Senior Associate - Professional & Financial Risks

RPC; West of England; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

RPC in Bristol seeks a Senior Associate to join the Professional Financial Risks (PFR) team. The role focuses on defending professional indemnity and financial services disputes, with exposure to coverage issues and complex litigation.

You will work with partners across the Bristol team to deliver high-quality, timely work and develop business with clients. The ideal candidate has circa 5 years PQE+ in PI litigation, strong case management skills, and a collaborative leadership style, with a

Qualifications

• 5 years' PQE+ (or equivalent) in professional indemnity litigation.
• Strong experience in professional indemnity litigation with case management skills.
• Exposure to claims against solicitors, accountancy practices or financial services firms is a plus.
• Ability to deliver commercially-focused legal solutions and manage client expectations.

Responsibilities

• Defend professional negligence and related claims across a broad range of professionals.
• Support on or lead coverage/policy response work related to indemnity disputes.
• Manage a caseload of PI claims with increasing autonomy and client contact.
• Deliver high-quality outputs aligned with client service levels and budgets.
• Contribute to process improvements and team development while coaching junior lawyers.

Skills

IP litigation

Client relationship

Commercial mindset

Team leadership

Litigation strategy

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The team RPC's Bristol ProfessionalFinancial Risks (PFR) team forms part of the firm's wider insurance group and has a well-established client base, acting for the vast majority of Professional Indemnity Insurers in the market and their Insureds. With an expanding bench of specialists working across key professional sectors, the team handles a wide variety of claims against various professionals including solicitors, insurance brokers, accountants and financial advisers.

Description Role overview The team RPC's Bristol ProfessionalFinancial Risks (PFR) team forms part of the firm's wider insurance group and has a well-established client base, acting for the vast majority of Professional Indemnity Insurers in the market and their Insureds. With an expanding bench of specialists working across key professional sectors, the team handles a wide variety of claims against various professionals including solicitors, insurance brokers, accountants and financial advisers. The Bristol team specialises in resolving professional indemnity and financial services disputes, acting for Professional Indemnity Insurers and Insureds, as well as directly for professional services firms and financial institutions. Matters range from early-stage advice and pre-action strategy through to complex, high-value litigation, alongside associated regulatory, disciplinary and Ombudsman work and policy coverage issues. The team is top ranked for professional negligence in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500.

The role We have an opportunity for a Senior Associate (ideally 5 years PQE +) to join our growing Bristol PFR team. The ideal candidate will have good experience in professional indemnity, with demonstrable working knowledge of litigation procedure and effective case management.

Role This role offers the opportunity to work closely with multiple partners and lawyers across the Bristol team's specialisms. You will handle a broad, varied caseload, with increasing autonomy, including:

• Defending professional negligence and related claims against a wide range of professionals, with particular exposure to claims involving solicitors and financial professionals
• Supporting on, and in some cases leading, coverage/policy response work connected with professional indemnity notifications and disputes
• Managing a caseload of Professional Indemnity claims, including coverage issues
• Delivering high quality and timely outputs to clients, ensuring high levels of client service and alignment with agreed working practices and client service level agreements
• Contributing to the development and improvement of the team's service, support, processes and procedures
• Working to develop an environment of constant improvement: enthusiastically sharing with and helping others; and taking responsibility for aspects of team development
• Capturing and collating required Management Information in accordance with agreed practice for clients

Knowledge, Skills And Experience

• 5 years' PQE + (or equivalent relevant expertise).
• Strong experience in professional indemnity litigation (experience of insurance is desirable but not essential)
• Exposure to (or a strong interest in developing) one or more of the following:
• Claims against solicitors and legal services providers
• Claims against accountancy practices and other professional services firms
• Financial services disputes, including complaints and FCA-related work
• Pensions-related claims and complaints involving trustees, administrators, investment managers and advisers
• Regulatory and disciplinary matters (including professional body proceedings) and Ombudsman processes
• Coverage/policy response issues arising from professional indemnity notifications and disputes
• Fraud and dishonest assistance allegations in a professional negligence context
• Able to deliver legal and commercial solutions, working collaboratively with clients and colleagues to provide an outstanding client experience
• Take responsibility for managing and developing strong relationships with clients based on an understanding of their business objectives
• Committed to business development to further grow the practice with an ability to identify and shape commercial opportunities, encouraging others to participate
• Able to work efficiently and commercially and understand the importance of financial hygiene, sharing understanding with the team
• Adopts a commercial mindset when pricing, resourcing and using technology to manage matters and understands the impact of this on profitability
• A collaborative leader within a team who coaches and develops junior team members to achieve their full potential
• Committed to being part of a supportive, inclusive and collaborative firm culture
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging We are problem solvers. Whether in front of clients or behind the scenes. To solve problems creatively for clients, we need diverse collaborative thinking; drawing on different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives. That means that everyone who either applies to, or works for, the firm is treated equitably. We believe in removing barriers to equal access not least because our people define us and define what we do. If you need support and adjustments to do your best work, whether that's during the recruitment process or throughout your time at RPC, we're here to help. Flexible working that supports your commitments outside of work is an important part of our culture and, where possible, we will support this across all roles. Please get in touch with our recruitment team if you have any questions about our hybrid working approach or flexible working policy.