Solicitor-Senior Associate - D&O/Coverage

Department: Professional and Commercial Risk

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Manchester

Are you looking for a role that challenges you intellectually while offering industry-leading work quality, client engagement, business development opportunities, and genuine flexibility? An opportunity in our Professional and Commercial Risk team may be for you.

• You will play an active role in the continued growth and success of the professional indemnity team in collaboration with our wider practice in the South, as well as nationally.
• The team is ranked in Tier 1 in both the Legal 500 and Chambers directories, with a number of leading individuals named. It is the longest established professional negligence team in Bristol, acting for most of the leading insurers.
• Within the team, the service line specialising in advising on Directors' and Officers' (D&O) insurance is particularly active. This team act for a number of the leading D&O insurers, both in advising insurers on coverage for a wide variety of claims as well as defending claims against directors and officers/insured companies. This often involves working with specialists from other teams in fields such as employment law and white collar crime. In addition, the team provide coverage advice under a wide range of insurance policies, including Crime and Financial Institutions insurance.
• Specific responsibilities include but are not restricted to:
• Handling a stimulating and often complex D&O caseload with an emphasis on advising on insurance coverage, but with opportunities to handle a wide variety of claims against directors and officers.
• The opportunity to interact on a regular basis with leading insurer clients in this area.
• Working collaboratively with other specialists across the firm.
• Acting as a point of contact for clients where necessary, demonstrating a level of knowledge and skill commensurate with experience
• Maintaining an awareness of the firm's strategies and plans
• Maintaining and develop technical knowledge through attendance at training sessions, reading appropriate publications and exceeding Law Society CPD requirements
• Ensuring full compliance with those protocols on billing and credit control and demonstrate a high level of financial management when supporting others in managing files and in relation to own files, where appropriate.

• A qualified solicitor with at least 2 years PQE experience (up to and including Senior Associates) gained in a specialist insurance firm (or in house at a financial lines insurer)
• Good experience in advising on insurance coverage under financial lines policies and ideally including under D&O/Management Liability policies.
• Excellent relationship and client handling skills. Able to deal confidently and professionally with clients on day to day issues.
• Experience on secondment with a leading financial lines insurer would be beneficial.
• The ability to deliver clear, well written legal advice/reports on complex legal/coverage issues.
• Able to demonstrate a reasonable level of self-sufficiency, combined with an awareness of the boundaries of own competence/authority.
• An ability to adopt a client focused and commercial perspective rather than an 'academic' approach to legal issues, coupled with a keen grasp of legal issues, as these arise (demonstrating a clear ability to learn quickly 'on the job').
• Change oriented with a positive, flexible approach towards the implementation of new initiatives.
• Team oriented and collegiate with a willingness to share knowledge with and support other members of the team.
• Willingness to work hard as part of a highly ambitious and driven team to help it continue to develop and to achieve its objectives.