Paralegal - Costs
Description
Core responsibilities
After initial training, you will have responsibility for your own case load of costs challenges matters including drafting Points of Dispute, drafting and challenging Costs Budgets, setting strategy and negotiating, and running claims to detailed assessment. It is envisaged that as you gain experience you will increase your workload having more responsibility in running more complex and higher value cases.
The successful candidate may also be required to work in the recoveries team, which will entail drafting Schedules/Bill of costs, preparing Replies to Points of Dispute, adopting suitable strategies to negotiate settlement and running claims to detailed assessment.
Specific responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
• Handle a varied case load of costs challenges or costs recoveries with appropriate levels of supervision
• Supporting more experienced lawyers in the team on more complex or larger costs cases
• Acting as a point of contact for clients, demonstrating a level of knowledge and skill commensurate with experience
• Ensuring full compliance with clients' SLAs and DAC Beachcroft's internal protocols
• Assume responsibility for quality control and benchmark compliance on own caseload, including accuracy and timeliness of management reporting and information
• Ensure strict and ongoing adherence to benchmark standards in all work undertaken.
• Demonstrating a high level of financial management in respect of own files
• To hit, maintain and apply a consistent approach to all individual targets of chargeable time, financial performance, realisation rates, settlement rates and average claim spend.
• Achieve a minimum budgeted annual target of 1440 chargeable hours per year.
• Exercise full compliance with DAC Beachcroft protocols on billing and credit control and demonstrate a high level of financial management in respect of own files.
• Supporting marketing and business development activity within the team e.g. attending marketing events and client training
• Maintain an awareness of the firm's strategies and plans.
• Maintaining and developing technical knowledge through attendance at training sessions, reading appropriate publications
• Handle confidential information in line with the firm's data security protocols
Key skills
The Costs Team are looking to recruit an experienced Paralegal, preferably with a strong litigation background. However, experience of working in costs is not essential. We also have flexibility to consider strong candidates who have graduated with a degree, or equivalent in; Law, Economics, Business Studies or Mathematics with limited or no litigation experience as training will be provided.
• A degree or equivalent in Law, Economics, Business Studies or Mathematics . We will consider candidates without a degree if they have significant experience of litigation particularly in costs
• Confident negotiator and communicator, who can communicate clearly and concisely both verbally and in written form
• IT literate with a good working knowledge of Excel and Word. Previous knowledge or experience of a case management system would be an advantage but is not essential
• Willingness to follow a process driven system, working within set parameters.
• Ability to work on own initiative without close supervision
• Able to demonstrate strong team working skills and that they are a flexible and self-motivated team player
• Have excellent organisational skills and able to effectively prioritise and organise a workload/tasks
• Experience of working within a pressurised and deadline driven environment with the ability to prioritise work effectively
• Have an ability to adopt a commercial perspective to legal issues rather than a purely academic approach
• Able to produce work to a high standard, with excellent attention to detail
• Flexible with an ability to adapt to rapid change, both internally and in the context of clients' businesses;
• Knowledge of the Civil Procedure Rules (academic or practical).
• Must be able to work under pressure and with a high volume caseload, to meet required deadlines
The team
This is an exciting time for the Costs Team as it is poised for further growth. Currently the team has one Partner, one Associate and six experienced supervisors with a range of experienced staff including Solicitors, Costs Lawyers and Paralegals. We are a recognised leader in the market for 3rd party costs negotiations in the insurance sector.
The Costs Team comprises several distinct teams specialising in a specific area of costs including Catastrophic, Claims Portal/PCR, costs budgeting and recoveries. The Costs Team focuses on driving through our insurer clients' costs strategy and building and strengthening client relationships. Team members aim to build strong links and establish good rapport with the clients and claims handlers, which ensures that team members understand the clients businesses and exceed their expectations.
The team has a progressive approach and a market leading reputation for not simply tackling the claims themselves from a litigation perspective, but also for tracking and analysing behaviours and trends with a view to providing insurers with bespoke strategies.
About the firm
With over 2,300 people, DAC Beachcroft combines one of the most comprehensive UK legal networks with coverage across Europe, Latin America, North America and Asia-Pacific. We provide a full service claims, transactional, commercial, risk and advisory capability. We work with clients in a select range of industry sectors and are market leaders in health, insurance and real estate. We are agile, progressive and easy to engage with.
We are committed to supporting the communities where we operate through charitable giving, pro bono work and programmes such as those operated by Business in the Community and The Prince's Trust.
In Chambers UK, A Client's Guide to the Legal Profession 2016, the firm received 59 rankings with a record 36 of our total listings in either Band 1 or Band 2, as well as 116 lawyer listings.
In The Legal (Apply online only), the leading guide to law firms in the UK, the firm received a record 111 practice area rankings, including more than 60 in the tier 1 and 2 brackets. The firm is also recognised for its international capabilities in Chambers Asia Pacific, as well as Chambers and Legal 500 Europe and Latin America, with more than 50 additional international leading lawyers listed.
Application Details
DAC Beachcroft is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from every sector of the community. We also welcome direct applications. If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV. Your application will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence
Core responsibilities
After initial training, you will have responsibility for your own case load of costs challenges matters including drafting Points of Dispute, drafting and challenging Costs Budgets, setting strategy and negotiating, and running claims to detailed assessment. It is envisaged that as you gain experience you will increase your workload having more responsibility in running more complex and higher value cases.
The successful candidate may also be required to work in the recoveries team, which will entail drafting Schedules/Bill of costs, preparing Replies to Points of Dispute, adopting suitable strategies to negotiate settlement and running claims to detailed assessment.
Specific responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
• Handle a varied case load of costs challenges or costs recoveries with appropriate levels of supervision
• Supporting more experienced lawyers in the team on more complex or larger costs cases
• Acting as a point of contact for clients, demonstrating a level of knowledge and skill commensurate with experience
• Ensuring full compliance with clients' SLAs and DAC Beachcroft's internal protocols
• Assume responsibility for quality control and benchmark compliance on own caseload, including accuracy and timeliness of management reporting and information
• Ensure strict and ongoing adherence to benchmark standards in all work undertaken.
• Demonstrating a high level of financial management in respect of own files
• To hit, maintain and apply a consistent approach to all individual targets of chargeable time, financial performance, realisation rates, settlement rates and average claim spend.
• Achieve a minimum budgeted annual target of 1440 chargeable hours per year.
• Exercise full compliance with DAC Beachcroft protocols on billing and credit control and demonstrate a high level of financial management in respect of own files.
• Supporting marketing and business development activity within the team e.g. attending marketing events and client training
• Maintain an awareness of the firm's strategies and plans.
• Maintaining and developing technical knowledge through attendance at training sessions, reading appropriate publications
• Handle confidential information in line with the firm's data security protocols
Key skills
The Costs Team are looking to recruit an experienced Paralegal, preferably with a strong litigation background. However, experience of working in costs is not essential. We also have flexibility to consider strong candidates who have graduated with a degree, or equivalent in; Law, Economics, Business Studies or Mathematics with limited or no litigation experience as training will be provided.
• A degree or equivalent in Law, Economics, Business Studies or Mathematics . We will consider candidates without a degree if they have significant experience of litigation particularly in costs
• Confident negotiator and communicator, who can communicate clearly and concisely both verbally and in written form
• IT literate with a good working knowledge of Excel and Word. Previous knowledge or experience of a case management system would be an advantage but is not essential
• Willingness to follow a process driven system, working within set parameters.
• Ability to work on own initiative without close supervision
• Able to demonstrate strong team working skills and that they are a flexible and self-motivated team player
• Have excellent organisational skills and able to effectively prioritise and organise a workload/tasks
• Experience of working within a pressurised and deadline driven environment with the ability to prioritise work effectively
• Have an ability to adopt a commercial perspective to legal issues rather than a purely academic approach
• Able to produce work to a high standard, with excellent attention to detail
• Flexible with an ability to adapt to rapid change, both internally and in the context of clients' businesses;
• Knowledge of the Civil Procedure Rules (academic or practical).
• Must be able to work under pressure and with a high volume caseload, to meet required deadlines
The team
This is an exciting time for the Costs Team as it is poised for further growth. Currently the team has one Partner, one Associate and six experienced supervisors with a range of experienced staff including Solicitors, Costs Lawyers and Paralegals. We are a recognised leader in the market for 3rd party costs negotiations in the insurance sector.
The Costs Team comprises several distinct teams specialising in a specific area of costs including Catastrophic, Claims Portal/PCR, costs budgeting and recoveries. The Costs Team focuses on driving through our insurer clients' costs strategy and building and strengthening client relationships. Team members aim to build strong links and establish good rapport with the clients and claims handlers, which ensures that team members understand the clients businesses and exceed their expectations.
The team has a progressive approach and a market leading reputation for not simply tackling the claims themselves from a litigation perspective, but also for tracking and analysing behaviours and trends with a view to providing insurers with bespoke strategies.
About the firm
With over 2,300 people, DAC Beachcroft combines one of the most comprehensive UK legal networks with coverage across Europe, Latin America, North America and Asia-Pacific. We provide a full service claims, transactional, commercial, risk and advisory capability. We work with clients in a select range of industry sectors and are market leaders in health, insurance and real estate. We are agile, progressive and easy to engage with.
We are committed to supporting the communities where we operate through charitable giving, pro bono work and programmes such as those operated by Business in the Community and The Prince's Trust.
In Chambers UK, A Client's Guide to the Legal Profession 2016, the firm received 59 rankings with a record 36 of our total listings in either Band 1 or Band 2, as well as 116 lawyer listings.
In The Legal (Apply online only), the leading guide to law firms in the UK, the firm received a record 111 practice area rankings, including more than 60 in the tier 1 and 2 brackets. The firm is also recognised for its international capabilities in Chambers Asia Pacific, as well as Chambers and Legal 500 Europe and Latin America, with more than 50 additional international leading lawyers listed.
Application Details
DAC Beachcroft is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from every sector of the community. We also welcome direct applications. If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV. Your application will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence