Head of Litigation & Disputes

Executive Network Legal Ltd; Devon and Torbay; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Private health insurance

Monthly wellness leave

Cycle to work scheme

Regular social and networking events

Ongoing career development opportuni*

Job summary

Executive Network Legal Ltd in Devon seeks an experienced Head of Litigation & Disputes to lead and grow the Litigation team. This role combines high-value fee-earning work with leadership, business development, and strategic responsibility.

You will manage a varied caseload, provide commercial advice, mentor colleagues, and help shape departmental growth, while building relationships with clients and referrers in a forward-thinking firm.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor or chartered legal executive with significant litigation experience.
• Experience handling contentious matters from instruction to conclusion.
• Strong knowledge of civil litigation and dispute resolution.
• Proven leadership or mentoring experience.
• Commercially aware with business development skills.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and advocacy skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage varied caseload of litigation and dispute resolution matters.
• Provide clear, commercial legal advice to clients.
• Draft pleadings, witness statements, applications, and settlement agreements.
• Negotiate settlements and represent clients in mediation and related proceedings.
• Lead, mentor and develop fee earners and support staff.
• Contribute to departmental business planning and growth strategies.
• Build relationships with clients, referrers, and professional contacts.
• Attend networking and business development events.
• Support the achievement of departmental financial targets.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and risk management requirements.

Skills

Litigation experience

Contentious matters

Civil litigation knowledge

Leadership / mentoring

Business development

Communication / negotiation / advocacy

Education

Solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive qualification

Job description

Head of Litigation & Disputes | 5+ PQE | Devon | Competitive Salary + Hybrid Working

An established law firm in Devon is seeking an experienced Head of Litigation & Disputes to lead and grow its Litigation team. This is an excellent opportunity for a senior litigation lawyer looking to combine high-quality fee-earning work with leadership, business development, and strategic responsibility.

The Role

• Manage a varied caseload of litigation and dispute resolution matters, including complex and high-value disputes


• Provide clear, commercial legal advice to clients


• Draft pleadings, witness statements, applications, and settlement agreements


• Negotiate settlements and represent clients in mediation and related proceedings


• Lead, mentor, and develop fee earners and support staff


• Contribute to departmental business planning and growth strategies


• Build relationships with clients, referrers, and professional contacts


• Attend networking and business development events


• Support the achievement of departmental financial targets


• Ensure compliance with regulatory and risk management requirements

About You

• A qualified Solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive with significant litigation experience


• Experienced in handling contentious matters from instruction to conclusion


• Technically strong with excellent knowledge of civil litigation and dispute resolution


• A confident leader with experience supervising or mentoring colleagues


• Commercially aware with strong business development skills


• An excellent communicator, negotiator, and advocate

Benefits

• Competitive salary


• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays


• Additional Christmas and birthday leave


• Private health insurance


• Monthly wellness leave


• Cycle to work scheme


• Regular social and networking events


• Ongoing career development opportunities

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious litigation professional to shape and lead a growing Litigation & Disputes team within a supportive and forward-thinking law firm.

At eNL we value diversity and inclusion. We want to attract people at all levels and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates whatever your ethnicity, religion, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or any characteristics protected by law in the jurisdictions in which we operate.