Costs Litigation Executive

Express Solicitors are currently ranked 70 out of more than 10,000 law firms in the UK and ranked in the top ten for the Best Law Firm to work for in the UK by Best Companies. We have a 5-star ranking with Trust Pilot from over 6,000 reviews, which, coming from our clients, means a lot to us.

Role

We are currently looking for a Costs Litigation Executive to join our established costs department of 40 plus.

The position will involve handling a fixed costs caseload reviewing inter partes disputes, developing persuasive arguments  making offers, negotiating settlement and preparing cases for summary and detailed assessment

The role involves:

• Reporting to supervisor in weekly review meetings.
• Working to a caseload, WIP and fee target
• Reviewing and negotiating fixed costs cases
• Drafting letters, Costs Schedules, Part 23 Applications and Part 8 Proceedings. Skeleton arguments and written submissions.
• Liaising with fee earners and management.
• Providing assistance to other team members as and when required.

Responsibilities

• Progressive Management a caseload.
• Securing payments on account of costs at the earliest opportunity
• Ensure that the quality of work produced is to the highest standard.
• Reviewing costs schedules/bills with a view to negotiating Claimants costs, generally disputed fixed costs cases, and settling costs files in a timely manner.
• Negotiating settlement of costs and reporting terms of settlement.
• Preparing bills/Part 23 Applications and/or Replies to Points of Dispute in fixed costs cases.
• Drafting Part 8 and Part 23 Proceedings.
• Preparing cases for assessment hearings
• Attending costs hearings where appropriate
• Provide technical support to the costs team on fixed costs disputes.
• Maintaining the highest client care and service standards.

Person Specification

• A good working knowledge of fixed costs claims and the costs process.
• A good working knowledge of CPR Cost related procedures, Pre-Action Protocols, and case law for fixed costs disputes.
• 2 to 5 years’ experience of case handling and working to target.
• Ability to deal with advocacy at costs hearings on fixed costs matters (not essential but desirable)
• Good commercial awareness and a professional attitude.
• Ability to work to time scales and cope under pressure.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work within a team.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Good IT skills, experience of Proclaim, Excel and Cost Master is desirable.

The role also offers excellent career development prospects for the right candidate, as the firm offers training contracts or support through the ACL qualification, for those candidates who prove themselves.

Salary, Hours & Benefits

• Salary is £30,000 to £40,000 dependent on experience.

• Our standard working hours are 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday-Thursday and 8:30am to 5pm Friday.
• 3/2 hybrid working pattern after probation.
• 23 days holiday a year, rising to 26 days, plus public/bank holidays.
• Extra day’s holiday for your birthday after 2 years’ service
• 3 holiday buy backs per year after 1 year of service
• Private medical insurance after 2 years’ service.
• Enhanced Maternity leave payment if you have over 1 year’s tenure, further enhanced at over 4 years’ service.
• Death in service
• 24/7 onsite Gym access
• Netball/Football team, 10km Manchester team and more
• Active social committee with generous departmental and firm-wide social budget.
• Active training culture and various groups and events such as Diversity and Inclusion.
• Other benefits including Employee Assistance Programme, free fruit & annual (optional) flu jab.

Recruitment Process

To apply, send a CV to recruitment@expresssolicitors.co.uk or visit our careers page on www.expresssolicitors.co.uk/careers

Interviews will be conducted by MS Teams and will include scenario-based questioning.

Our employees are our most important asset, we rate skill and ability above all else and our recruitment policy encourages applications from all.

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