Requirements
Applicants should have around 3–5 years of post-qualification experience in commercial litigation or disputes, with experience in technology, media, or IT matters or a genuine interest in developing that specialism. They should demonstrate ownership, sound client-handling and communication skills, appropriate self-sufficiency and judgment, and a collaborative approach.
Job Description
Department: Professional and Commercial Risk
Location: Manchester
Our Commercial Dispute Resolution team in Manchester is looking for an Associate (3–5 PQE) to support technology and media disputes and general commercial litigation.
Within our Professional and Commercial Risk group, the Manchester Commercial Dispute Resolution team works for a variety of large corporate and public sector clients with particular focus on IT, media and technology disputes. We act for suppliers and customers as well as insured and non-insured clients, including technology and media professionals.
Alongside technology and media work, the team handles general contractual disputes, defamation, IP litigation and wider commercial litigation (including urgent interim injunctions), supporting clients from across the firm when commercial disputes arise. We work closely with colleagues in Bristol and beyond, and run the firm's German desk, managing relationships with clients from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Your day-to-day work in our team will be as varied as dealing with urgent injunctive work, preparing advice notes to clients, handling claims from pre-issue through to trial, representing DAC Beachcroft at client and marketing events, assisting with team management and tacking part the firm's wider social and pro-bono activities.
Key Responsibilities
As part of the Commercial Dispute Resolution team you will:
• Run your own caseload of commercial disputes, with a focus on the IT, media and technology sectors;
• Handle matters from pre-action through to trial, including drafting pleadings, witness statements and advice;
• Work alongside senior colleagues on complex, high-value disputes;
• Help deliver our knowledge of key issues and provide meaningful advice to clients;
• Operate with autonomy, but with the benefit of support and supervision from leading practitioners at all times;
• Work in a highly collaborative environment, both within the team, across the firm, and with clients.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
• Around 3–5 years' PQE within a commercial litigation or commercial disputes practice;
• Experience of technology, media or IT matters, or a genuine interest in developing this specialism;
• Ability to take ownership and responsibility for matters;
• Good communication, relationship and client handling skills;
• Ability to deal confidently and professionally with clients on day-to-day issues;
• Ability to demonstrate a reasonable level of self-sufficiency, combined with an awareness of the boundaries of own competence/authority;
• Team oriented and collegiate with a willingness to share knowledge with and support other members of the team.
Additional Information
As a Disability Confident Scheme employer, we’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you need any reasonable adjustments at any stage (including the application, assessment or interview process), please contact recruitment@dacbeachcroft.com in confidence with the vacancy reference in the subject line, and we’ll be happy to help.
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: recruitment@dacbeachcroft.com or csgrecruitment@dacbeachcroft.com
Skills
About DAC Beachcroft
DAC Beachcroft is a leading international legal business with offices across Europe, Latin America, North America and Asia Pacific. We partner with our clients to help them achieve sustainable growth and to defend their business and reputation. We do this by taking a tailored approach to providing commercial, transactional, claims, risk and advisory legal services. We are recognised leaders in Insurance, Health and Real Estate and draw on the knowledge, industry experience and commercial expertise of our outstanding 3,000 lawyers and support colleagues in these sectors and beyond. We are forward-thinking, flexible and easy to engage with and we're proud that our clients tell us regularly that we're great to work with. We know that our clients value advice that is innovative, practical and personal to them, and we pride ourselves on getting to the heart of their businesses. We measure our performance against their expectations and embrace change as a necessary stage in evolving and strengthening our relationships. The close working relationship we enjoy with our clients has not been built overnight but honed carefully over the last 250 years. This means today our clients can remain confident they have the very best legal expertise available.
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