Junior Associate - Marine

Clyde & CO; Guildford; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global law firm is seeking a Junior Associate to join its Marine team. This role in Guildford or London involves managing a diverse caseload of cargo claims, assisting on high-value disputes, and working closely with clients. Ideal candidates will be qualified solicitors (1-3 PQE) with strong research, drafting, and analytical skills, eager to develop expertise in marine law within a collaborative setting. The position offers early responsibility and excellent career progression opportunities.

Benefits

Healthcare benefits

Retirement planning support

Wellbeing initiatives

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales with 1–3 years of post-qualification experience.
• Interest in marine and shipping law preferred.
• Strong drafting and research abilities.

Responsibilities

• Assist senior lawyers with marine matters, focusing on cargo claims.
• Manage a caseload of smaller matters under supervision.
• Liaise with insurers and clients for high-quality service.
• Conduct legal research for complex cases.
• Attend meetings and hearings as needed.
• Contribute to knowledge-sharing and business development.

Skills

Writing and drafting skills

Research and analytical skills

Communication and teamwork skills

Client-focused mindset

Commercial awareness

Education

Qualified solicitor in England & Wales (1–3 PQE)

Job description

The Role

Junior Associate

Department

Marine

Location

Guildford or London

The Team

Clyde & Co is a leading global law firm with specialist marine lawyers based in trading hubs around the world. The team acts at the heart of the maritime industry – primarily for insurers, charterers, salvors, port authorities, government and commodity and energy traders.

Our Marine team in Guildford has a long-standing reputation for excellence in all aspects of cargo claims of all sizes. We handle claims arising from damage or loss of cargo in transit, whether by sea, air, rail, or road. Our services also extend to logistics, commodity trading and charterparty disputes, warehousing, ports, and terminals.

The Role

As a Junior Associate in Clyde & Co’s Marine team, you will play an integral role in supporting partners and senior lawyers on a wide variety of marine and transport-related matters. You will gain hands‑on experience managing your own caseload of smaller mainly cargo claims, while assisting on more complex, high‑value disputes. Day to day, you can expect to advise clients across the maritime industry, draft pleadings and correspondence, conduct detailed legal research, and liaise directly with insurers, P&I clubs, and other stakeholders. This role offers the opportunity to develop specialist expertise in marine law within a collaborative and internationally recognised practice, with early responsibility and client exposure forming a core part of your progression.

Key Responsibilities

• Assisting senior lawyers with a broad range of contentious and non-contentious marine matters, with a particular focus on cargo claims.
• Managing your own caseload of smaller matters, under supervision, including advising clients, drafting correspondence, and preparing pleadings.
• Liaising with insurers and other clients, ensuring a high level of client service is consistently delivered.
• Conducting legal research and analysis to support the team on complex cases.
• Attending meetings, hearings, and mediations as required.
• Contributing to knowledge-sharing initiatives and business development activities within the team.

Skills & Experience Required

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales (1–3 PQE).
• A genuine interest in marine and shipping law, with prior exposure to cargo or insurance-related work desirable but not essential.
• Strong drafting, research, and analytical skills.
• Commercial awareness and a client-focused mindset.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to build strong working relationships both internally and externally.
• Well‑organised, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.

When you work at Clyde & Co, you join a team of 500 partners, 2,400 lawyers, 3,200 legal professionals and 5,500 people in nearly 70 offices and associated offices worldwide. Our values are the principles that guide the decisions we make, unite us in our endeavours and strengthen our delivery, for both our clients and our firm. We work as one, excel with clients, celebrate difference and act boldly. We are committed to operating in a responsible way by progressing towards a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities and clients it serves. We are devoted to providing an environment in which everyone can realise their potential, using its legal and professional skills to support its communities. We do this through pro bono work, volunteering and charitable partnerships, and minimising the impact it has on the environment, including through our commitment to the SBTi Net-Zero standard and the setting of ambitious emissions reduction targets.

We offer a range of tailored benefits and support, including healthcare, retirement planning and wellbeing initiatives.

Clyde & Co is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. Our core values encourage us to support fairness, celebrate diversity and prohibit all forms of discrimination in the workplace to allow everyone to excel at work. Therefore, we welcome and encourage all applications from suitably qualified individuals, regardless of background or identity.

Please take a moment to read our privacy notice carefully. This describes what personal information Clyde & Co (we) may hold about you, what it’s used for, how it’s obtained, your rights and how to contact us as a data subject.

If you are submitting a candidate as a Recruitment Agency Partner, it is an essential requirement and your responsibility to ensure that candidates applying to Clyde & Co are aware of this privacy notice.