Senior Associate/ Principal Associate - Insurance

Mills & Reeve; Leeds; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Mills & Reeve in Leeds is seeking a Senior or Principal insurance disputes lawyer to lead complex insurance dispute advice, with a focus on professional indemnity, professional discipline and coverage work.

You will own matters, supervise junior lawyers, and maintain direct client contact while contributing to business development within a national team. The role offers autonomy and opportunities to shape high-value disputes.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' PQE (or equivalent) at a leading insurance law firm
• Strong technical expertise in insurance coverage
• Proven experience managing complex, high-value insurance disputes
• Experience supervising and developing junior lawyers
• Strong communication skills and commercial judgment
• A proactive approach with an interest in client development

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of matters and client relationships
• Supervise and develop junior lawyers
• Contribute to business development and client engagement
• Operate with autonomy while working closely with partners

Skills

Insurance coverage

Dispute management

Supervise junior lawyers

Client development

Communication skills

Commercial judgment

Job description

Reference: 0644We are looking to recruit an insurance disputes lawyer to join our Insurance Disputes team as a Senior or Principal roleYou will be involved in the day-to-day delivery of complex insurance dispute advice, with a primary (but not exclusive) focus on professional indemnity, professional discipline and coverage work. Matters often involve multi-party and high value claims.You will work closely with partners, but with real autonomy - taking ownership of key workstreams, managing associates, and maintaining direct client contact. Your work is likely to span:Policy interpretation and complex coverage disputes across a range of classesLiability defence work including professional indemnityProfessional regulatory defenceThis is a genuinely senior role. You will be expected to:Take ownership of matters and client relationshipsSupervise and develop junior lawyersStrongly contribute to business development and client engagementBuild your profile within a significant and well respected national teamThe person5+ years' PQE (or equivalent experience) at a leading insurance law firmStrong technical expertise in insurance coverage.Proven experience managing complex, high-value insurance disputesExperience of liability defence (including professional indemnity) is helpful but not essentialExperience acting for insurers and/or reinsurersThe ability to run matters with appropriate supervision and confidenceExperience supervising and developing junior lawyersStrong communication skills and commercial judgmentA proactive approach, with an interest in client developmentWe are particularly interested in candidates who bring deep expertise in at least one core coverage area, alongside the flexibility to support across others as required.The activitiesThis role offers genuine scope to take ownership within an established and well regarded disputes practice that is seeing increasing instructions on complex and high-value will have the opportunity to:Work directly with available upon request.Use of AI during the recruitment processTechnology is changing rapidly and we are all increasingly using AI software in our day to day lives, as well as using it to support our learning and professional development.Here at Mills & Reeve, we embrace the use of technology and AI and we recognise that candidates may use AI tools to support their applications. As a regulated industry, we expect candidates to use such tools responsibly, honestly and in a manner that allows us to make a fair and accurate assessment of their individual skills, experience and suitability for the role.Please ensure you have thoroughly read the document attached below to understand what we deem acceptable uses of AI. The firmAt Mills & Reeve, our 1,450 plus people and over 850 lawyers share one vision - achieve more together. It's a state of mind in every client relationship we start and every choice we make. And it's what clients consistently say distinguishes us from your average law firm.You can expect a close and attentive working relationship with a team that's responsive when you need them. You'll receive advice tailored to your individual needs. Wherever in the world you or your business needs support, we'll draw on our network to give 're driven by our values - we're ambitious, we're open, we care and we collaborate. We embrace new ideas, communicate honestly and are easy to work with. We're committed to you, our planet, our communities and each other.We've been listed in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list as one of the best big organisations, and we've recently been reaccredited Platinum Investors in People status - a standard achieved by only 8% of assessed finallyEveryone at Mills & Reeve brings a unique perspective and ideas to the team and we do everything we can to help each person to thrive. We're committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment leading insurer and reinsurer clientsBuild your profile within the MarketPlay a meaningful role in the growth of the practiceDevelop your career over timeThere is also scope for the right candidate to contribute to the development of new or adjacent lines of business over time.We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. The benefitsAs you'd expect, we offer a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits.Pre employment screeningIf we offer you a role, we will conduct comprehensive pre-employment screening. This screening will include, but is not limited to, a basic DBS, verification of your right to work, a three year employment history and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role. Full details of our pre-screening employment process are