The role 

We have a fantastic opportunity for two NQ – 3 years PQE Solicitors to join our defendant professional indemnity team on a permanent basis. You will work within our Insurance Disputes National Service Line (NSL) based in either our Birmingham or Manchester offices. The work is predominantly professional indemnity, acting for members of various professions but primarily lawyers (both Solicitors and Barristers), construction professionals, accountants, insurance brokers, independent financial advisers and surveyors. Clients are located nationally, with work referred at their nomination or directly by insurers, most of which are located close to our London office but with developed regionally based teams. The roles will require some recent experience of the professional indemnity insurance market as well as up to date pre-action and litigation procedure knowledge. You will have recently gained your experience in private practice at a large regional or city law firm.

The team

If based from Birmingham, you will be working in a team of 20 lawyers, including three Partners (David Gooding, Angus Turner and Neil Frankland). If based from Manchester you will be working in a team of 10 lawyers, including two Partners (Ben Hardiman and Niall Innes). These  are opportunities to join either of our leading and prestigious professional indemnity teams, defending a broad range of professional indemnity claims against:

• solicitors and barristers
• construction professionals including architects, surveyors, engineers, design & build contractors
• financial professionals such as accountants, insolvency practitioners, IFAs, trustees, pension advisers
• insurance brokers

The teams also handle a significant number of coverage investigations for insurers. The team is part of the firm-wide Insurance Disputes NSL, which is headed up by Niall Innes, and supported by a professional support lawyer. You will also work with other partners in the Insurance Disputes NSL on specific projects or as part of a wider client service team.

What skills and attributes would I need?

• Degree educated, or equivalent.
• Litigation experience and strong analytical skills.
• Excellent written English and ability to produce clear, logical drafting.
• Lateral thinking and problem solving skills.
• A self-starter who takes the initiative.
• Excellent interpersonal and team skills, including ability to work with others, influence and persuade.
• Proactive team player.
• Good time and file management skills.
• Good research skills, including an ability to use online information sources.
• An enthusiasm for marketing with clients and multipliers.

What else should I know?

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 19 years - the only law firm to achieve this. This year we were named as Roll on Friday’s Firm of the Year. We have also achieved the much sought after Three Star Accreditation and been named as one of 100 Best Mid-Sized Companies to Work For as a result of outstanding levels of staff engagement and the firm’s commitment to creating a positive working environment for all employees.

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.

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, 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.

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