Senior Associate or Associate - Criminal Defence

DWF; West of England; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Inclusive environment

Diversity & equal opportunities

Job summary

DWF is seeking a Criminal Defence Senior Associate or Associate to join our Bristol office. The successful candidate will work within our Criminal Defence Team with national coverage and a focus on high-profile cases across sectors.

Applicants will be considered from 3+ years PQE with a background in criminal defence/regulatory work, including defending HSE prosecutions, and must demonstrate strong academic performance and the ability to support wider business development within the team.

Qualifications

• 3+ years PQE in criminal defence or regulatory work.
• Background in criminal defence/regulatory work, including defending HSE prosecutions.
• Strong academic performance.
• Able to work effectively within a wider Commercial Insurance team.

Responsibilities

• Exhibit a high level of technical expertise and apply it commercially and professionally on large, complex cases.
• Achieve individual financial targets in line with the sales plan.
• Understand client requirements and manage cases in line with service-level agreements and best practices.
• Analyse risk and justify decisions to clients internally and externally.
• Prioritise work effectively and maximise efficiency in working practices.
• Develop relationships to build business networks and contribute to the Firm’s direction and client needs, including writing articles, presenting, and running seminars.
• Develop increased levels of technical and commercial knowledge via training or supervised practice.

Skills

Criminal defence

Client advisory

Communication skills

Regulatory experience

Business development

Job description

Why join us?

The Commercial Insurance team at DWF provides high-quality commercial advice on a wide range of matters to insurers and their insureds. The Criminal Defence sub-team, probably the largest of its kind in the UK, is looking for a Criminal Defence Senior Associate or Associate to join our sub-team, to be based in our Bristol office.

The Criminal Defence Team has national coverage across the UK with experts in many different classes of criminal investigations, prosecutions and inquests, including high profile inquest and D&O cases; defending motor prosecutions - routinely the more serious / fatal matters; defending HSE and Local Authority / Environment Agency prosecutions; complex care home and CQC-related cases.

This represents an exciting opportunity to work within a busy national team that deals with interesting and high-profile cases across a range of sectors.

Responsibilities

Main Duties

• Exhibit a high level of technical expertise and an ability to apply it commercially and professionally achieving positive results on large and complex cases.
• Achieve individual financial targets in line with the sales plan.
• Understand client requirements and manage cases in line with service-level agreements and best practices.
• Analyse risk and further develop sound judgement enabling the justification of decisions to clients internally and externally.
• Prioritise work effectively and maximise efficiency in working practices.
• Understand individual roles in the context of the practice group and proactively seek to contribute to increased efficiency in developing a case load appropriate to the level of technical, and legal knowledge.
• Build working relationships internally and externally to develop business networks and create a solid understanding of the Firm’s direction and client needs - playing a pro-ctive role in business development including writing articles, delivering presentations and facilitating seminars.
• Develop increased levels of technical and commercial knowledge via training or supervised working practices.

Person Specification

• Applicants will be considered from 3+ years PQE, and must have a background in criminal defence/regulatory work, including defending HSE prosecutions.
• We are seeking candidates with strong overall academic performance.
• The candidate will have the ability to work well within the wider Commercial Insurance team, to self-motivate and to provide guidance and support to more junior team members when required.
• The successful applicant will need to proactively assist in wider business development, for example helping to deliver training and communicating relevant legal updates to clients.
• They will need excellent communication and organisational skills.

What we offer?

We are committed to ensuring that each member of our team feels valued and duly rewarded during their time at DWF.

We are an equal opportunities employer that celebrates diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. We aim to create a positive experience for all candidates and offer any adjustments or additional support needed. If you're excited about the opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with all the requirements, please apply anyway. You may be the right candidate for the role or others across the wider team.

About Us

DWF is a leading global provider of integrated legal and business services. We empower people to be themselves within an inclusive and supportive environment, enabling everyone to achieve their full potential in line with their abilities and career aspirations.