Associate Legal Counsel

Laing O'Rourke; Dartford; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Laing O'Rourke, an international engineering and construction company, is seeking an Associate Legal Counsel with up to 3 years PQE to join its in-house team in the UK. You will support disputes handling across the business, working with senior lawyers to provide commercially focused advice.

You'll manage lower-value claims, draft documents, assist negotiations and coordinate external advisers, gaining exposure to adjudication, arbitration and litigation while developing your expertise in

Qualifications

• Recent qualified solicitor or lawyer with up to 3 years' PQE.
• Experience in construction dispute resolution including adjudication, arbitration, litigation or other forms of ADR.
• Strong drafting, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide clear, practical and commercially focused legal advice on disputes across the business.
• Identify potential disputes early and help develop strategies for their management and resolution.
• Take ownership of lower-value, less complex claims and supervise trainees where appropriate.
• Support senior lawyers in negotiations and settlement discussions and contribute to strategy.
• Draft and review a wide range of legal documents and assist with preparation of court, adjudication, arbitration and mediation materials.

Skills

Dispute resolution

Drafting

Stakeholder management

Commercial mindset

Organizational skills

Education

Law degree (LLB/LLM)

Job description

Are you a recently qualified solicitor or lawyer with up to three years' post-qualification experience (0–3 years' PQE)? Experience in dispute resolution gainedin private practice or in-house, looking to take the next step in your legal career?

We have an excitingopportunity foran Associate Legal Counsel to join our growing in-house legal team.

About the Role

As Associate Legal Counsel, you\'ll support the legal team in delivering commercially focused advice on disputes across the business. You\'ll work alongside experienced in-house lawyers, helping to manage disputes from initial identification through to resolution while developing your expertise across a broad range of dispute resolution processes.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a collaborative legal team, working directly with senior business leaders and contributing to strategic decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Provide clear, practical and commercially focused legal advice on disputes across the business under appropriate supervision.
• Identify potential disputes at an early stage and assist in developing effective strategies for their management and resolution.
• Take ownership of lower-value and less complex claims, supervising trainees and paralegals where appropriate.
• Support senior lawyers in negotiations and settlement discussions, including preparing briefing papers and contributing to settlement strategy.
• Draft and review a wide range of legal documents, including correspondence, claims, responses, standstill agreements, settlement agreements and witness statements.
• Assist with the preparation of court, adjudication, arbitration and mediation materials.
• Attend and support dispute resolution proceedings, including negotiations, mediations, adjudications, arbitrations and litigation.
• Help manage external legal advisers by preparing instructions, reviewing advice and monitoring budgets.
• Coordinate and instruct expert witnesses and technical advisers throughout the lifecycle of disputes.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across Legal, Finance, Insurance and the wider business to support effective dispute management.
• Assist with the annual audit process.
• Provide guidance and support to junior members of the legal team, helping to maintain high standards and encourage professional development.

About You

We\'re particularly interested in candidates who have experience of construction dispute resolution, including exposure to adjudication, arbitration, litigation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. Experience advising clients in the construction, infrastructure or engineering sectors would be highly advantageous.

You'll also bring:

• Strong drafting, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• A commercial mindset with the ability to provide practical, business-focused legal advice.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• A collaborative approach and willingness to work closely with colleagues across the business.

Why Join Us?

This is an outstanding opportunity to build your career within a supportive and high-performing in-house legal team. You\'ll gain exposure to complex and high-value disputes while working closely with senior legal professionals and commercial stakeholders.

In return, we offer:

• A genuine opportunity to transition from private practice into an in-house legal role.
• Exposure to complex construction and commercial disputes.
• High levels of responsibility and direct business engagement from an early stage.
• A collaborative, supportive team environment with excellent mentoring and development opportunities.
• The chance to make a meaningful impact within a dynamic and growing business.

If you\'re looking to develop your career beyond private practice and want to combine high-quality legal work with commercial involvement, we\'d love to hear from you.

About us:
We are an international engineering and construction company delivering state-of-the-art infrastructure and buildings projects for clients in the UK, Middle East and Australia.

Certainty, reliability, quality – this is what our clients want. And at Laing O\'Rourke, we have more than 150 years of experience delivering it. Laing O\'Rourke\'s story is one of energy, passion, ambition, people and teamwork. We harness the power of our experience, stretching back over a century and a half to deliver certainty for our clients.

As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we would like to enable access to candidates with long term health conditions and disabilities through the ‘Offer an interview scheme\'. This supports applicants that meet the essential criteria by offering an interview for the advertised position. Please let us know prior to interview what adjustments are required as well as discussing how we can support you in the workplace.

We want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all. If you need the application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please email [e-mail]

Dont match all the criteria? We are open and always happy to hear from people with transferable skill sets and a commitment to learning.