Special Counsel - Avant Law Civil Claims (Adelaide)

Avant; Adelaide; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 180,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working arrangements

4 days per week (possible)

Job summary

Avant Law in Adelaide is seeking a Special Counsel to join our Civil Claims Team. This permanent part-time role offers hybrid working and a chance to work with doctors and health-law specialists.

You will provide high-level civil claims and health-law advice, mentor junior lawyers, and represent members in court and inquiries. A senior, collaborative professional with a focus on medical indemnity matters is ideal.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years’ PQE in civil claims and health law matters.
• Experience in defendant medical negligence and professional conduct.
• Current unrestricted practising certificate in South Australia.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality oral and written legal advice in Civil Claims and Professional Conduct matters.
• Mentor and develop junior lawyers and supervise workload.
• Deputise for Head of Practice and coordinate team activities.
• Represent members in legal proceedings, including court or tribunal appearances.
• Deliver presentations and write articles on health-law regulatory updates.

Skills

Public speaking

Mentoring

Team leadership

Civil litigation

Defendant medical negligence

Education

Bachelor of Law

Practising certificate (SA)

Admission to High Court

Job description

Avant Law is a national specialist law firm looking for a Special Counsel to join our team in Adelaide, working closely with the Head of Practice Legal and joining a team of purpose-driven lawyers. If you are looking for a law firm focussed upon collaboration, mentoring, advocacy and making a difference for doctors we want to hear from you.This is an opportunity for an experienced civil claims and healthcare lawyer to progress their career and join Avant Law’s Civil Claims Team.

This is a permanent part-time position based out of our Adelaide office with hybrid working arrangements. Our preference is for 4 days but we are open to considering options for the right candidate.

The key responsibilities include:

• This role will see you provide high quality oral and written legal advice and services in respect of Civil Claims and also Professional Conduct matters to Avant Insurance claims managers and Avant’s members.
• Providing general health law advice and personally and autonomously conduct complex, high value files, relating to:
  • medical negligence claims (pre-action and litigated) and/or complaints; and
  • professional conduct and disciplinary matters, including the Medical Board of Australia, Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and coronial investigations and inquests,while adhering to claims and solicitor protocols.
• Supervision, mentoring and development of junior lawyers to enable career development for staff within the Avant Law team.
• Deputising for the Head of Practice when requested and assist with coordinating the work of the team.
• Represent members in legal proceedings, including preparing for and attending court, tribunal or inquiries.
• Contribute to preparation and delivery of presentations and writing of internal and external articles, to raise awareness of health law related regulatory updates.
• Work collaboratively with all team members both within the team and the broader Claims and Avant Law Teams.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• A minimum of 10 years’ PQE, with demonstrated extensive post admission experience in defendant medical negligence / health litigation, professional conduct and/or coronial matters. A strong knowledge of personal injury or civil litigation experience will also be considered.
• Relevant tertiary legal qualifications (Bachelor of Law or equivalent), with a current unsupervised practising certificate as a Solicitor in South Australia and the High Court.
• Demonstrated operational health law knowledge/ background.
• Confident advocate with public speaking capabilities.
• Excellent attention to detail and time management skills.
• The ability to mentor and support junior team members.
• Proactive in developing relationships and understanding and balancing member, business and team requirements.

Why work for Avant Law?

• You would be working for Australia’s largest specialist medico-legal law firm.
• You are guaranteed a pipeline of work from your instructing client, Avant Insurance, who are co-located.
• You will work with event-based billing (goodbye to 6 minute units and daily billable targets!)
• You will get to work on a great variety and breadth of cases but with a focus on medical indemnity claims.
• You will be working in an open and collaborative environment with access to the top specialist medico-legal solicitors in the country.
• Flexible working practices.

Avant is Australia’s leading medical defence organisation with a proud heritage of protecting Australian medical professionals for over 130 years.
Avant now represents over 90,000 health practitioners and medical students across every state and territory, delivering market leading products and services to meet their professional, personal and practice needs. Building on this heritage, our vision is to be the most trusted professional partner in supporting doctors throughout their lives and careers.

As a mutual organisation, owned by members and run purely for their benefit, our members are at the centre of all we do. As well as providing products and services to our member, we play a broader community role by advocating for improvements in the healthcare system and in quality, safety and professionalism in medicine, through delivering education and research activities.