Contentious Construction Senior Associate

Shoosmiths; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Shoosmiths is seeking a Senior Associate to join our national Contentious Construction team. You will advise developers, contractors and investors on high-profile disputes, and work on dispute avoidance and risk management across major projects.

You will operate alongside market-leading specialists, with opportunities for direct client exposure, early responsibility and mentoring junior lawyers, while contributing to the growth of our advisory and disputes practice.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor with 3+ years' PQE in contentious construction.
• Experience advising on construction disputes and adjudication.
• Experience supervising and mentoring junior lawyers.
• Collaborative approach with enthusiasm for business development.

Responsibilities

• Advise clients on a broad range of contentious construction matters.
• Act in adjudications, High Court litigation, arbitration and ADR proceedings.
• Advise on disputes under JCT, NEC and bespoke contracts.
• Support clients with project risk management and dispute avoidance.
• Manage client relationships and contribute to business development.
• Mentor and supervise junior lawyers within the team.

Skills

Contentious construction

3+ PQE

Adjudication

Litigation

Arbitration

Client relationships

Mentoring juniors

Business development

Education

Qualified solicitor

Job description

The role

Our highly regarded Contentious Construction team is looking to recruit a talented Senior Associate to join our national practice.

This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious lawyer seeking high quality work across a broad range of complex and high profile construction and engineering projects. Working alongside market leading specialists you will advise a diverse client base including developers, contractors, consultants, funders, investors and public sector bodies.

Our team is acting on issues arising from some of the UK's most significant development, regeneration, infrastructure and energy projects. You will support clients on dispute avoidance, project risk management and strategic project issues, as well as undertaking adjudication, litigation, arbitration and ADR proceedings when disputes arise.

At Shoosmiths we combine exceptional client work with a collaborative and supportive culture. You'll be given early responsibility, direct client exposure and the opportunity to play a key role in growing our advisory and disputes construction offering.

Your Work Will Include

• Advising clients on a broad range of contentious construction and engineering matters.
• Acting in adjudications, High Court litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution processes.
• Advising on disputes arising under JCT, NEC and bespoke construction contracts.
• Supporting clients with project risk management, dispute avoidance and strategic commercial advice.
• Working closely with colleagues across Construction, Real Estate, Energy & Infrastructure, Corporate and Restructuring teams to provide integrated solutions for clients.
• Managing client relationships and contributing to business development initiatives.
• Supervising and mentoring junior lawyers within the team.

The team

Our Contentious Construction team is recognised for delivering commercially focused advice on complex disputes and project issues across a wide range of sectors, including commercial real estate, residential development, infrastructure, energy and the public sector.

We work with clients throughout the project lifecycle, helping them to manage risk, avoid disputes where possible and successfully resolve issues when they arise. Our approach is pragmatic, collaborative and focused on achieving the best commercial outcome for our clients.

As part of Shoosmiths' national Construction practice, the team collaborates closely with colleagues across the firm, providing access to leading expertise and high-quality work across a diverse range of sectors and projects.

Shoosmiths embraces flexible hybrid working with team members typically working at least three days per week from the office to support collaboration, learning and team connection.

About You

We are interested in candidates with strong technical expertise alongside excellent commercial judgment and a proactive approach to client service.

Essential

• Qualified solicitor with 3+ years' PQE gained within a recognised contentious construction practice.
• Strong experience advising on construction and engineering disputes.
• Experience of adjudication, litigation and/or arbitration processes.
• Excellent technical, analytical and drafting skills combined with strong commercial awareness.
• Ability to manage matters and workstreams independently.
• Strong relationship building skills and a commitment to client service excellence.
• Experience supervising and mentoring junior lawyers.
• A collaborative approach and enthusiasm for business development.

Desirable

• Experience advising on disputes arising from major development, regeneration, infrastructure or energy projects.
• Familiarity with professional negligence, defects, delay, disruption and final account disputes.
• Experience providing strategic project support and dispute avoidance advice.
• Existing client relationships and a proven track record in business development.

The Firm

Shoosmiths is the law firm clients choose for excellent service, incisive thinking and above all our ability to focus on what matters most.

With offices across the UK and Brussels, we partner with some of the world's most exciting, innovative and ambitious organisations, helping clients make a meaningful impact in their industries and communities. Our people are empowered to bring their authentic selves to work, collaborate in high-performing teams and deliver exceptional results through a culture built on excellence, innovation and mutual support.

As the first Top 50 law firm to achieve the Investors in People Platinum Standard, our values are more than statements on a website. They are embedded in everything we do and form the foundation of our success.

Alongside a competitive remuneration package we offer high quality work, a supportive environment and a comprehensive, flexible benefits programme designed to reward and support our people. We believe our success is driven by our employees and we are committed to recognising their contribution to the firm's continued growth and achievements.

To discover more about our benefits, please visit our Benefits Package page.

Shoosmiths is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. Disability Confident is a government scheme designed to encourage employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term conditions.

As part of our accreditation we commit to interviewing any applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for each vacancy. In some circumstances we may only be able to interview those that best meet the essential criteria due to the volume of applications received.

Further information on the Disability Confident scheme is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to and usable by everyone. If you have a disability or long-term condition and would like to receive information in a different way, or need us to make any adjustments, changes or do anything differently during the recruitment process, please get in touch with the Talent Acquisition team on [e-mail]. We can consider your needs and requirements, and how we can assist you to apply for our roles. For example we can provide a copy of our application via email so that you can complete it using your own accessibility software.

Equal opportunities

Our approach to our people is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well-being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues.

This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.