Senior Associate - Litigation

Hooker & Heijden; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 145,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Hooker & Heijden in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs seeks a Senior Associate in Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution with 4+ years PQE. You’ll work directly with a principal, appear in court regularly, and mentor a junior litigator and paralegals.

Files cover retail leases and commercial litigation across Victoria, NSW and Queensland; you’ll manage matters from pre-litigation to active proceedings in multiple courts, and you’ll be expected to contribute to billing targets while maintaining

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years PQE in litigation with strong commercial law experience.
• Confident running complex matters strategically and efficiently, and able to hit the ground running.
• Comfortable mentoring junior lawyers and paralegals.
• Interested in regular court appearances and advocacy.

Responsibilities

• Appear in court and advocate regularly.
• Mentor a junior litigator and paralegals.
• Manage litigation files from pre-litigation to active proceedings in multiple courts.
• Assist in billing targets for the litigation team.

Skills

Litigation experience

Mentoring juniors

Court advocacy

Job description

Practice Area:

Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Level:

Senior Associate (4+ years PQE)

Salary:

$145,000 to $185,000, depending on experience

About the Firm

Our client is a boutique law firm in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs with a commercial and litigation team, a wills and estates team, and two sister firms practising in property law and family law. The property practice also has offices in regional Victoria and on the Sunshine Coast, so interstate work and travel are available for the right person.

The culture is built around enjoying the work and working efficiently. The firm puts real weight on staff wellbeing and work life balance, while expecting people to work hard when it’s needed. Paid CPD, regular staff social events and celebrating wins as a team are all part of how they work.

About the Role

You’ll join the commercial and litigation team, working directly with a principal who has 15 years PQE and many years of advocacy experience across most Victorian jurisdictions. You’ll be mentored by the principal, and you’ll mentor a junior litigator and paralegals yourself.

The files cover:

• Retail leases
• Commercial litigation

Files run from pre-litigation dispute resolution through to active proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court, County Court, Supreme Court, Federal Court and VCAT. The team also has active litigation in NSW and Queensland.

You’ll appear in court and do advocacy regularly, which is rare at this level in many firms. You’ll also be responsible for the litigation team’s billing targets.

About You

• Minimum 4 years PQE in litigation, with strong commercial law experience
• Confident running complex matters strategically and efficiently, and able to hit the ground running
• Comfortable mentoring junior lawyers and paralegals
• Interested in regular court appearances and advocacy

What’s on Offer

• $145,000 to $185,000, depending on experience
• Regular court appearances and advocacy
• Direct mentoring from an experienced principal
• Variety across building, leasing, employment, debt and commercial matters in several jurisdictions
• Work life balance, with paid CPD and regular team events
• Full time preferred, but strong applicants wanting a four day week will be considered

All enquiries and applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.