Assistant Lawyer

Southampton, England, United Kingdom

Job Title: Assistant Lawyer – Complex Injury (Solicitor / Legal Executive / Paralegal / Lawyer)

Salary: Discussed upon initial application

Contract type: Permanent

Location: Southampton

Complex & Catastrophic Loss Team at Keoghs

Here at Keoghs, in our complex & catastrophic loss department we have market-leading advisors who are at the forefront in the defence of complex and catastrophic injury claims.

With team members based in all of our office locations across the UK, we are able to provide national coverage to a long list of major insurers, public bodies, and corporate clients. Our Chambers and Legal 500 recognised team has an exceptional track record in dealing with complex and catastrophic claims.

With a unique collaborative approach, that promotes the sharing of information between teams, we ensure a consistently high level of service provision, as well as enhancing the team ethos within our clients’ teams.

We also work with our opponents, seeking to achieve a fair outcome at the earliest possible opportunity. This not only enables us to deal with individual claims but to look more widely to identify claim trends and opponent’s strategies to ensure clients have that insight at the earliest possible stage.

Keoghs’ reputation for innovation speaks for itself. Our five Special Interest Groups (‘SIGs’) – made up of teams of leading experts from across our offices, focussing on key injury groups within this sphere – ensure that we always provide clients with the very latest insight and advice, while standardising and rationalising internal handling processes.

Your Role:

As our next Assistant Lawyer to join the Southampton office, you will be working alongside Associate Lead Lawyer Kirstie Mallaney. You will assist Kirstie in handling EL, PL and motor cases for governmental bodies and insurer clients. Kirstie specialises in Traumatic Brain Injury, Pain syndromes, orthopaedic injuries, fatalities and child death/suicide.

The role will also include the need to engage with senior claims handlers in long-standing insurance clients as well as assisting Kirstie in activities that enhance and develop Keoghs’ profile.

We are looking for someone with 1-2 years post qualification experience or equivalent

As Assistant to Kirstie:

You will work as part of a team progressing each file from receipt of papers from the insurer client to resolution of the claim. The role will include:

Working with Kirstie to manage a caseload of complex injury claims including high value multi-track and catastrophic injury claims involving brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation and fatal claims.

Communicating with 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 and claims resolution for strategy discussion with the Lead Lawyer.

Proactively identifying next steps required on matter, discussing those aspects with the Lead Lawyer and 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.

Your benefits at Keoghs:

Working at Keoghs as part of The Davies Group, you will receive a host of benefits that can be flexed to suit your needs:

Hybrid working 1 day minimum per week in office

Entry into the Davies Incentive Plan

Private medical insurance

Permanent health insurance

Critical illness cover

Health Care Cash Plan

Holidays 25 days plus 8 bank holidays (opportunity to buy & sell 3 days), holidays rise to 26 days after 5 years’ service and 27 days after 10 years’ service

Death In Service – after 1 year

Employer Pension Contribution

Cycle to Work Scheme, Tech Scheme, Season Ticket Loan, Gym Flex

What you’ll have:

You will be a qualified solicitor of 1-2 PQE or Legal Executive and/or have proven relevant experience in a personal injury role

You will have experience of liability and quantum and maybe some indemnity (but not essential)

You will be a well-rounded lawyer with a deep understanding of case law, litigation practice & process and Court Practice Rules

You will be fully engaged in the development of yourself and others

You will have the ability to deliver an outstanding service to clients

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

Keoghs values:

We are connected

We are Dynamic

We are Innovative

We succeed together

Should you wish for an informal discussion prior to your application please do not hesitate to reach out. We look forward to your application.