Associate - Commercial Disputes

DAC Beachcroft; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Healthcare

Bonus Scheme

Health & Wellbeing

Job summary

DAC Beachcroft is seeking a proactive junior solicitor to join its busy Commercial Disputes team in the UK. You will gain hands-on responsibility across a varied caseload, working closely with Partners and senior lawyers and helping ensure effective delegation and support.

The role suits someone with practical litigation experience, aiming to grow in a collaborative, client-focused environment with exposure to financial services disputes and wider contentious work.

Qualifications

• 3 years’ PQE preferred, with hands-on litigation experience.
• Willing to take ownership of tasks with supervision.
• Experience in financial services disputes would be an advantage.
• Confident, proactive and able to work across a varied caseload.

Responsibilities

• Assist on a varied commercial disputes caseload with supervision.
• Support Partners, Senior Associates and Associates across litigation, FS disputes, insurance and cyber matters.
• Draft legal documents, correspondence and client advice.
• Undertake legal research and provide practical input.
• Liaise with clients, counsel, opponents and third parties professionally.
• Manage deadlines and progress matters proactively.
• Contribute to a supportive team culture and client experience.

Skills

Litigation

Commercial disputes

Client communication

Education

Solicitors qualification (England & Wales)

Job description

This is an excellent opportunity for a proactive junior lawyer who enjoys litigation, wants hands‑on responsibility, and is excited by the prospect of joining a busy, supportive and growing Commercial Disputes team.

About the Team

DAC Beachcroft’s Commercial Disputes team advises clients across a broad range of contentious matters, including commercial litigation, financial services disputes, insurance‑related work, cyber‑related matters and wider disputes.

The team is busy and growing, with strong client demand and a genuine need for additional junior‑level support. Partners are bringing in high‑quality work, and the team has a strong group of Associates and Senior Associates. The successful candidate will help ensure that work can be delegated effectively and that junior support is available across a varied caseload.

This is a team with a strong culture. Colleagues work hard, but the team is known for being supportive, collaborative and focused on giving people meaningful responsibility. The team values lawyers who are willing, able, curious and keen to get stuck in.

The Opportunity

Working closely with Partners and senior lawyers, you will support clients across a varied commercial disputes caseload. The successful candidate will gain exposure to a broad range of matters.

We are seeking someone who is excited by the prospect of working across a diverse caseload rather than specialising too narrowly from the outset. This role would suit someone who has had practical, hands‑on litigation experience and is confident taking ownership of tasks and workstreams with appropriate supervision.

Financial services litigation experience would be a particular advantage, but the team is open to candidates from a range of contentious backgrounds. Experience gained in‑house, in a smaller firm, or in another environment where you have had to run or help run files autonomously would be welcomed.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist on a varied commercial disputes caseload with appropriate supervision.
• Support Partners, Senior Associates and Associates across commercial litigation, financial services disputes, insurance‑related matters, cyber‑related work and wider contentious instructions.
• Draft legal documents, correspondence, instructions to counsel, research notes and client advice.
• Undertake legal research and provide practical, commercially focused input.
• Liaise with clients, counsel, opponents and third parties in a professional and commercially aware manner.
• Manage deadlines, maintain clear communication and progress matters proactively.
• Contribute positively to the team’s supportive culture and help maintain a strong candidate and client experience.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

We are interested in hearing from candidates who are:

• Qualified solicitors, ideally with at least 3 years’ PQE, although candidates slightly outside this range may be considered depending on experience.
• Experienced in litigation (or pre‑litigation) or contentious work.
• Proactive, curious, organised and willing to learn.
• Confident taking ownership and running with tasks under appropriate supervision.
• Strong communicators who can build effective relationships with colleagues and clients.

Previous exposure to any of the following would be advantageous but is not essential:

• Commercial litigation.
• Insurance or coverage disputes.
• In‑house legal experience.
• Experience in a smaller firm or another hands‑on environment where you have had meaningful file responsibility.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to join a busy and growing Commercial Disputes team at a time of strong client demand. The successful candidate will work closely with experienced partners and senior lawyers, gaining exposure to varied, high‑quality disputes work while taking on meaningful responsibility from an early stage.

You’ll benefit from:

• Exposure to a broad range of commercial disputes work.
• Close Partner and senior lawyer support.
• The opportunity to take ownership of tasks and develop practical litigation experience.
• A varied caseload across commercial litigation, financial services, insurance, cyber and wider contentious matters.
• A collaborative and supportive team culture.
• Genuine flexibility through the Firm’s A Life That Works approach.
• Company Benefits: Private Healthcare, Bonus Scheme, Health & Wellbeing.

About DAC Beachcroft

We are a leading international legal business with over 3,000 colleagues and a diverse range of capabilities. We are market leaders in insurance, health and real estate but with a full‑service offering, including growing Financial Services and Tech capabilities. We represent a wide range of clients – from household names to government departments and NHS bodies. We act for nearly all of the top‑20 UK and global insurers, we’re market leaders in the provision of strategic, commercial and regulatory advice to providers and commissioners in the health sector, and in real estate we advise all of the UK’s top‑five housebuilders.

We are a fast‑growing international business with offices around the globe. In addition to our 11 UK offices, we also have offices in Bogota, Buenos Aires, Dublin, Lima, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, New York, Paris, Rome, Santiago de Chile, and Singapore plus a representative office in Miami and broad network of affiliations across the globe.

At DAC Beachcroft we are committed to and recognise the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion across the board, including and beyond the protected characteristics. We take decisions based solely on merit. We value, welcome and seek out people with different backgrounds and life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, ways of thinking and identities.

We are happy to talk flexible working with our Flex Forward scheme. We would encourage you to talk to us about our approach to flexible working during the hiring process if you would like to explore this further.

Note for Recruitment Agencies

DAC Beachcroft manages all vacancies via our in‑house recruitment teams, prioritising direct sourcing and referrals. When external support is required, roles are released to selected agencies on our Preferred Supplier List (PSL).

Speculative CVs sent to any DAC Beachcroft employee without prior instruction from our recruitment teams (LLP and CSG) will not be accepted, and no fees will be payable.

For PSL queries, please contact: [e-mail] or [e-mail]

As a Disability Confident Scheme employer, we’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you need any reasonable adjustments at any stage, including the application, assessment or interview process, please contact [e-mail] in confidence with the vacancy reference in the subject line, and we’ll be happy to help.