Aviation Litigation – Associate or Managing Associate

What We Will Offer

We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout. You would join an ambitious firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can get early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business. Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, The Deal, between the firm and its employees.

• 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 discount and retail vouchers
• We support the causes you care about by giving you one day per year off to volunteer with any charity that you are involved with outside of work
• A wellbeing strategy that focuses on preventative measures to maintain overall health, and tools and support for when our people experience physical or mental difficulties. The strategy focuses on four pillars: physical, emotional, financial and social aspects.
• Most of our roles are hybrid, meaning that colleagues benefit from working in our office and remotely. We are happy to discuss this and other flexible working arrangements with you as part of the application and interview process.
• We are an equal opportunity organisation, 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.

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 advising on compliance with UK and EU Regulations and investigations by regulators.

We are seeking a driven, motivated and talented commercial litigator with an international outlook and experience in the aviation sector and expertise in advising on EU laws and regulations and international aviation conventions, to help grow our dynamic and aspirational aviation litigation team on a permanent basis.

Main Responsibilities

• Actively manage case progress.
• Handle complex instructions directly and effectively manage relationships with clients.
• Analyse and prioritise client needs to deliver commercially focused advice.
• Draft witness statements and other court/arbitration documents.
• Draft inter partes correspondence.
• Conduct legal and procedural research and draft advice.
• Attend meetings and hearings.
• Build relationships both externally and internally with existing and new contacts or clients.
• Lead legal projects to deliver matters profitably.
• Work collaboratively with others, including coaching, supervising, and developing junior colleagues.

Marketing, Including

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

Attributes/Skills Required

• Qualified lawyer with proven litigation/arbitration experience, to include aviation sector experience (particularly advising airlines, aircraft lessors, owners and financiers).
• Experience in taking ownership for a case, particularly in relation to technical expertise and client service in addition to project management.
• Good knowledge of the relevant clients, market conditions and competitors.
• Experience of identifying and pursuing business development opportunities and helping to secure instructions from new and existing clients.
• Being able to leverage existing network of contacts and having an internal and external profile.
• Demonstrates an aptitude and responsibility for all aspects of financial management on some matters with a business savvy and commercial approach.
• Resilient with the ability to handle setbacks and pressure.
• Willingness to continue to learn, develop and take on responsibility.
• Excellent academic and professional qualifications.

About The Firm

Stephenson Harwood is an international law firm, and we are committed to creating 'positive partnerships' with our clients. We represent listed and private companies, institutions and individuals, building lasting relationships to help them succeed in a complex and ever‑changing world. Our focus is on five core sectors: Energy Transition, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Private Capital and Funds, Technology, and Transportation and Trade. With more than 1,500 people, including 220+ partners, across ten offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we combine deep legal capabilities and broad commercial expertise. We have also forged close ties with high quality law firms around the world, blending local knowledge with global savvy for clients in over 100 countries. 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 under‑represented demographics.