Commercial Litigation Associate

Distinct | North America; Miami (FL); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Distinct Recruitment in Miami is seeking a Commercial Litigation Associate to handle complex disputes for business clients. The role focuses on real estate, trade, finance, hospitality and tech sectors with meaningful client exposure and a path toward developing a niche in a vibrant market.

The ideal candidate will have 3–5 years of commercial litigation experience, a strong academic record, and be ready to work in a hybrid Miami-based environment.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of commercial litigation experience.
• Strong academic record.
• Hybrid role based in Miami, FL.

Responsibilities

• Handle contract, business tort, fraud, partnership and shareholder disputes.
• Draft motions and briefs that persuade and win arguments.
• Take and defend depositions, including corporate representatives and experts.
• Collaborate with clients' executives and in-house teams to understand the business behind disputes.
• Participate in hearings, arbitrations, mediations and trial prep with increasing ownership.

Skills

Commercial litigation

Legal drafting

Client exposure

Education

J.D. or equivalent

Job description

Commercial Litigation Associate | Miami, FL | $130,000 to $200,000 | Commercial Litigation

Why do sensible businesses end up in court? Usually because two reasonable people read the same clause and came away with two very different ideas of what it meant. Add money, deadlines and pride, and you have a commercial dispute. Miami produces plenty of them, across real estate, trade, finance, hospitality and technology.

I'm Ryan Jaiswal at Distinct Recruitment. I'm hiring a commercial litigation associate for a firm in Miami, and I'll say it clearly: this is commercial litigation for business clients, not insurance defense.

The essentials

• 3 to 5 years of commercial litigation experience
• Strong academics
• Hybrid, based in Miami
• $130,000 to $200,000. The range is purposely broad, with flexibility for the right candidate if experience warrants it

What your days look like

• Handling contract, business tort, fraud, partnership and shareholder disputes
• Drafting motions and briefs that need to persuade, not just inform
• Taking and defending depositions, including corporate representatives and experts
• Working with clients' executives and in house teams to understand the business behind the dispute
• Hearings, arbitrations, mediations and trial preparation, with more ownership as you prove yourself

Who'll enjoy it most

• Litigators who like puzzles more than process
• Strong writers who can make a complicated commercial story simple
• People who want client exposure, not just research assignments
• Anyone who'd rather understand how a business makes money than skim past it in a brief

Why consider it

At three to five years, you're past proving you can do the work and into deciding what kind of litigator you'll be. A strong commercial practice in Miami gives you sophisticated clients, interesting facts and the chance to develop a niche early. If your current role has started to feel repetitive, it's worth hearing what else is out there.