Senior Associate, Construction

Howard Kennedy LLP; London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Howard Kennedy LLP is seeking a senior associate construction litigator to join their Building Safety team in London. This role involves handling complex construction disputes, providing strategic advice, and managing client relationships. Ideal candidates will have proven experience in construction law, strong communication skills, and a drive to develop lasting client connections.

Benefits

25 days annual holiday

Permanent Health Insurance

Life Assurance

Interest free Season Ticket Loan

Pension Scheme

Staff Introductory Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Experience in contentious construction work at a senior level.
• Knowledge of adjudication, arbitration, and litigation practices.
• Strong organization skills and ability to manage deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Handle contentious matters and dispute advisory work.
• Provide technical legal and commercial advice to clients.
• Project manage cases and mentor junior team members.

Skills

Attention to Detail

Communication Skills

Client Relationship Management

Problem Solving

Education

Law Degree

Job description

We're seeking a senior associate construction litigator, with a focus on UK-based building work.

It's an exciting time to join the team as we continue to grow and one of our key strengths is our Building Safety team which provides strategic advice in relation to the challenges of a highly regulated and fast evolving legal environment. You will have the opportunity to make an impact working side-by-side with our partners and other lawyers for blue-chip clients working on cutting edge law.

The team acts for developers, contractors, sub-contractors, construction companies and real estate investment funds in mediation, adjudication, arbitration, and litigation.

Role responsibility

• Handling contentious matters and dispute advisory work up to and including ADR, expert determination, adjudications (plus enforcement proceedings in the TCC), arbitration and litigation. You will be expected to handle with autonomy cases dealing with wide range of matters including final account and delay claims, quality of build claims, construction insolvency, bond claims, fire and structural safety claims under the new legislation, professional indemnity and other insurance-related claims.
• Providing technical legal and commercial advice to clients involved in construction disputes, working with partners and other fee earners in the team to assess risks and provide innovative solutions to clients.
• Effectively project managing matters through to completion and delegating effectively to more junior members of the team. Providing them guidance and supporting their professional development.
• Developing and managing strong client relationships, developing an understanding of their needs in order to consistently deliver highest quality legal services to them.
• Instructing and liaising with counsel and other experts where necessary.
• Attending and running meetings with clients, counsel and opposing parties.
• Keeping up to date with developments in contentious construction law, sharing knowledge, insight and best practice within the team and wider firm.

About you

Ideally you will be able to demonstrate;

• Proven experience working on relevant contentious construction work at a senior level;
• Detailed knowledge of adjudication, arbitration and litigation practice and procedure;
• Strong organisation skills with the ability to manage client deadlines;
• Good communication skills, confidence in dealing with both internal and external stakeholders at all levels;
• Exceptional client facing skills and the ability to operate as a 'trusted advisor';
• The ability and drive to develop long standing client relationships;
• A broad technical grounding across real estate;
• The ability to deal with complex technical legal concepts;
• A commercial approach to problem solving, providing innovative solutions to the firm and our clients;
• Thoroughness and attention to detail;
• Confident and effective advocacy/communication style;
• Willingness to actively participate in business development and profile-raising activities; and
• The ability to supervise, mentor and develop more junior members of the team.

Please note that we are not accepting applications via agencies for this role at this time. Before sharing any named candidate CVs, please contact your recruitment representative. If any named CVs are sent from agencies without approval from our recruitment team, they will not be deemed valid introductions, and no agency fee will be paid.

• 25 days annual holiday
• Permanent Health Insurance
• Life Assurance
• Interest free Season Ticket Loan
• Pension Scheme
• Staff Introductory Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

About us

With almost 200 lawyers in one location, we ensure our clients have the right team to help them get from where they are to where they want to be. We advise major corporates and institutions as well as entrepreneurial, ambitious enterprises which are often privately or family owned, or private equity backed. As well as our significant business law capability, we are one of only a few London-based law firms with a large private wealth offering. Our clients find our straightforward approach a compelling alternative to larger, less personal firms.

Whether you are an ambitious and talented individual wanting to hit the ground running from day one, or an established professional looking for a new opportunity, Howard Kennedy is the firm where you can really make it happen.

We have earned a strong reputation for our exceptional and uniquely talented people who between them deliver outstanding results for clients. In a firm of our size, our strong team dynamic creates a thriving culture of creativity and entrepreneurialism. Howard Kennedy is a pragmatic and non-hierarchical environment where success is shared, and you are proactively encouraged to thrive at your own pace.

Our distinctive culture is built on fairness and respect. Guided by the firm’s values of talk straight, think smart and be yourself, everyone in the firm holds equal value, and everyone plays their role in supporting, encouraging and inspiring colleagues to do their best work.

At the same time, we recognise and reward individualism, celebrating the diversity of our people and supporting them to grow their practice and drive their own career advancement.

As well as client work, there is opportunity to broaden your horizons at the firm with fulfilling pro bono and charity projects. We have a regular social calendar full of wellbeing activities, charitable and social events too.