Senior Associate or Special Counsel | Litigation | Melbourne

Hamilton Locke Pty; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Promotion pathways

Mentorship

Flexible work

Bonus scheme

Extra leave

Birthday leave

Client relationships

Job summary

Hamilton Locke in Melbourne is seeking a commercially astute Senior Associate or Special Counsel to join our national disputes team, working closely with senior leaders on complex, high-value litigation matters across a broad range of industries. You will bring a minimum of 7 years’ litigation experience, a collaborative approach and a strong interest in investigations and regulatory matters.

The role emphasises mentorship, professional development, flexible working arrangements and clear

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience practicing as a lawyer with litigation focus.
• Strong interest in disputes, investigations, and regulatory matters.
• Collaborative, proactive approach and client-focused.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Litigating complex contractual and commercial claims.
• Acting for head contractors and subcontractors in infrastructure and construction disputes.
• Acting in insolvency and restructuring-related disputes.
• Running shareholder oppression and partnership disputes.
• Defending regulatory investigations and prosecutions (including by ASIC).
• Advising boards and officers on corporate governance and pre-decision risk analysis.
• Acting in joint venture, M&A, and financial services disputes.

Skills

Litigation experience

Regulatory matters

Client service

Deadlines management

Job description

About Hamilton Locke

Hamilton Locke is a law firm evolving the traditional approach to corporate and commercial legal services. We are constantly removing the layers of bureaucracy, reacting quickly to change, providing exceptional service and finding creative solutions to deliver smart advice.

About Hamilton Locke

Hamilton Locke is a law firm evolving the traditional approach to corporate and commercial legal services. We are constantly removing the layers of bureaucracy, reacting quickly to change, providing exceptional service and finding creative solutions to deliver smart advice.

We are part of the HPX Group, which was proudly named one of AFR BOSS Best Places to Work 2025. Within that group, Hamilton Locke was also recognised as Law Firm of the Year at the 2025 Australian Law Awards, a reflection of our commitment to doing things differently and creating an exceptional experience for both our people and clients.

We have offices in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, with our clients located across Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe and Asia.

The role

We are seeking a commercially astute Litigation Senior Associate or Special Counsel to join our high-performing national disputes team, working closely with Sophie Uhlhorn in our Melbourne office.

This is a rare opportunity to join a tight-knit, collaborative team working on complex, high-value matters. The practice is led by Brit Ibanez, Managing Partner, and is known for its strong emphasis on mentorship, professional development and genuine career progression.

You will play a key role in strategic litigation matters, working directly with senior leaders while contributing to a nationally recognised disputes practice.

The Practice

As a member of our Litigation team, you’ll work on a broad range of challenging and engaging matters, including:

• Litigating complex contractual and commercial claims.
• Acting for head contractors and subcontractors in infrastructure and construction disputes
• Acting in insolvency and restructuring-related disputes.
• Running shareholder oppression and partnership disputes.
• Defending regulatory investigations and prosecutions (including by ASIC).
• Advising boards and officers on corporate governance and pre-decision risk analysis.
• Acting in joint venture, M&A, and financial services disputes.

About You

We’re seeking a sharp, curious, and team-oriented Senior Associate or Special Counsel who is excited to grow their litigation expertise in a dynamic and supportive environment. You will ideally bring:

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience practicing as a Lawyer, with litigation experience.
• A strong interest in disputes, investigations, and regulatory matters.
• A collaborative approach, a desire to learn from experienced practitioners, with a proactive approach.
• Confidence in managing competing priorities and deadlines.
• A commercial mindset and proactive approach to client service.

What’s In It For You

• Clear promotion pathways
• Be mentored by leading practitioners in a supportive environment, with access to quality work, great clients and professional development opportunities.
• A fun, collaborative and high-performing team environment with regular social events, training days and team retreats.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• A clear and transparent performance bonus scheme.An extra week’s leave, as part of our employee personal development program.
• A day of birthday leave.
• Support in building client relationships.

Accessibility and inclusion

At Hamilton Locke, our culture is made up of unique backgrounds and varying life experiences. We celebrate our people's differences across gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, cultural backgrounds, and family and caring arrangements.

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please contact us at [e-mail].

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