Aviation Litigation - Associate

What we will offer:

• A competitive salary and a host of family friendly policies
• Life assurance, private health and dental care for you and your family
• A range of flexible benefits including gym discounts and retail vouchers
• Tech, cycle and electric car schemes
• The opportunity to support the firm's charity through volunteering leave
• A wellbeing strategy that focuses on preventative measures to maintain overall health, and tools and support for when we experience physical or mental difficulties.

Team Structure:

Our aviation disputes team is recognised across the aviation industry and other law firms as one of the pre-eminent litigation teams for high value commercial disputes in the aviation sector and has been involved in some of the largest commercial disputes, court actions and arbitrations in the UK and abroad. Aviation disputes is an important sub-team of the wider Transportation and Trade group at Stephenson Harwood, which is widely recognised as one of the leading global transportation law firms in the market. The team acts for major airlines, aircraft lessors, transportation banks, and other key stakeholders in the aviation industry on a wide range of litigation, international arbitration and regulatory matters. The team is also regularly involved in advising on contentious and non-contentious aviation regulatory matters including compliance with UK and EU Regulations.

We are seeking a talented hard-working general commercial litigator with some experience advising on EU laws and regulations to join our market leading aviation litigation team on a permanent basis.

Main Responsibilities:

• Day to day case management, including:

• Actively managing case progress
• Acting as the key contact point for clients, counsel, and experts
• Drafting witness statements and other court/arbitration documents
• Drafting inter parties correspondence
• Legal and procedural research and drafting advice
• Attending meetings and hearings

• Preparing legal articles and updates
• Developing your own internal and external network of contacts
• Attending business development and profile raising events (client networking events, attending seminars, giving talks etc.)

Attributes/Skills Required:

• Qualified lawyer with proven litigation/arbitration experience, preferably to include aviation sector experience.
• Some aviation experience or an interest in the aviation industry would be beneficial but this is not a requirement.
• Ambitious self-starter
• Resilient with the ability to handle setbacks and pressure
• Willingness to take on responsibility
• Excellent academic and professional qualifications
• Active interest in business development activities
• Building excellent working relationships with clients and peers within the firm

This job description is indicative only and does not represent an exhaustive list of responsibilities. The firm reserves the right to alter or change the responsibilities at any time, in line with the firm's strategy and business needs.

We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to having a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, culture or any other protected characteristics. We aim to create a culture where everyone can be themselves and is valued for their strengths and unique perspectives.

About the Firm:

With 8 offices worldwide and with our headquarters based in London, Stephenson Harwood is a law firm where our people are committed to achieving the goals of our clients - listed and private companies, institutions, and individuals across the globe. Our mix of expertise and culture results in a combination of deep local insight and the capability to provide a seamless international service. Our experience encompasses corporate, commercial litigation and arbitration, employment, pensions and private wealth, finance, marine and international trade, and real estate and projects. We assemble teams of bright thinkers to match our clients' needs and give the right advice from the right person at the right time. Dedicating the highest calibre of legal talent to overcome the most complex issues, we deliver pragmatic, expert advice that is set squarely in the real world. We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

Our values:

• Individuality - We encourage creativity and develop talent
• Commitment - To be the best and deliver the highest standard
• Teamwork - We work together to build close, long-term relationships
• Straight talking - We say what we mean and do what we say

These values express the personality of the individuals within our firm. They are the behaviours we encourage in our people and the standards which inform our decisions and actions.

Our vision into 2026:

To be a successful firm where talented people work together in an entrepreneurial environment, building long term client relationships. This vision is about who we want to be, as well as who we are. It is as much about our values as about our character – the attributes we want to see from all of our people. That's how we unlock our entrepreneurial spirit, advising our clients with top performing teams. A key part of the 2026 strategy is to focus on five core sectors: energy transition; life sciences and healthcare; private capital and funds; technology; transportation and trade. These have been identified as crucial in the drive for accelerated profitable growth.