Principal Litigation Lawyer

Reed; Haywards Heath; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 121,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive hourly rate

Weekly office attendance

Public sector project exposure

Flexible working with weekly in-office

Supportive governance environment

Job summary

Reed is seeking a Principal Lawyer to join its Legal Services team within the Governance sector. The role provides expert legal advice across council functions and manages complex litigation matters, supporting the Monitoring Officer function to ensure robust legal decisions.

You will lead a team handling licensing, environmental health, housing and property litigation, contributing to the Service Plan and Corporate Plan while mentoring staff and maintaining high professional standards.

Qualifications

• Qualified and registered as a solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive.
• Extensive local government litigation experience.
• Proven experience with housing/homelessness, judicial review, and prosecutions.
• Experience attending panels, committees, courts or tribunals in local government.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice, representation and assistance across the Council on licensing, environmental health, housing and property litigation.
• Support delivery of the Legal team’s Service Plan and the Council’s Corporate Plan.
• Manage litigation team and paralegals; promote wellbeing and professional development.
• Mentor and develop staff; provide coaching as needed.
• Manage an ongoing legal caseload with minimal supervision.
• Represent or support the Council at legal proceedings and inquiries.
• Attend statutory and Committee meetings as required as a legal adviser.

Skills

Legal team leadership

Judicial review

Housing/homelessness work

Court/tribunal appearances

Stakeholder management

Education

Qualified solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive

Job description

Principal Lawyer - Litigation

• Annual Salary: £75 per hour (PAYE)
• Location: Haywards Heath, West Sussex
• Office attendance required weekly on Wednesdays, 37 Hour Week
• Job Type: Contract (6 months minimum)

We are seeking a Principal Lawyer to join our Legal Services team within the Governance sector. This role is crucial in supporting the Monitoring Officer function and ensuring that all Council decisions are legally robust. The successful candidate will provide expert legal advice across a wide range of council functions and manage complex litigation matters.

Day-to-day of the role:

• Provide legal advice, representation, and assistance across the Council on matters including licensing, environmental health, housing, property litigation, and more.
• Contribute to the delivery of the Legal team's Service Plan and the Council's Corporate Plan.
• Manage the litigation team and paralegals, ensuring high standards of wellbeing and professional development.
• Take day-to-day management responsibility for supporting, developing, coaching, and mentoring staff.
• Manage an ongoing legal caseload with minimal supervision.
• Represent or support the Council at legal proceedings and inquiries.
• Attend statutory and Committee meetings as required, acting as a legal adviser.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Fully qualified and registered/regulated Solicitor, Barrister, or Chartered Legal Executive.
• Extensive knowledge and experience in managing complex matters within a local government context, especially in areas such as environmental health, licensing, and judicial review.
• Proven experience within a local government legal team and attending panels, committees, courts, or tribunals in areas of specialism.
• Proven track record with housing/homelessness work, judicial review, criminal prosecutions, and people management.
• Ability to work in a political environment and alongside elected members.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work on own initiative, prioritise and manage workload within set deadlines.

Benefits:

• Competitive hourly rate.
• Opportunity to contribute to significant projects within the local government.
• Exposure to a variety of legal disciplines within the public sector.
• Flexible working arrangements with required office attendance only once a week.