Contentious Asset Finance Paralegal Birmingham
Job description
Closing Date 28-Oct-2023 Position Full Time Business Entity Gateley Legal Department Commercial Dispute Resolution (CDR) Location Birmingham – United Kingdom Job Type Experienced Hire Description The role As a paralegal in our Contentious Asset Finance team, you will be based at our Birmingham office working closely with Partner - James Baird, and Associate - Edmund Locock. The successful candidate will be an integral part of a small but award-winning team. Exposure will be gained, with hands-on active file engagement, on predominantly asset finance litigation and recoveries cases together with some banking litigation. As a successful candidate you will support the team by providing and/or assisting with in-depth investigations, including asset and people tracing using in-house applications and social media/online tools and corporate structures and ownership, and where required liaising with third party researchers, in order to identify and refine targets for litigation. The role will include reviewing case papers, devising recoveries strategies based on investigations and legal analysis, advising clients both in writing and/or verbally, actioning recoveries strategies, contacting potential defendants, drafting letters before claim, reporting to clients. Thereafter, drafting claim forms and particulars of claim, arranging for issue and service of the same, reviewing defences, advising clients, drafting replies, proceeding with case management with a view to obtaining - where appropriate - summary judgment and/or, where required, proceeding to trial. Enforcing default, summary and trial judgments. The team Our national Commercial Dispute Resolution (CDR) team is experienced in and manages a wide variety of consumer and commercial disputes. Within the CDR team, our Contentious Asset Finance team specialises in advising lenders and equipment lessors in all aspects of asset finance litigation, and has expertise in advising on matters such as fraud, international cross-border recoveries, title disputes, satisfactory quality disputes and consumer credit litigation. The team regularly advises on lenders on and obtains injunctive relief including freezing orders and mandatory delivery up orders and is known for pragmatic commercial legal advice and strategy in often complex cases. The Contentious Asset Finance Team have won industry recognition by the award of Leasing Life's Top Professional Service Provider of 2022, and Leasing Word's Top Asset Finance Litigation Team 2019 - 2022 (four consecutive years). The person Our successful candidate will have completed their degree (or conversion course) and ideally the LPC. They will be highly motivated and keen to learn and make an impact. He or she will possess the ability to work as part of a team whilst also being able to manage his/her own workload; and will demonstrate the following attributes: Excellent academics illustrating an ability to learn and apply the complex interplay of key legal principles of contract, bailment, insolvency, tort, land law and trusts (all of which can be deployed in any given case) Confident, with an independent, tenacious and resilient personality Commercial acumen and capacity to tailor legal knowledge and advice to commercial realities Personable with an inherent ability to work as part of a team and maintain/develop relationships both internally and externally with clients and other stakeholders Strong written and verbal communication skills Naturally inquisitive mind with a pragmatic approach to tasks Excellent legal research skills Enthusiasm to learn and develop Strong attention to detail Organised and proactive with time/ deadlines and documents Good IT skills Strong work ethic Discretion and professionalism The benefits With support, coaching and feedback from some of the most engaging colleagues around our great development and progression opportunities will reward your commitment and loyalty. We offer a competitive remuneration package where you'll be rewarded for your individual performance with an opportunity to receive an annual bonus. In addition, we have a wide range of learning and development opportunities via our Learn platform to develop new skills and progress your career. Our My Flex comprehensive rewards package includes options covering annual leave (and the benefit of purchasing extra days), cycle to work, critical illness benefit, employee assistance programme, group personal pension, health care, season ticket loan and many more benefits (grade dependent). Finally, with Perks At Work/Home you can select a host of retail benefits that suit your needs alongside a Community Online Academy, free courses for all from fitness to coding to languages to hip hop dance. We are Gateley We are forward thinking and straight talking, our approach is to find solutions to the problems that our clients face. Gateley is a legal and professional services group, we are a group of formidable experts in all areas of law and business. Passionate problem solvers, we get our kicks from finding the right answers and getting our legal and business clients where they need to be. We support more than 5,700 active clients, ranging from FTSE 100 companies to private individuals, in the UK and beyond. Being part of Gateley is not just about the expertise that you bring; it's about attitude too. The 'Gateley Story' is the story of our people and our culture. It is what has got us to where we are today as a successful business and it's the driving force behind the Gateley Team Spirit and the values that have shaped it. We have a set of shared internal values that capture what the Gateley Team Spirit is and this includes five elements that bind us all together as one Gateley: Ambitious for Success, Forward Thinking, Room to Breathe, Trusted to Do and Working Together. Every year across the group, we recognise members of our team that have gone and above and beyond and have lived these shared values. They are recognised at our annual Gateley Team Spirit awards. Diversity, inclusion and well being Diversity, inclusion and well being is an important part of Gateley's culture and values. We recruit talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, providing equal opportunities for all to join our team regardless of age, sex, race, sexual orientation, disability, or culture. We create an exciting and rewarding place to work that aims to fulfil everyone's potential and together to achieve personal and business goals. We offer flexible working patterns to help our staff achieve a good work/ life balance and we encourage candidates seeking flexibility in their next role to apply for any of our vacancies. We are proud to have been recognised by The Law Society as gold standard for our Diversity and Inclusion Charter and to be Stonewall Diversity Champions. Additional Information If you are successful in receiving an offer of a role with our company a variety of pre-employment screening checks will be completed. Our screening checks can include but are not limited to your eligibility to work, professional and academic qualifications, any criminal records, your financial stability and references from previous employers. The screening that takes place will be relevant to your role and will vary from role to role.
