Principal Solictor - Litigation

Karter Thomas Ltd; Haywards Heath; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Karter Thomas Ltd is seeking a Principal Lawyer – Litigation for a local authority, offering a senior opportunity to lead a litigation team and shape the legal strategy across a broad range of matters.

You will supervise solicitors and paralegals, advise elected Members and officers, and represent the Council in court and at committees, ensuring robust, cost-effective governance of public sector litigation.

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in litigation and contentious work.
• Strong knowledge of legislation, court procedures and regulatory frameworks.
• Ability to manage complex cases and provide clear legal advice to senior stakeholders.
• Experience supervising or managing legal professionals and leadership capability.
• Excellent communication, advocacy, analytical and decision-making skills.
• Ability to prioritise a demanding workload and work with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience of working within a local authority setting.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist legal advice across a broad range of local authority litigation matters.
• Lead and supervise the litigation team and paralegals; support professional development and workload management.
• Represent the Council in court proceedings and advise at committees and public meetings.
• Support strategic direction and operational management of Legal Services.
• Work with external solicitors and specialist counsel when appropriate.
• Deliver high-quality, cost-effective legal service aligned with corporate objectives.

Skills

Litigation experience

Leadership

Legal advisory

Stakeholder management

Advocacy

Communication

Local authority experience

Education

Solicitor qualification (England & Wales)

Job description

Are you an experienced Litigation Solicitor looking for your next senior opportunity within local government?

We are currently recruiting for a Principal Lawyer – Litigation on behalf of a local authority, offering the opportunity to handle a varied and challenging caseload while providing leadership and direction to a litigation team.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced legal professional to work on complex contentious matters, advise senior stakeholders and contribute to the effective governance and legal decision-making of a public sector organisation.

The Role

As Principal Lawyer, you will provide specialist legal advice and representation across a broad range of local authority litigation matters, supporting elected Members and officers across the organisation.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing a varied caseload covering litigation, licensing, environmental health, housing, property disputes, criminal prosecutions, debt recovery, judicial review and regulatory matters.
• Providing legal representation and advocacy in court proceedings, as well as advising at committees and public meetings where required.
• Advising Members and officers on complex legal issues, ensuring decisions and actions are legally robust.
• Leading and supervising the litigation team and paralegals, supporting professional development, wellbeing and effective workload management.
• Contributing to the operational management and strategic direction of Legal Services.
• Working with external solicitors and specialist counsel where appropriate.
• Supporting the delivery of the Council's corporate objectives and the provision of a high-quality, cost-effective legal service.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Substantial experience in litigation and contentious legal work.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, court procedures and regulatory frameworks.
• The ability to manage complex cases and provide clear, practical legal advice to senior stakeholders.
• Experience supervising or managing legal professionals, or the ability to demonstrate strong leadership capability.
• Excellent communication, advocacy, analytical and decision-making skills.
• The ability to prioritise a demanding workload and work effectively with a range of stakeholders.
• Experience of working within a local authority setting

Experience within local government or the wider public sector would be advantageous, alongside exposure to areas such as prosecutions, judicial review, housing, licensing or regulatory law.

Why Apply?

This is an opportunity to take on a senior legal position with a broad and varied caseload, meaningful responsibility and the chance to contribute directly to public services and effective local governance.

You will be able to combine complex legal work with team leadership and play an important role in the ongoing development of Legal Services.

Interested?

If you are a Litigation Solicitor or experienced local government lawyer looking for a new challenge, we would welcome your application.