Associate - Healthcare Disputes

The role

We are looking for a solicitor to work as part of our award-winning healthcare team alongside Partners Jill Mason, Neil Ward Duncan Astill and Amanda Narkiewicz. We are flexible in terms of the Mills & Reeve office location for the successful candidate.   You will be responsible for dealing with a wide range of patient matters and public law work (these are often life and death matters and/or headline news either locally or nationally).

The broad range of work will include complex issues covering:

• Mental Capacity Act 2005, Best Interests and Court of Protection cases
• Mental Health Act 1983
• NHS Continuing Care/Responsible Commissioner issues
• Priorities/exceptional funding
• Governance
• Incident investigation
• Care Act

Although you would not be expected to be covering all these areas! The work will require some travel to service client needs nationally.

The person

You are likely to be NQ - 4 years’ qualified or equivalent experience.  A good working knowledge of Information Governance law and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 will be a particular advantage.

Essential

• Degree or equivalent and A Level grades or equivalents.
• Excellent written English for drafting purposes list of more specific skills and experience that will be used for shortlisting purposes.

You will be able to demonstrate:

• A can do approach
• Attention to detail
• Excellent time and file management
• An ability to build relationships with clients, potential clients and witnesses
• Good research skills
• Evidence of negotiating skills
• Competent analytical skills, ability to work under pressure, flexibility and team working
• Appropriate interpersonal skills as this work involves many challenges to practitioners, who must be able to deal with a variety of people issues
• Current knowledge and understanding of:

- National Health Service

- Duties of doctors and other clinical professionals

Why Should I Apply?

The Healthcare team forms part of the larger Regulatory, Public & Commercial Disputes national service line. The team currently consists of three partners, nine principal associates and seven senior associates / associates. This team provides healthcare law advice to a range of public and independent sector health clients.

Who Will I Be working With?

Working under close supervision, you will have diverse and interesting work within this team, which is part of the wider cross office NSL with team members based in Birmingham, Cambridge, London and Manchester.

What else should I know?

Mills & Reeve is a major UK law firm renowned for its outstanding service to national and international clients, for its collaborative culture and for its deep sector expertise.

The firm has a strong sector focus with expertise in agriculture, charities, education, food and beverage, health, insurance, private wealth, real estate investment, sport and technology. Clients include businesses from PLCs to start-ups, high net worth individuals and landowners, more than 120 universities, colleges and education bodies and over 100 healthcare organisations.

This is an ideal opportunity to build your skills and experience with a major UK law firm, listed as one of the “Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For” for the last 20 years - the only law firm to achieve this.

We are also proud to have been awarded Platinum Investors in People status this year.  The firm joins a select club of only 6% of 50,000 assessed organisations awarded the coveted platinum status.

The firm is also delighted to report for the eighth year running we were named as one of Roll On Friday’s ‘best law firms to works at’.

Pre-employment screening

Please note that, in the event that we make an offer of employment, we will conduct pre-employment screening that includes checks relating to your professional and academic qualifications, references from previous employers, your eligibility to work in the UK and any disciplinary history recorded with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). You will also be required to complete a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability.

Disclosure and barring service check and security clearance

This post is also subject to a satisfactory response from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) (to check for any previous criminal convictions and cautions) and, given the nature of the work-type, you may also be required to undergo national security vetting to SC level – the latter can be undertaken following commencement of employment.

And finally

Mills & Reeve is committed to building a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive environment in which all our people can thrive. We hire people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our firm stronger, and we have a collaborative culture that celebrates different perspectives and values respect for one another, working together, and openness and integrity. Our approach to flexible working means that we work in a way that achieves the right balance for our people, our clients and for our business.