Costs Negotiator

Keoghs; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Davies Incentive Plan

25 days holiday per year increasing by

Private Medical Insurance (Bupa)

Simply Health Care Cash Plan

PHI/Income Protection

Pension Contribution 5% Employee / 3%

Employee Resource Groups

Employee Volunteering Programme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Tech Scheme

Season Ticket Loan

Gym Flex

Job summary

Keoghs in Liverpool is seeking a costs negotiator to pursue settlement of legal costs across Legacy/Industrial Disease claims. The role involves reviewing cases, formulating settlement strategies, drafting disputes, and negotiating costs with insurers and opponents.

You will instruct counsel, attend conferences, and advocate at detailed assessment hearings, remotely and in person, to deliver cost resolutions. Working hours are 28–35 per week, Monday–Friday 9am–5pm, with a lunch break.

Qualifications

• 12 months experience as a minimum in a similar costs negotiator role, either for claimant or defendant, handling own caseload.
• Degree and/or LPC and/or ALCD
• Previous experience of client liaison - taking instructions and providing advice both verbally and in writing
• Experience of the Detailed Assessment process including preparing Points of Dispute and considering replies.
• Good telephone negotiation skills
• An understanding of current cost case law and insurance litigation practice and process.
• Ability to use own initiative and make decisions
• Ability to plan and prioritise workloads and to remain calm under pressure
• Excellent listening and verbal communication skills
• Ability to act as part of a team
• Proficient IT skills in Microsoft packages

Responsibilities

• Proactively reviewing cases to formulate an initial costs strategy and settlement parameters
• Preparing points of dispute and considering replies
• Identifying and documenting strengths and weaknesses of own case and opponent’s costs claimed
• Using the telephone to discuss; put forward meritorious arguments; and negotiate settlement of costs
• Updating reports to clients of progress made in resolving costs claimed
• Dealing with correspondence and telephone calls received within SLAs
• Undertaking periodic reviews of files in line with client requirements
• Settlement of costs within agreed negotiation parameters
• Instructing counsel and attending conferences; detailed assessment hearings; and mediations, remotely and in person.
• Attending court for application hearings; detailed assessment hearings and mediations remotely and in person to conduct own advocacy
• Delivery of agreed performance targets; Keoghs quality standards; and client’s SLAs, KPIs and MI requirements
• Delegate assigned tasks to a Paralegal and be fully engaged in their development in terms of technical ability and achievement of objectives
• To ensure compliance with the SRA Standards & Regulations

Skills

Negotiation

Client liaison

Detailed assessment

Telephone negotiation

Time management

Teamwork

MS Office

Education

Degree/LPC/ALCD

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Description

To pursue the settlement of legal costs as soon as practicably possible on a range of Legacy / Industrial Disease claims.

Application Deadline: 10 November 2026

Department: Legal

Location: Liverpool

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively reviewing cases to formulate an initial costs strategy and settlement parameters


• Preparing points of dispute and considering replies


• Identifying and documenting strengths and weaknesses of own case and opponent’s costs claimed


• Using the telephone to discuss; put forward meritorious arguments; and negotiate settlement of costs


• Updating reports to clients of progress made in resolving costs claimed


• Dealing with correspondence and telephone calls received within SLAs


• Undertaking periodic reviews of files in line with client requirements


• Settlement of costs within agreed negotiation parameters


• Instructing counsel and attending conferences; detailed assessment hearings; and mediations, remotely and in person.


• Attending court for application hearings; detailed assessment hearings and mediations remotely and in person to conduct own advocacy


• Delivery of agreed performance targets; Keoghs quality standards; and client’s SLAs, KPIs and MI requirements


• Delegate assigned tasks to a Paralegal and be fully engaged in their development in terms of technical ability and achievement of objectives


• To ensure compliance with the SRA Standards & Regulations

Working Hours

28 - 35 hours per week.
Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm with 1 unpaid hour for lunch.
Primary locations considered for this role is Birmingham, Bolton or Liverpool offices.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• 12 months experience as a minimum in a similar costs negotiator role, either for claimant or defendant, handling own caseload.


• Degree and/or LPC and/or ALCD


• Previous experience of client liaison - taking instructions and providing advice both verbally and in writing


• Experience of the Detailed Assessment process including preparing Points of Dispute and considering replies.


• Good telephone negotiation skills


• An understanding of current cost case law and insurance litigation practice and process.


• Ability to use own initiative and make decisions


• Ability to plan and prioritise workloads and to remain calm under pressure


• Excellent listening and verbal communication skills


• Ability to act as part of a team


• Proficient IT skills in Microsoft packages

Benefits

• Davies Incentive Plan


• 25 days holiday per year which increases with level of service (opportunity to buy & sell 3 days)


• Family Cover Private Medical Insurance (Bupa)


• Simply Health Care Cash Plan


• WeCare – 24/7 online GP, mental health support and virtual wellbeing covering a whole host of topics to do with health, mental health, wellbeing & healthy living and financial & legal wellbeing


• Death in Service


• Critical Illness Cover


• PHI/Income Protection (Private health insurance)


• Pension Contribution based 5% Employee / 3% Employer


• Employee Resource Groups


• Employee Volunteering Programme


• Cycle to Work Scheme*


• Tech Scheme*


• Season Ticket Loan*


• Gym Flex*


• Access to Online Discount Sites


• Discounted Gourmet Society Membership


• Discounted Tickets for Merlin Attractions nationwide


• Discounts at local retail outlets

* after successfully completing probation