James & Partners
Solicitor
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Civil & Commercial Litigation Solicitor
Location: London – Aldgate
Salary: £40,000 – £75,000 depending on experience
Working Pattern: Full-time | Office-based, Monday to Friday
PQE: Ideally circa 2+ years PQE; exceptional applicants at other junior-to-mid-level stages considered
Practice Area: Civil & Commercial Litigation
The Opportunity
An ambitious and entrepreneurial City law firm is seeking a talented Litigation Solicitor to join its established Civil & Commercial Litigation practice. This is an opportunity for a lawyer who wants considerably more than a passive supporting role. The successful candidate will work on a broad and frequently complex range of commercial and civil disputes, assume meaningful responsibility for their own matters and gain direct exposure to senior decision-makers, business owners and company boards. The firm is looking for somebody with drive, resilience and commercial instinct: an individual who is comfortable expressing a view, advancing a client's position robustly and taking genuine ownership of their cases. The environment is fast-moving and meritocratic, with significant scope for ambitious lawyers to build a profile, develop their own client relationships and progress rapidly within the practice.
The Work
The department undertakes a broad spectrum of contentious matters including:
- High-value commercial disputes.
- Shareholder disputes.
- Partnership disputes.
- Landlord and tenant disputes.
- Contractual disputes.
- Professional negligence claims.
- Corporate and business-related litigation.
- Wider civil disputes.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage a varied portfolio of civil and commercial litigation matters.
- Take responsibility for matters from initial instruction through to resolution.
- Assess the merits, risks and commercial implications of claims.
- Develop and execute appropriate litigation strategies.
- Draft pleadings, witness statements, legal correspondence and other contentious documentation.
- Undertake detailed legal research and provide clear strategic advice.
- Conduct negotiations with opponents and their advisers.
- Manage disclosure, evidence gathering and procedural requirements.
- Prepare matters for hearings, trials, mediation and other forms of dispute resolution.
- Represent and advise clients throughout the litigation process.
- Work effectively with Counsel and other external advisers where required.
- Manage demanding deadlines and competing case priorities.
- Communicate confidently with directors, CEOs and other senior client stakeholders.
- Provide assistance and supervision to junior team members where appropriate.
- Maintain a strong commercial focus in relation to both case strategy and client outcomes.
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Business Development & Bonus
The firm places considerable emphasis upon entrepreneurialism and actively encourages its lawyers to build their own professional profile and client base. Solicitors are encouraged to develop relationships with businesses and professional advisers, attend meetings and networking events, utilise platforms such as LinkedIn and identify opportunities to originate new instructions. The firm operates a 10% commission structure on successfully generated new business. Unlike traditional annual bonus arrangements, commission is calculated and paid monthly alongside salary once the relevant legal invoice has been settled. For example, a £3,000 paid legal fee generated by the solicitor would result in a £300 commission payment. The firm's established business development team also generates new instructions for its lawyers, meaning fee earners benefit from existing case flow while retaining the opportunity to build their own book of business.
The Candidate
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The ideal candidate will have approximately two or more years' PQE within commercial and/or civil litigation, although strong candidates outside this precise bracket may also be considered. You should demonstrate:
- Genuine contentious legal experience.
- Experience managing your own litigation matters.
- Strong drafting ability.
- Excellent analytical and strategic thinking.
- Commercial judgement and an understanding of the wider business implications of litigation.
- Confidence dealing with sophisticated and senior clients.
- The ability to remain composed and decisive under pressure.
- An assertive but professional approach to negotiations and disputes.
- Strong communication and advocacy skills.
- Exceptional organisation and attention to detail.
- A willingness to take responsibility and push matters forward.
- Ambition to develop into a senior member of the litigation practice.
The role will particularly suit a commercially assertive, resilient and ambitious litigator who enjoys contentious work and is motivated by achieving successful outcomes for clients.
Culture & Career Development
The firm is dynamic, collegiate and entrepreneurial, with a genuine open-door culture and considerable interaction between junior solicitors, senior lawyers and Partners. Junior and mid-level solicitors are afforded meaningful responsibility and direct client exposure considerably earlier than can be the case within more traditionally structured practices. High performers are encouraged to progress rapidly, providing an ambitious solicitor with the opportunity to increase their responsibility, develop their own client portfolio and establish themselves as a significant member of the litigation practice.
Salary: £40,000 – £75,000 depending on experience, plus a generous monthly bonus and business-generation commission scheme.
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