Senior Associate - Principal Associate in Construction (Disputes/Contentious 4 years + PQE) - Region

We are Eversheds Sutherland, a global law firm, with more than 5,000 people across over 30 countries. We’re full-service with deep niche and sector experience. Whatever challenge, wherever in the world, we’re equipped and ready to meet it. We live our values, we’re purposeful and purpose-led. So although the world is fast-moving and rapidly changing, we see it as a place where everyone can thrive. We’re ambitious for our clients, our communities – and for you. Whether you’re starting out on your career or well established, whether you’re a lawyer or in business services. If you’re looking for what’s next, we are too.

What to expect

As a lawyer, you enjoy a variety of work: regional to international and across practice groups. With us, you grow your global mindset. You’re encouraged to put ideas into action and there’s always something new and different to get involved in. We see the fast-moving world as a place where we can all thrive and succeed. We’re excited for what’s next, so with us, you can be too.

Our team

With over 500 experienced attorneys, we are one of the top ten largest Litigation practices in the world. Internationally recognised, we are featured in The Lawyer Global Top 50, Global Investigations Review Top 100 and Global Arbitration Review Top 30. Our global Litigation team has led clients through some of the most complex disputes and challenging regulatory investigations around the world.

At Eversheds Sutherland, our Construction & Engineering disputes team sits within this Litigation practice, and alongside our transactional colleagues. We are acknowledged experts when it comes to large scale projects and disputes avoidance and management. We utilise our experience and commercial expertise to ensure deals are delivered on time and problems resolved in a straightforward and commercial manner.  Where disputes are unavoidable, we employ our vast experience in adjudication, litigation and arbitration to great effect; achieving great results and often surpassing client expectations. 

We predominantly act for the higher end of the supply chain: governments, public bodies, major multinational, national and international corporations, and contractors.  The matters we deal with are not ‘business as usual’ but highly significant, valuable, and complex.  As part of one of the largest teams of its kind in the world, our people have the support they need to deliver excellence.

Role and key responsibilities

We have a fantastic, technically challenging senior role where you will play an integral part in:

• Acting for a wide range of national and international clients, with a particular focus on the Energy and Infrastructure sectors as well as the traditional built environment.
• Providing strategic and commercial legal advice on major energy, infrastructure and development projects, and the avoidance/resolution of disputes arising on such projects.
• Handling your own matters, managing teams, and developing, supporting, and guiding the more junior lawyers within the team.
• Taking a proactive lead in business development and contributing to the strategic direction of the team.
• Working with your colleagues across the national/international team and wider practice and product groups across the firm to help develop growth areas for the team.

Skills and experience

We are keen to speak with construction lawyers who want to capitalise on their specialism in contentious matters and thrive within an exciting, internationally focused team and offering:

• 7+pqe in contentious construction law (or a mix of contentious and non-contentious law).
• Strong technical skills gained through working on a broad range of construction and engineering projects and disputes, with the ability to:
  • interpret and apply construction and engineering contracts with practical and beneficial effect;
  • understand complex legal arguments and subtle interpretation differences and to explain the law clearly and concisely;
  • devise strategies for the avoidance/resolution of disputes arising on construction and engineering projects, and which take into account the client’s overall strategy for the project; and
  • effectively and strategically guide unavoidable disputes through a variety of dispute resolution procedures.   
• Excellent communication skills, the ability to build rapport with clients and a dedication to providing a first rate client service both internally and externally.
• A “can do” attitude, one team ethos and willingness to go the extra mile to ensure client needs are met.
• A highly organised and strong practical approach with the ability to follow procedures, meet key dates and juggle the demands of a busy workload

What’s in it for you?

We are not a team that aspires to stand still, and have strong ambitions for continued growth.  As such, we do not recruit or promote senior roles without considering the future development stages.  We are therefore recruiting a Principal Associate with the ability, aspiration, and drive to develop into one of our next partners, and full support will be given towards this goal. 

Otherwise, we will provide benefits focused on looking after you: your development, your performance, your financial future and your health, as well as providing the opportunity to make a contribution to the world.

• We’re fair, transparent and equitable
• We share in the success of the firm, reward alignment to our values, going above and beyond and your individual performance
• We support flexible ways of working through our remote working policy and commitment to flexible, agile and hybrid ways of working
• We support your health and performance through our dental, healthcare and wellness support
• We support everything you are and all you bring through our powerful commitment to diversity and inclusion
• We provide a platform for your career, whatever your ambitions through our structured professional and personal training, mentoring and development programs
• We provide experience and opportunity through international and cross-function exposure
• We provide an opportunity to give back through our pro bono work and community engagement
• We help you plan ahead through retirement planning, insurance and assurance

Diversity & Inclusion

At Eversheds Sutherland, “Inclusive” is a core business value. We bring together different skillsets, global mindsets and approaches. We foster diversity of thought and the freedom to put ideas into action. We have an inherent respect for the individual. We have a strong belief in collaboration and teamwork. Sharing ideas, asking questions, solving challenges and meeting our clients’ goals: together.

We want all our people to thrive at work and reach their full potential and we work hard to continue to build a diverse and inclusive culture, monitor and report on our progress and impact, and develop our approach. This is reflected in our policies, systems and processes, and in our work with diversity membership organisations.

Many of our people work flexibly in some way and we are open to considering how we can accommodate flexible working arrangements alongside role requirements. If this is important to you, please talk to us about it during the recruitment process.

We want you to perform at your best during our recruitment process. If there is any adjustment or support you need, please contact us so we can discuss how we can best assist you.

For you,

For your success.

And what's next.