Associate (3-5yrs PQE) Commercial Litigation

William James; Sydney; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

William James is a Sydney-based specialist boutique practice seeking a talented lawyer (3–5 years PQE) with experience in complex commercial litigation. You will work closely with Partners and senior lawyers on significant matters, gaining exposure from strategy to trial and enforcement.

You are bright, analytical and commercially minded, collaborative, and eager to develop into an exceptional disputes lawyer within a high-performing team.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years PQE in complex commercial litigation.
• Trained and practised in a recognised mid- tier, top-tier or specialist litigation practice.
• Bright, analytical, commercially minded and collaborative.

Responsibilities

• Work with Partners and senior lawyers on significant commercial litigation matters.
• Gain exposure to all stages of a dispute from strategy through to trial and enforcement.
• Take on meaningful responsibility with direct client exposure and influence.

Skills

Complex commercial litigation

Legal research

Client contact

Job description

• Work directly with leading litigators on sophisticated, high-stakes disputes while enjoying the autonomy, culture and flexibility of a specialist boutique practice.

Who are we?

William James is founded on the vision that there is a better way to do law. Provide great clients with access to talented, passionate and, most importantly, happy people and then sit back and watch magic happen. Clients constantly tell us we aren’t like other law firms and we love that!

We don’t do everything – We are Specialists!

We only operate in those areas where we can deliver market leading performance - commercial litigation, insolvency and restructuring. As a result, we say no to lots of work.

We believe in high performance – Bring your “A” Game

We strive to be the firm of choice for high performing and passionate lawyers. That doesn’t mean crazy hours. Just creative solutions and quality work delivered with a caring touch to our clients. We want lawyers who don’t know how to operate any other way. With a firm full of talented lawyers, the awesome clients follow.

A culture worth joining

We invest heavily in our people and our culture.

Our team is collaborative, ambitious and genuinely supportive. We enjoy working together, sharing knowledge and celebrating success. We take our work seriously, but not ourselves.

We are selective about who joins our firm because culture matters. We want people who are aligned with our values and committed to helping build something exceptional.

The opportunity

We are seeking a talented and ambitious lawyer (between 3-5yrs PQE) with experience in complex commercial litigation. This role will suit someone who enjoys intellectually challenging work, wants hands‑on involvement in sophisticated disputes and is looking to accelerate their development in a high‑performing specialist boutique practice.

You will work closely with our Partners and senior lawyers on significant commercial litigation matters, gaining exposure to all stages of a dispute from strategic advice and interlocutory applications through to trial and enforcement. From day one, you will be given meaningful responsibility, direct client exposure and the opportunity to play an important role within the team.

We are looking for someone who is genuinely passionate about litigation, eager to learn and committed to developing into an exceptional disputes lawyer. You are bright, analytical, commercially minded and take pride in producing high‑quality work. Most importantly, you are collaborative, down‑to‑earth and enjoy working alongside other talented people who are passionate about what they do.

We anticipate successful candidates will have trained and practised within a recognised mid‑tier, top‑tier or specialist litigation practice and have developed a strong technical foundation and have strategic and analytical skills through exposure to complex disputes.

What we offer

• High-quality, complex litigation work in a boutique environment
• Direct access to highly regarded partners - who are actually cool!
• A collaborative and supportive team environment
• Genuine opportunities for progression and leadership
• A strong culture built around excellence, trust and respect