• Communicates clearly with prospective and current clients in all contexts.
• Assists in assessing scope of work and fees within teams.
• Is aware of the impact of external market forces on clients and identifies trends which may lead to opportunities.
• Develops effective ways of delivering client solutions with minimum guidance.
• Developing an understanding of how to build client relations.
• Developing an understanding of client care issues.
• Communicates client feedback to senior team members.
• Developing an understanding of value of activity versus time spent.
• Participates in marketing activities.
• Developing effective presentational and writing skills.
• Understands importance of cross selling opportunities to the firm and has the ability to implement.

• Developing an effective personal presence with partners and colleagues.
• Demonstrates ability to manage and supervise work effectively, and to seek or provide support when required.
• Delegates work effectively to appropriate fee earning and non-fee earning staff.
• Gives well prepared and presented training sessions.
• Supports diversity & inclusion and ESG initiatives within the team.

• Completes appropriate CPD hours.
• Maintains an adequate and up to date understanding of relevant law, policy and practice, and to identify where legal research is required.
• Takes responsibility for personal learning and development, evaluates strengths and limitations in relation to the demands of their work, and reflects on and learns from others.
• Undertakes personal study/research to address gaps in knowledge.
• Utilises internal/external knowledge resources and current awareness information, e.g. libraries, daily current awareness/plc newsletter etc.
• Contributes to firm’s knowledge resources.
• Gives well prepared and presented training sessions with minimum guidance.

• Recognition of ethical issues and will raise with appropriate person.
• Demonstrates an understanding and application of the ethical concepts which govern their role and behaviour as a lawyer.
• Identifies the relevant LSS, SRA or LSI principles and rules of professional conduct, and seeks assistance in applying them.
• Resists pressure to condone, ignore or commit unethical behaviour.
• Respects diversity, and acts fairly and inclusively.
• Discloses when work is beyond their personal capability and recognises when they have made mistakes and takes appropriate action.
• Seeks expert advice when required, and makes effective use of feedback, guidance and support received.

• Assists in the development of team's operational goals.
• Displays an awareness of organisational goals and has an engaged commitment to team goals.
• Participates in extra practice events to assist development of firm.

HR Contact

If you would like further information on the role or require accommodations to make your application please contact Louise Hughes on louise.hughes@shepwedd.com.

At Shepherd and Wedderburn we strive to provide a supportive, inclusive and high performance working environment, where everyone feels they belong. Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of our business and we therefore welcome applicants from different backgrounds to all levels of the organisation. To foster inclusivity we particularly encourage applications from those who may be from underrepresented groups, including candidates from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBT+ people, people with disabilities or who are neurodivergent and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.