Transport Regulatory Solicitor

Weightmans; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Weightmans is a leading national law firm seeking a solicitor/associate to support the transport regulatory team, handling a heavy caseload across operator licensing, DVSA and PACE matters.

You will develop a specialism in transport regulatory law, travel nationwide, and contribute to business development, with opportunities to train juniors.

This role offers exposure to high-profile clients and a busy, supportive environment within a diversified Regulatory practice.

Qualifications

• Essential: Qualified solicitor or associate 2-6-year PQE.
• Excellent attention to detail and drafting skills.
• Advocacy skills or willingness to develop these.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Excellent collaborative and team working skills.
• Exceptional written communication and drafting skills.
• Experience handling complex caseloads under pressure.
• Willingness to travel nationwide to visit clients and attend court hearings.

Responsibilities

• Advising clients on transport regulatory matters including operator licensing.
• Preparing cases for hearings, including witness statements and bundles.
• Representing operators in PACE interviews with DVSA and police.
• Responding to DVSA investigations or desk-based assessments.
• Undertaking legally privileged internal investigations.
• Supporting training exercises for clients and mock Public Inquiries.
• Undertaking compliance reviews for clients.
• Representing operators at hearings before Traffic Commissioners and other bodies.
• Transport regulatory due diligence support.
• Business development activities and public speaking contributions.
• Achieving set financial and chargeable targets.
• Ensuring deadlines and KPIs are met.
• Supporting other members of the regulatory team.

Skills

Attention to detail

Drafting skills

Organisational skills

Teamwork

Advocacy skills

Education

Qualified solicitor or associate (2-6 PQE)

Job description

About your new role

The Regulatory Department is very diverse, offering a broad range of expert advice to organisations and individuals facing Health & Safety, criminal, environmental, CQC and other regulatory prosecutions. The department also advises individuals facing possible criminal and professional regulatory sanctions, as well as individuals and organisations requiring advice and representation at inquests. The department is rapidly expanding and we are a busy team.

The transport regulatory team is headed up by Chris Powell and sits within the wider Regulatory Core team. This is a rapidly growing team with an enviable client base of major transport and logistics companies and corporate fleet operators.

The role will primarily be to support Chris and the team in growing this practice area and managing a heavy caseload of transport regulatory matters. Our clients include some of the largest companies and fleet operators across the UK and Europe.

This is an excellent opportunity to develop a specialism in a high-demand, high-consequence area of privately funded regulatory law.

With our diverse offering, inevitably there will both the scope and need for our lawyers to be involved in work for clients outside of their core caseload.

Duties and responsibilities

• Advising clients on transport regulatory matters including all areas across the operator licensing regime regulated by the Office of the Traffic Commissioner
• Preparing cases for hearings, including taking witness statements, drafting submissions, overseeing the preparation of bundles and conducting investigations
• Representing operators in relation to PACE interviews with DVSA and the police
• Responding to DVSA investigations or desk-based assessments
• Undertaking legally privileged internal investigations on a wide range of matters
• Supporting with training exercises for clients, including mock Public Inquiries and incident response training sessions
• Undertaking compliance reviews for clients
• Representing operators at hearings before the Traffic Commissioners including Preliminary Hearings, Public Inquiries and Senior Team Leader Meetings, and undertaking own advocacy
• Transport regulatory corporate due diligence support
• Undertaking business development activities, supporting the members of the team and public speaking events
• Achieve set financial and chargeable targets
• Ensure relevant deadlines, quality measures and KPIs are adhered to
• Supporting other members of the wider regulatory team as required

About You

You will have either previous experience or an interest in the above area of work.

We also require you to have/be:

Essential

• Qualified solicitor or associate 2 - 6-year PQE
• Excellent attention to detail
• Excellent drafting skills
• Advocacy skills or willingness to develop these
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Excellent collaborative and team working skills
• Exceptional written communication and drafting skills
• Experienced in handling complex caseloads under pressure
• Comfortable travelling nationwide from time to time to visit clients and to attend court hearings, including travel by car

Desirable

• Advocacy experience
• Comfortable advising and presenting to companies and boards
• Transport Regulatory experience or willingness to be developed in this area
• Experience in supporting with legally privileged investigationsExperience in advising clients in relation to fatal incidents and investigations
• Wider regulatory defence experience is desirable
• Excellent IT skills
• Ability to work to deadlines and targets
• Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative
• Flexible approach
• Passion for business development, including writing articles, presenting to industry bodies, and developing relationships

Why work for us

Come and join our award-winning organisation and be part of a team where people truly matter.

Weightmans is a leading national law firm, with strong international capabilities.

Weightmans has been recognised as a leading employer for the 19th consecutive year at Britain's Top Employers awards, and ranking top 10 in the list, the firm has also secured top positions in Chambers UK.

Join Weightmans as we continue our journey to becoming one of the UK's top 30 law firms.

Why work for us? Take a look: Work for Weightmans: voted a top employer | Weightmans

Work for a firm where people matter – work for Weightmans

Curious about what is it like to work at our firm? Visit our Life at Weightmans page for insights into our employee initiatives, responsible business commitments and much more!