Associate (Litigation and Arbitration) - 2-4 PQE

Type

Permanent - Full Time

Location

Tortola

Job Role

Dispute Resolution - Litigation

About Withers

A law firm focused on people, performance, and collaboration.

For the past 125 years, we have supported some of the world’s most remarkable people and organisations at defining moments in their lives.

As the global private client firm, we are trusted advisors to families, founders, fiduciaries and businesses – and more than this, to governments, charities and financial institutions.

We structure, grow and preserve capital. We protect reputations and relationships, ideas and innovations. We secure our clients' legacies across generations. We are united in our commitment to integrity, quality and collaboration. We have a culture of high performance and deliver excellent service consistently across the firm. We provide tailored solutions built on trust and partner with our clients to achieve their goals.

Many of our clients are shaping the future and creating solutions to tackle many of the world’s problems. It makes for a fascinating and challenging practice.

Our role is to get to know each individual client, find out where they want to be, and help them to get there – whether they are building a business, buying a home or protecting and defending their interests.

To meet their unique needs we are exceptionally collaborative, working together across teams and time zones. And we are agile – focusing on strategy rather than rigid ideas and traditional hierarchy.

We are delighted that we have been awarded Mansfield Certification Plus in relation to our recruitment and leadership progression efforts in the US and UK. This certification is an encouraging milestone as we continue to champion diversity within our organization and in the wider legal sector.

Join us to be part of a team that is always looking to the future. Where initiative, big ideas and bold moves are always encouraged. Where you can truly be yourself.

The Role

We are seeking a charismatic and ambitious associate to join the firm's leading Litigation and Arbitration team. The role will focus on all aspects of Litigation and Arbitration work, including managing a variety of caseloads and the ideal candidate will have the skills necessary to:

Advise and represent clients, including before the Virgin Islands Courts.
Analyze cases, draft arguments and be able submit both written and verbal arguments before the Virgin Island Courts.
Develop the business of the firm's BVI practice.
Support partners and lawyers to assist with client affairs effectively and profitably.
Deliver high quality legal services ensuring personal compliance with quality standards and professional ethics.
Identify clients’ needs and research the relevant legal solutions by taking a commercial approach.
Prepare correspondence on clients' behalf, work on clients' cases.
Draft legal documentation using the Firm’s precedent bank.
Use the Firm’s internal and external resources to research and broaden technical legal knowledge.
Liaise with people at all levels within the Firm and externally (intermediaries and clients).
Prepare and contribute to internal and external meetings and take minutes.
Assist partners and lawyers with business development activities to generate increased work.
Act as ambassador for the Firm at external events and when talking to peers.
Maintain own network of contacts within the Firm and use the Firm’s contact database, InterAction.
Keep files/systems updated and create a paper trail for others.
Record time on a daily basis.
Provide support during the billing process.
Assist with document management including preparing bundles for court applications, hearing and trials.

This is not an exhaustive list of duties, it is intended to describe the general content and requirements of this job, and as such, the role will also include undertaking additional ad hoc duties as required.

Skills and experience required

2-4 years post qualification experience.
Candidates must either be BVI qualified or eligible to be admitted to practice as a legal practitioner in the BVI (ie be England & Wales qualified or have the appropriate Caribbean qualification).
Previous experience working in a law firm.
Previous commercial experience (law or non-law) preferred.
Higher Rights of Audience is desirable.
Must have previous experience in drafting pleadings, witness statements and litigation correspondence etc.
Must be highly organized, with an understanding of different types of clients and matters.
Strong advocacy skills are desirable.
Must have experience in commercial and civil litigation with an emphasis on areas such as insolvency, debt recovery, shareholder disputes, fraud and asset tracing, contentious probate and international trust litigation etc.
Ability to communicate effectively with management, lawyers and support staff across the firm as well as clients, intermediaries, service providers etc.
The successful candidate will have excellent written communication, research and drafting skills, as well as the ability to demonstrate initiative.
Must be highly numerate and able to deal with complex financial issues.
Previous multi-jurisdictional commercial experience is desirable but not essential.

For further information, please contact the recruitment team ([email protected]).

Information for Recruitment Agencies
Withers endeavours to recruit and fill vacancies directly. However, when we do need to engage with agencies, Withers operates a preferred supplier list and will not be accepting unsolicited applications from non-PSL agencies for this role.

Equal Opportunities Employment Statement
It is the policy of Withers to provide equal opportunities for all employees in relation to recruitment, training and promotion. Decisions in these areas will be made only by reference to the requirements of the job and shall not be influenced by any consideration of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic and national origin), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.