Litigation & Dispute Resolution Lawyer

Michelle Sneesby - Founder and Managing Partner; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

Structured development framework

Mental well-being support

Premium client base

Job summary

empire group in Canberra is seeking an experienced lawyer to join our premier Dispute Resolution practice. You will manage a sophisticated portfolio of disputes, acting for high-profile Commonwealth agencies, tier-one contractors, developers and major corporations.

Working alongside leading partners, you will run or assist on complex litigation, provide strategic advice, mentor junior lawyers and contribute to a collaborative, high-performing culture that values well-being and work-life balance.

Qualifications

• 2–10 years pae in litigation and dispute resolution
• Strong drafting, advisory, and negotiation skills
• Track record of mentoring junior lawyers and supervising the team
• Excellent communication and ability to build client relationships

Responsibilities

• Running or assisting on complex, high-value litigation and dispute resolution (ADR) processes.
• Providing proactive, strategic advice to clients
• Preparing high-quality pleadings, evidence, court submissions, and security of payment claims
• Serving as a primary point of contact for sophisticated institutional clients and government stakeholders

Skills

Litigation & dispute resolution

Drafting

Advisory

Negotiation

Client relationship management

Communication skills

Mentoring juniors

Team collaboration

Job description

Why work with empire group?

• Exclusive Roles: Gain access to opportunities not advertised anywhere else.
• Personalised Support: Receive free CV advice, interview coaching and negotiation guidance suited to your career goals.
• Industry Expertise: Work with a team that brings over 175 years of combined Australian legal recruitment experience.
• Privacy: Trust that your information will be treated with the confidentiality that you deserve. Only be put forward to a role with your explicit consent.

About the Role

Our client is seeking an experienced lawyer to join our premier Dispute Resolution practice in Canberra. Working alongside leading partners, you will manage a sophisticated portfolio of disputes.

This role offers the opportunity to act for high-profile commonwealth agencies, tier-one contractors, developers, major corporations.

Key Responsibilities

• Running or assisting on complex, high-value litigation and dispute resolution (ADR) processes.
• Providing proactive, strategic advice to clients
• Preparing high-quality pleadings, evidence, court submissions, and security of payment claims.
• Serving as a primary point of contact for sophisticated institutional clients and government stakeholders.

Skills and Experience

The ideal candidate will have around 2 years to 10 years pae in the area of litigation and dispute resolution.

You will also have strong drafting, advisory and negotiation skills. For more experienced candidates, you will have a track record of supervising and mentoring the junior lawyers of the team.

Excellent communication skills and ability to form strong relationship with clients and internally are a must.

Culture and Benefits

• Genuine tier 1 quality work and premium client base of both private sector and government clients
• Structured, transparent promotion criteria and regular development frameworks.
• Balanced hybrid working arrangements tailored to support your delivery and lifestyle.
• A collaborative, high-performing culture that prioritises psychological safety, mental well-being, and active peer support.

I am a former lawyer and Legal Professional Recruiter at empire group. With over 18 years of experience placing lawyers in law firms, I connect candidates to the roles that truly support their needs and their wants. I am passionate about helping lawyers at all stages of their careers and understand the complexity of navigating recruitment in this current market. If the above role isn’t what you are looking for, please reach out so I can assist you with finding the right one.