Commercial Costs Lawyer

ENGINEERINGUK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A national law firm is seeking an experienced costs professional to join the Commercial Litigation costs team. The candidate will prepare Bills of Costs, handle costs negotiations, and provide strategic advice to clients. Applicants should have a minimum of two years' experience in costs drafting and strong knowledge of legal procedures. The role offers a supportive environment with flexible working options and various benefits including generous holidays and health membership.

Benefits

25 days holidays plus bank holidays

Flexible pension schemes

Volunteering days

Qualifications

• Minimum of two years’ experience in costs drafting, ideally in commercial litigation.
• Strong knowledge of legal procedures relevant to commercial litigation.
• Experience with IT systems and time recording procedures.
• Ability to manage a busy caseload and competing deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills and professional manner.

Responsibilities

• Prepare Bills of Costs for detailed assessment and negotiations.
• Handle costs negotiations and litigation for various commercial clients.
• Provide strategic costs advice to clients and support case handlers.
• Possibly contribute to training junior team members.

Skills

Costs drafting

Legal procedures

IT systems

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Education

ACL qualification or relevant legal/financial qualifications

Job description

You will need to login before you can apply for a job.

We're a national law firm with a local reach. Our legal experts are here for you. Whether it's personal or business, we understand that everyone's situation is different. But we're more than just a law firm - we're a team of people working together to help individuals and businesses navigate life's ups and downs. Working here you'll feel a part of our friendly and inclusive environment.

We'll value you for who you are and what you bring. We support each other and push boundaries to achieve incredible things and make a real difference to our clients and communities.

We're always looking to support our colleagues to work in a way that works best for them and everyone else, including our clients, the business and the regulators. Please speak to a member of our Recruitment and Onboarding team for more information.

Your Role and What You'll Be Doing

We are seeking an experienced costs professional to join our Commercial Litigation costs team. This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious individual to join a dynamic national team, working on high-value and complex commercial matters.

You'll be responsible for preparing Bills of Costs for detailed assessment and inter partes Bills, as well as handling costs negotiations and litigation for a range of commercial clients. Your role will involve direct client interaction, providing strategic costs advice, and supporting case handlers throughout the lifecycle of commercial disputes. You may also contribute to the training and development of junior team members.

About You

• At least two years' experience in costs drafting, ideally within a commercial litigation, business disputes, or insurance context (in‑house or external supplier)
• Strong knowledge of legal procedures relevant to commercial litigation
• Proven experience with IT systems and time recording procedures
• Ability to manage a busy caseload and competing deadlines, maintaining attention to detail and delivering a seamless service
• Flexible approach to changing priorities and commercial demands
• Excellent communication skills and a professional manner with clients and stakeholders
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team
• Willingness to work the hours required by the role, including occasional extended hours to meet client or business needs
• Desirable: ACL qualification or other relevant legal/financial qualifications
• Desirable: Experience in commercial legal departments or with business/insurance clients

Our Benefits - What We Can Offer You

• 25 days holidays as standard plus bank holidays - You can 'buy' up to 35hrs of extra holiday too.
• Generous and flexible pension schemes.
• Volunteering days - Two days of volunteering every year for a cause of your choice (fully paid)
• Westfield Health membership, offering refunds on medical services alongside our Aviva Digital GP services.

We also offer a wide range of well‑being initiatives to encourage positive mental health both in and out of the workplace and to make sure you're fully supported. This includes our Flexible by Choice programme which gives our colleagues more choice over a hybrid way of working subject to role, team and client requirements.

We have been ranked in the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing for Large Organisations for 2024!

Our responsible business programmes are fundamental to who we are and our purpose. We're committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace where our colleagues can flourish, and we have established a number of inclusion network groups across our business to support this aim.

Our commitment to Social Responsibility, community investment activity and tackling climate change is a fundamental part of who we are. It's made up of four strands: Our People, Our Community, Our Environment and Our Pro Bono.

As part of the Irwin Mitchell Group's on‑boarding process all successful applicants are required to complete the group's employment screening process. This process helps to ensure that all new employees meet our standards in relation to honesty and integrity therefore protecting the interests of the Group, colleagues, clients, partners and other stakeholders.

We carry out pre employment screening to establish your eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record and financial checks with our trusted 3rd parties.

The employment screening process will fully comply with Data Protection and other applicable laws.

Irwin Mitchell LLP is an equal opportunity employer.