Costs Lawyer

Department: CSG - Strategic (Advocacy / Costs / Safety, Health and Environment / Criminal / Abuse / Travel)

Location: Birmingham

Description We are looking for an experienced lawyer to join our complex (paying party) costs team, ideally with at least ten years paying party costs experience. The successful candidate will be experienced in dealing with all aspects of costs litigation on behalf of paying parties for costs claims claimed in excess of £100,000 in value (often in excess of £1million), either conducting proceedings if authorised or supporting the conduct of proceedings. Our complex (paying party) costs team regularly deal with costs claims of the highest value and complexity and accept instructions from areas throughout DAC Beachcroft LLP.

Currently the costs product has two Partners, five Legal Directors and two Associates. There are over 50 lawyers advising, supporting or conducting all aspects of costs litigation, including Solicitors, Chartered Legal Executives, Costs Lawyers and Paralegals.

The costs product comprises several distinct teams specialising in a specific area of costs including paying party teams, complex claims teams and receiving party teams. An opportunity has arisen for an experienced lawyer in our complex (paying party) team. The underlying despite type that gives rise to the costs dispute varies and includes catastrophic personal injury, commercial including global, aviation, accidents abroad, cyber, multi-party (including formal GLOs), judicial review and clinical risk. This role will report directly to the Legal Director who leads the complex (paying party) team.

What you will do? Complex (paying party) team specific responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Day to day handling of a case load of complex paying party claims each of at least £100,000 claimed value
• Draft points of dispute and provide legal advice on likely assessed outcomes relating to complex paying party claims
• Supporting the Legal Director of the complex (paying party) team with operations and delivery of the complex (paying party) service
• Acting as a point of contact for clients, demonstrating a level of knowledge and skill commensurate with experience
• Ensuring full compliance with clients' SLAs and DAC Beachcroft's internal protocols
• Assume responsibility for quality control and benchmark compliance on own caseload, including accuracy and timeliness of management reporting and information
• Ensure strict and ongoing adherence to benchmark standards in all work undertaken.
• Demonstrating a high level of financial management in respect of own files
• To hit, maintain and apply a consistent approach to all individual targets of chargeable time, financial performance, realisation rates, settlement rates and average claim spend.
• Achieve a minimum budgeted annual target of 1,440 chargeable hours per year based upon a full time lawyer
• Exercise full compliance with DAC Beachcroft protocols on billing and credit control and demonstrate a high level of financial management in respect of own files.
• Supporting marketing and business development activity within the team e.g. attending marketing events and client training
• Maintain an awareness of the firm's strategies and plans.
• Maintaining and developing technical knowledge through attendance at training sessions, reading appropriate publications
• Handle confidential information in line with the firm's data security protocol

Who you are This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced lawyer specialising in costs to develop their career by dealing with cases of high value and complexity and where authorised to conduct litigation and use technical knowledge to aid the business development and growth of CSG.

• Ideally ten years experience dealing with costs arising from litigation to include drafting points of dispute and all aspects of challenging costs. Candidates with less than ten years experience but able to demonstrate a suitable standard of competency will also be considered and applications welcomed.
• Experience of being able to demonstrate technical leadership preferable.
• Advocacy experience an advantage although not essential.
• Being able to demonstrate a track record of pursuing strategic points and liaising with clients with a strong customer service ethos ideal.
• Ideal opportunity for a qualified Costs Lawyer (although applicants that can demonstrate extensive experience who are not qualified will be considered including other qualifications where the candidate has the relevant experience or competence dealing with costs disputes)
• Confident negotiator, who can communicate clearly and concisely both verbally and in written form
• Able to demonstrate strong team working skills and that they are a flexible and self-motivated team player
• Have excellent organisational skills and able to effectively prioritise and organise a workload/tasks
• Experience of working within a pressurised and deadline driven environment
• Have an ability to adopt a commercial perspective to legal issues rather than a purely academic approach
• Able to produce work to a high standard, with excellent attention to detail

What's in it for you?

• High levels of flexibility and a great work life balance - https://jobs.dacbeachcroft.com/whats-in-it-for-you/
• A well-rounded remuneration package (which includes private medical insurance, income protection insurance and discounted gym membership, amongst many other benefits)
• Opportunities for growth and progression including professional funding
• In person and remote social events
• Opportunity to get involved in a range of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) activities

We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, which aligns closely to our cultural principles (Determined, Clear, Creative and Supportive). If you are excited about this role and being part of our culture, but your past experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!

We are happy to talk flexible working with our Flex Forward scheme. We would encourage you to talk to us about our approach to flexible working during the hiring process if you would like to explore this further.

Note for Recruitment Agencies DAC Beachcroft manages all vacancies via our in-house recruitment teams, prioritising direct sourcing and referrals. When external support is required, roles are released to selected agencies on our Preferred Supplier List (PSL).

Speculative CVs sent to any DAC Beachcroft employee without prior instruction from our recruitment teams (LLP and CSG) will not be accepted, and no fees will be payable.

For PSL queries, please contact: [email protected] or [email protected]