Senior Associate

DWF; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work from home model

2 volunteer days off per year

Birthday leave

Job summary

DWF is seeking an Associate or Senior Associate to join our General Insurance team in Sydney. You will advise on institutional abuse, mental harm, bullying, and personal injury claims across sectors including aged care, disability care, childcare, and education.

You will work with a Special Counsel, draft legal opinions, manage claims, and contribute to growth of the practice while handling sensitive matters with empathy and discretion.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3+ years PQE in insurance, personal injury, litigation, investigations, or related practice area.
• Strong judgement, empathy and discretion for sensitive matters affecting vulnerable clients.
• Ability to draft clear, concise, commercially focused legal advice.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of institutional abuse, mental harm, bullying and personal injury claims across litigated and non-litigated matters.
• Draft legal advice, pleadings, witness statements, settlement documents and tribunal materials.
• Analyse liability, indemnity, causation, quantum and litigation risk to support effective claim strategies.
• Provide strategic and commercially focused advice to insurers and insured clients.
• Assist with sensitive investigations involving child safety, safeguarding and organisational risk matters.
• Attend mediations, settlement conferences, court hearings, NCAT proceedings and instruct counsel where required.
• Build strong relationships with clients, insurers, experts, counsel and other stakeholders.
• Collaborate with a high-performing team, support business development initiatives and mentor junior lawyers.

Skills

Litigation experience

Insurance knowledge

Client management

Analytical skills

Empathy

Discretion

Mentoring juniors

Tools

Legal practice software

Microsoft Office

AI tools

Job description

Why join us?

DWF is seeking an Associate or Senior Associate to join our General Insurance team in Sydney. Working closely with a Special Counsel and a highly regarded team, you will advise on institutional abuse, mental harm, bullying, and personal injury claims across sectors including aged care, disability care, childcare, and education.

The practice offers a diverse mix of litigated and non-litigated matters, regulatory investigations, disciplinary complaints, and NCAT proceedings. You will provide strategic, commercially focused advice, manage key stakeholder relationships, and contribute to the continued growth of the practice.

Prior abuse claims experience is not essential. We are looking for a lawyer with strong judgement, empathy, and a genuine interest in working on sensitive and complex matters affecting vulnerable members of the community.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of institutional abuse, mental harm, bullying and personal injury claims across litigated and non-litigated matters.
• Draft legal advice, pleadings, witness statements, settlement documents and tribunal materials.
• Analyse liability, indemnity, causation, quantum and litigation risk to support effective claim strategies.
• Provide strategic and commercially focused advice to insurers and insured clients.
• Assist with sensitive investigations involving child safety, safeguarding and organisational risk matters.
• Attend mediations, settlement conferences, court hearings, NCAT proceedings and instruct counsel where required.
• Build strong relationships with clients, insurers, experts, counsel and other stakeholders.
• Collaborate with a high-performing team, support business development initiatives and mentor junior lawyers.

What will help you succeed in this role?

• Minimum 3+ years PQE, ideally gained in insurance, personal injury, litigation, investigations, administrative law, or a related practice area.
• Experience in insurance litigation, defendant claims, regulatory matters, investigations, or personal injury claims will be highly regarded.
• Strong judgement and the ability to handle sensitive matters with empathy, professionalism, and discretion.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess risk and develop practical legal strategies.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain accurate file management.
• Strong written communication skills, with experience preparing clear, concise, and commercially focused legal advice.
• Confidence working with clients, counsel, experts, and other stakeholders in complex or sensitive matters.
• Proactive and accountable approach, with the ability to work independently and contribute positively to a collaborative team environment.
• Strong technology skills, including legal practice management systems, Microsoft Office, and emerging technologies such as AI tools.
• Commitment to continuous learning, professional development, and delivering exceptional client service.

• and mentoring junior team members where appropriate.

What we offer

• Flexible work from home model with all technology needs provided.
• 2 volunteer days off per year to support the community.
• Birthday leave.

About us

DWF is a leading global provider of integrated legal and business services. Our approach delivers efficiency, price certainty and transparency for our clients across the world without compromising on quality or service. Our purpose is to deliver positive outcomes with our colleagues, clients and communities and we foster a culture that places our colleagues at the centre of all that we do. DWF operates with 35+ offices globally, our main office based in the UK. Our offices in Australia are based in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, and Melbourne.