Senior Solicitor - Motor and Casualty Role

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Senior Solicitor - Motor and Casualty Role

Application Deadline: 10 February 2025

Department: Claims Management

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Belfast

Description

We are looking for ambitious, driven lawyers who are looking to join a leading Northern Ireland defence firm. Keoghs NI have grown year on year since inception in 2019, and you will benefit from working with an insurance industry leader representing most of the key Insurance clients in the UK.

The available role offers an excellent opportunity to work within the Belfast Team dealing with higher value claims in the High Court. In this role you will be a Senior Solicitor handling high value High Court cases, which will include Recoveries and Property, Risks and Coverage claims. Experience of complex indemnity and liability issues is preferred and excellent attention to detail is essential.

As well as handling your own caseload, you will be responsible for supervising more junior colleagues, providing advice and guidance and be required to provide feedback to them.

Key Responsibilities

The role will include:
• Handling your own caseload of claims predominantly in the High Court
• Communicating with sophisticated insurer clients, dealing with their queries and updating them as the matter progresses.
• Forensic analysis of voluminous quantum evidence, preparing chronologies, identifying anomalies and other relevant information across various sources and categories of evidence.
• Using your existing knowledge of complex injury symptomology to identify relevant issues within medical records in order to instruct medical experts, drawing key issues to their attention.
• Critical analysis of sources of liability evidence and identifying any gaps.
• Drafting concise technical advice on all aspects of claim handling to include advice on indemnity, liability, quantum and causation issues.
• Proactively identifying next steps required on matter, taking action as agreed.
• Interviewing witnesses and drafting statements.
• Liaising with parties involved in claims including the insured, insurer, witnesses etc.
• Drafting pleadings and applications.
• Instructing counsel and attending conferences, JSMs, mediations both remotely and in person.
• Attend court in person or by telephone, attend trials, settlement conferences etc as required.
• Delivery of agreed performance targets and quality standards.
• Delegate assigned tasks for a Legal Assistant and/or Paralegal and be fully engaged in their development in terms of technical ability and achievement of objectives.
• Maintaining case managements systems with up to date management information for clients.
• To ensure compliance with the LSNI regulations.
• Hands on supervision and development of more junior team members.
• Participation in Business Development activities.

Working Hours

35 hours per week

Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm with 1 unpaid hour for lunch.

Primary location for this role is Belfast Office.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Essential Skills and Attributes:
• Qualified solicitor or proven relevant legal experience is essential. Ideally already operating at Associate level.
• Experience of indemnity, liability and quantum essential.
• Experience of cases involving complex medical issues preferred.
• Critical thinking and quantum analysis experience required.
• Good telephone advocacy skills.
• Positive, confident and enthusiastic.
• Excellent listening, verbal and written communication skills including the ability to compose professional written communications.
• Good advocacy skills.
• Excellent inter-personal and client care skills.
• Understanding of case law and litigation practice and process, and Court Practice Rules.
• Ability to plan and prioritise workloads, keep to deadlines and work under pressure.
• Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to weigh facts, apply the law and make decisions.
• Ability to anticipate problems and identify solutions.
• Driven to achieve to take development opportunities when they arise with a positive attitude.
• Calm under pressure with the ability to re-prioritise and delegate effectively when required.
• Confidence to take initiative to innovate and adapt to changing situations.
• Confidence to seek advice and guidance when dealing with new tasks.
• Ability to follow instruction and with attention to detail and to give clear instruction, direction and guidance to more junior members of the team.
• Ability to recognise when sensitivity and tact are required.
• Ability to effectively work within a team.
• Proficient IT skills (Word, Excel and Office).

Required Soft Skills:
• Personal Effectiveness
• Team Commitment : Values others perspective
• Resilience: Demonstrates self-control
• Passion for Growth and Improvement: Systematically improves performance
• Embracing Change: Responds positively to change

Business Focus
• Client Care: Works to add value for the client
• Decision Making
• Negotiation, Influence and Persuasion
• Commercial Insight: Considers and understands commercial implications

Values

Our culture is focussed on making Keoghs sustainable and successful for our people and clients, with this our five values are at the heart of everything we do. Keoghs values:

We listen, are down to earth and supportive

We work together towards a common goal

We're friendly with a can do attitude

We care about our clients

We evolve

Benefits

• Davies Incentive Plan
• 25 days holiday per year which increases with level of service (opportunity to buy & sell 3 days)
• Family Cover Private Medical Insurance (Bupa) - will automatically be at single cover level but can opt into family option within first month of joining.
• Simply Health Care Cash Plan
• WeCare - 24/7 online GP, mental health support and virtual wellbeing covering a whole host of topics to do with health, mental health, wellbeing & healthy living and financial & legal wellbeing
• Death in Service
• Critical Illness Cover
• PHI/Income Protection (Private health insurance)
• Pension Contribution based 5% Employee / 3% Employer
• Cycle to Work Scheme*
• Tech Scheme*
• Season Ticket Loan*
• Gym Flex*
• Access to Online Discount Sites
• Discounted Gourmet Society Membership
• Discounted Tickets for Merlin Attractions nationwide
• Discounts at local retail outlets

* after successfully completing probation