Litigation Solicitor

Northern Gas & Power Ltd; Gateshead; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £65,000+ dependent onexperience

23 days holiday + December leave + BHs

Pension and Simplyhealth

Job summary

Northern Gas and Power, based in Gateshead, seeks a qualified solicitor to lead commercial disputes within its in-house Legal Services team. You’ll own cases from strategy to resolution, advise across departments, and monitor regulatory changes to minimise risk.

You’ll manage external counsel, draft contracts, and ensure compliance. A strong background in dispute resolution and energy sector experience is desirable.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor with proven litigation and dispute resolution experience.
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to provide practical, strategic legal advice.
• Experience advising across Sales, Finance, HR and Procurement is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Leading and managing disputes end-to-end, researching and developing strategies.
• Drafting pleadings, court submissions, and participating in mediation/arbitration.
• Providing cross‑functional legal guidance on commercial and corporate matters.

Skills

Litigation

Dispute resolution

Commercial awareness

Regulatory compliance

Contract law

Legal research

Education

Bachelor’s degree in law (LLB)

Solicitor admitted by the SRA

Tools

External counsel management

Job description

This is a hands‑on litigation role inside a fast‑moving commercial business, not a private practice conveyor belt. You’ll lead disputes from strategy through to resolution, manage your own caseload, and advise the wider business on risk. When a commercial relationship breaks down, a regulatory challenge lands, or a contract needs enforcing, you’re the person who owns it.

Working within our in‑house Legal Services Department and reporting directly to the Director of Legal Services, you’ll sit alongside a team of legal professionals who protect the financial health of the business and ensure compliance across a complex, heavily regulated sector. You’ll also provide commercial legal guidance to departments across the organisation, from Sales and Finance through to HR and Procurement.

If you’re a qualified solicitor who thrives on commercial dispute resolution, wants genuine autonomy over your cases, and is looking for variety that private practice rarely delivers, this is worth a serious look.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading and managing disputes and litigation matters end‑to‑end, conducting legal research, preparing case materials, and developing litigation strategies
• Preparing legal documents, pleadings, and court submissions, and participating in mediation, arbitration, and settlement negotiations as required
• Providing comprehensive legal guidance to departments across the business on commercial and corporate law matters
• Monitoring case law, statutory changes, and regulatory developments in commercial law to provide proactive advice and minimise legal risk
• Managing relationships with external legal counsel, instructing barristers, coordinating with panel firms, and overseeing outsourced work
• Advising on and enforcing post‑termination restrictive covenants, non‑compete, and non‑solicitation obligations
• Supporting the management of professional indemnity and insurance claims, including renewals and incident reporting

You’ll also be called on from time to time to:

• Review transactional documents, contracts, agreements, and legal correspondence, to identify risk and ensure compliance
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts including vendor agreements, client agreements, framework agreements, licensing agreements, and partnership arrangements
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external parties to negotiate contract terms and resolve disputes arising during negotiations
• Conduct compliance assessments and audits to ensure the organisation meets relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards
• Develop and implement compliance strategies and procedures to mitigate legal risk and maintain ethical integrity across the business
• Deliver training and guidance to employees on legal compliance matters

What Makes it Rewarding

• Full ownership of your caseload. You’re not assisting, you’re leading disputes from first letter to final resolution, with the autonomy to shape strategy
• Commercial breadth. Energy, utilities, regulatory, contractual, insurance, employment‑adjacent, the variety of legal issues that come through the door is genuinely wide
• Direct business impact. Your advice doesn’t sit in a file, it shapes commercial decisions, protects revenue, and resolves real problems for real teams
• A growing legal function. You’ll be part of a team that’s building its capability, not just maintaining the status quo

What’s In It for You

• Salary of £65,000+ dependent on experience
• 23 days holiday + additional December leave + bank holidays
• Pension and access to Simplyhealth (money towards dental care, eyesight checks, physio, etc.)
• Support for ongoing professional development and CPD

Your First 90 Days

• Weeks 1–3: Structured induction into the Legal Team, the wider business, and the regulatory landscape of the energy sector. You’ll meet key stakeholders across departments, be briefed on live matters, and review the existing caseload. You’ll start to understand how legal risk flows through the business and where the pressure points sit
• Weeks 4–8: You’re picking up cases. Disputes, contract reviews, and advisory requests start landing on your desk directly. You’re developing litigation strategies and instructing external counsel where needed, and providing legal guidance to the business with increasing independence. The Director of Legal Services is there for complex or novel issues, but day‑to‑day you’re running your own work
• Weeks 9–12: You’re fully embedded. You own your caseload, you’re a trusted point of contact for the business, and you’re contributing to the team’s strategic priorities, whether that’s improving compliance frameworks, managing external panel relationships, or shaping how the Legal Team operates as it grows

This is for you, if:

• You hold a Bachelor’s degree in law (LLB) or equivalent and are a qualified solicitor admitted by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
• You have proven litigation and dispute resolution experience, whether in‑house or at a law firm
• You have strong commercial acumen and can provide practical, strategic legal advice that supports business objectives
• You thrive in fast‑paced environments and consistently meet deadlines under pressure
• You communicate effectively, written and verbal, and can build professional relationships across all levels of the business
• You have excellent legal research and analytical skills, with genuine attention to detail in legal documentation and advice
• You handle multiple competing priorities without letting quality slip

Desirable (not essential): 2–5 years’ post‑qualification experience, preferably in a commercial or corporate dispute resolution environment. Knowledge of energy law and regulatory frameworks relevant to the energy industry. Experience collaborating with HR, Sales, and Finance teams. Exposure to international or cross‑border legal matters. Knowledge of the civil procedure rules, contract law, and tort.

About Northern Gas and Power

Northern Gas and Power is one of the UK’s leading energy consultancies, helping businesses across the country manage their energy contracts, costs, and consumption. We operate from offices in Gateshead, with teams across Europe, India, and the Middle East. Our Legal Team works at the heart of the business — supporting commercial operations, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution across a fast-moving, heavily regulated industry.

Global Procurement Group (GPG) is an equal opportunities employer committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where people are treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

We aim to ensure our recruitment processes are fair, consistent, and free from bias. All applications are assessed based on skills, experience and alignment with the requirements of the role, and we strive to provide equal opportunity for all candidates at every stage of the recruitment process.

Full‑time | Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm – UK

You must have evidence of the right to work in the country you are applying.Certain roles may require applicants to undergo a criminal record check and/or credit check. This will be confirmed to you during the recruitment process accordingly. We have a written policy on the recruitment of ex‑offenders and a copy of the policy can be requested prior to your application should you wish.

Please Note
Due to the high number of applicants if you have not heard back from us within 2 weeks of applying, please consider your application unsuccessful on this occasion. If your skills and competencies develop we would be happy to see a further application from you at that time. We welcome people to apply again after a period of 6 months.