Construction Solicitor/Associate

Irwin Mitchell LLP; London; Hybrid; NOK 567,000 - 818,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holidays + buy up to 35 hours

Generous pension schemes

Volunteering days

Westfield Health membership

Job summary

Irwin Mitchell LLP is seeking a construction and engineering lawyer with 1–3 years’ PQE to join a national team. The role is based in London, with options across Birmingham, Leeds or Manchester offices, and offers hybrid working to advise clients on international projects.

You will work closely with a partner-led team, handling disputes and providing risk-managed strategies for high-value matters.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years’ PQE in construction/engineering contentious work.
• Strong drafting, analytical and technical skills.
• Commercial, client-focused mindset with proactive relationship development.

Responsibilities

• Advise on a broad range of contentious construction and engineering matters.
• Provide pragmatic dispute avoidance advice to clients.
• Support negotiations, mediations and other ADR processes.
• Advise on delays, disruptions, defects and payment issues.
• Assist with adjudications, litigation and international arbitrations.
• Collaborate with clients, technical experts and colleagues firm-wide.
• Contribute to business development and long-term client relationships.

Skills

Construction law

Arbitration

Drafting

Education

Law degree

Job description

As one of the UK’s leading law firms, we’re here for the people and businesses who rely on us at life’s important moments - made possible by our colleagues who bring the expertise, judgement and care that makes the difference.

Our colleagues bring Irwin Mitchell to life every day, so it matters that you feel valued from the very first day and aretrusted with the responsibility, in the right culture, to do the best work of your careers. Everyone’s path here is different, but we share a desire to help our business make a real impact.

Where possible we will support our colleagues to work in a way that works for them, for us and most importantly our clients. Please speak to a member of our Recruitment and Onboarding team for more information.

Your Role and What You'll Be Doing

You’ll join Irwin Mitchell’s nationally recognised Construction & Engineering team, led by Partner, Vijay Bange. This role can be based in any of our London, Birmingham, Leeds or Manchester offices and offers the opportunity to work as part of a national practice advising clients both in the UK and internationally across major construction, engineering, energy and infrastructure projects.

Our contentious construction and engineering lawyers support a wide variety of clients on all manner of projects both in the UK and across the world. Our work includes extensive dispute avoidance advice throughout the life of a project, supporting clients through both established and bespoke ADR processes, and representing clients before all manner of domestic and international tribunals. The team is known for combining specialist technical knowledge with practical, commercial advice that helps clients manage risk and keep projects moving.

Our rapidly growing team is looking for dedicated and enthusiastic individuals interested in working with a close-knit team on a broad range of projects, from advising individual clients on domestic matters to representing leading global companies on major international infrastructure projects.

In this role, your responsibilities will include:

• Working with a partner-led team advising on a very broad range of contentious construction and engineering matters
• Working with colleagues to provide clients with pragmatic, commercial dispute avoidance advice and strategies designed to manage and minimise risk
• Supporting clients through negotiations, mediations and other non-adversarial forms of alternative dispute resolution
• Advising on disputes involving all manner of delays, disruptions, defects, payment issues, professional negligence and contractor or consultant claims
• Assisting with adjudications, litigation, domestic and international arbitrations and other forms of dispute resolution where matters escalated
• Working directly with clients, technical experts and colleagues from across our full-practice firm to deliver joined-up advice
• Contributing to business development activity and helping to build long-term relationships with developers, contractors, consultants, funders and occupiers

You’ll have exposure to high-quality, complex work from an early stage and will be encouraged to take on responsibility as your experience develops, with support from senior colleagues in a collaborative national team.

About You

We’re keen to hear from lawyers looking to develop their careers within a leading construction and engineering practice. We are looking for:

• A qualified lawyer with around 1-3 years’ PQE
• Experience in construction, engineering, and infrastructure work, primarily focussed on contentious work, and ideally with some experience of international arbitration (although this is not essential).
• Strong drafting, analytical and technical skills, with the ability to understand complex contractual and project issues.
• A commercial, client-focused mindset and confidence working with clients operating in high-value, fast-moving project environments.
• The ability to manage matters with an appropriate level of autonomy while working as part of a collaborative team.
• A proactive approach to developing client relationships and supporting business development.
• An interest in the construction and engineering sector, including the commercial, technical and regulatory pressures clients face.

You’ll be joining a supportive, high-performing and forward-thinking team that values quality, integrity and development. If you’re looking for exposure to complex construction and engineering work within a national firm, this role offers an excellent next step in your career.

Our Benefits - What We Can Offer You

• 25 days holidays as standard plus bank holidays - You can ‘buy’ up to 35hrs of extra holiday too.
• Generous and flexible pension schemes.
• Volunteering days – Two days of volunteering every year for a cause of your choice (fully paid)
• Westfield Health membership, offering refunds on medical services alongside our Aviva Digital GP services.

We also offer a wide range of well-being initiatives to encourage positive mental health both in and out of the workplace and to make sure you’re fully supported.This includes our Flexible by Choice programme which gives our colleagues more choice over a hybrid way of working subject to role, team and client requirements.

We have been ranked in the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing for Large Organisations for 2024!

Our responsible business programmes are fundamental to who we are and our purpose. We’re committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace where our colleagues can flourish, and we have established a number of inclusion network groups across our business to support this aim.

Our commitment to Social Responsibility, community investment activity and tackling climate change is a fundamental part of who we are. It’s made up of four strands: Our People, Our Community, Our Environment and Our Pro Bono.

Additional Information

As part of the Irwin Mitchell Group’s on-boarding process all successful applicants are required to complete the group’s employment screening process. This process helps to ensure that all new employees meet our standards in relation to honesty and integrity therefore protecting the interests of the Group, colleagues, clients, partners and other stakeholders.

We carry out pre employment screening to establish your eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record and financial checks with our trusted 3rd parties.

The employment screening process will fully comply with Data Protection and other applicable laws.

Irwin Mitchell LLP is an equal opportunity employer.