Paralegal - Utilities Disputes in London

Wedlake Bell's highly regarded Utilities team are recruiting a Paralegal to support its busy and market-leading practice. This is a full-time permanent position, with the expectation of five days office attendance per week.

The Utilities team at Wedlake Bell is a specialist group (ranked Tier 1 by Legal 500 for Debt Recovery) acting for large utilities provider clients – including the majority of the UK's Big Five energy providers. The team handles a wide range of contentious work, including court litigation, debt recovery, and insolvency matters, alongside some advisory work on licensing and regulatory issues.

Paralegals in the Utilities Team will manage a varied and fast-paced caseload of disputes matters, as well as supporting lawyers on more complex matters – many of which are shaped by current affairs and regularly feature in the national press. The role offers an excellent opportunity to develop your disputes experience within a close-knit and supportive team, working on high-profile matters for household-name clients in the utilities sector.

Key Responsibilities:

• Providing general paralegal support on a variety of utilities disputes matters, including:
• Handling a busy caseload of utilities disputes throughout the litigation life cycle – from the pre-action process to successful outcome;
• Helping draft and prepare documentation including: pre-action letters and correspondence, court filing, claims, statutory demands, bankruptcy and winding-up petitions, settlement agreements, etc;
• Being a day-to-day contact for clients to provide updates on their matters and providing legal advice under supervision;
• Undertaking legal research;
• Dealing with routine client and/or third party queries and reporting to relevant fee earner with updates where necessary;
• Assisting with the team's knowledge management;
• Assisting with the team's business development initiatives;
• Organising and maintaining accurate files both electronically and hard copy;
• Other administrative tasks including diarising and monitoring key dates, facilitating client on-boarding through drafting engagement letters and corresponding with clients regarding required AML documentation, assisting with preparing, reviewing and sending out bills, etc;
• Other ad-hoc responsibilities as required.

Key Skills and Qualifications:

• A relevant legal qualification – holding a degree (or post-graduate qualification) in law or a related field;
• Ideally some prior work experience, or a demonstrable understanding of litigation and the disputes process (showcasing dedicated study in these subjects, or work experiences/internships in relevant organisation) – though not essential to be considered;
• Excellent communication skills – must be able to interact and communicate effectively across all levels of seniority and on both an internal and external basis;
• Able to work well under pressure and in keeping with deadlines;
• Must have excellent attention to detail and organisational skills;
• Strong IT capabilities, including a good understanding of modern office software (in particular the Office 365 suite).

Why Join Us?

• A competitive starting salary and bonus;
• A comprehensive pension plan;
• 25 days paid holiday per annum, plus additional leave for significant life events;
• Option to purchase up to five additional days of holiday each year;
• Life Assurance and competitive income protection scheme;
• Access to Private Medical and Dental Insurance from day one;
• Enhanced parental leave policies;
• Employee Assistance Programme with face-to-face counselling services;
• Variety of staff wellbeing initiatives including Pilates classes and subsidised gym memberships;
• A range of bonus schemes recognising referrals and client introductions.

We are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, where every individual is respected and valued. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, irrespective of their background or personal circumstances. If you are passionate about joining a busy team and are eager for a challenging yet fulfilling career, we encourage you to apply.