About the team
You would be joining our award-winning Pensions Disputes team, which sits in our wider 45+ lawyer Pensions Team.
We won UK Pensions Awards 2022 for Pensions Litigation Firm of the Year and have been involved in many of the most high-profile cases over the last five years, including Mitchells & Butlers (judgment in which was given after a three-week trial), Britvic (Court of Appeal judgment on the proper approach to construing pension documentation), Axminster Carpets (one of the leading cases on limitation and forfeiture in a pensions context), CMG (also a leading case on forfeiture and recoupment) and Virgin Media, the only reported case on section 37 and which is going to the Court of Appeal in 2024.
We also act on a number of matters involving questions as to the proper use of scheme surplus, potential negligence claims coming out of the LDI-crisis and cases in which issues have been identified with the validity of scheme documents.
Our client base includes employers (some of which are household names), trustees, the Pensions Regulator, the PPF, several insurance companies, actuarial firms, Master Trusts, bodies in the public sector and other significant industry players.
We distinguish ourselves in the pensions law market by focussing on delivering an outstanding client experience, being good people to work with and offering advice which comes off the fence (not just information or legal opinions), is in plain language and backed by the highest technical standards.
We have a very successful practice, with extremely interesting work. The leader of Pensions Disputes, Ian Gordon, is ranked as a Leading Individual by Legal 500 and a Band 1 lawyer by Chambers & Partners, as well as being the Chair of the Association of Pension Lawyers Litigation Sub-committee.
Second-to-none training and development for our lawyers is a key part of our profile as a pensions team (and as a firm). And this is a good place to work. Both the team and the firm as a whole regularly wins awards for being a good place to work and for its diversity initiatives.
Pensions operates as a single team across two UK offices, with roughly equal numbers in Birmingham and London. Most of our larger clients have lawyers from both offices on their client service teams.
We have a partner and three PSLs focussed on excellence and making sure our lawyers are the best they can be: fully supported in the market where they operate.
Main duties and responsibilities
This role is for a Senior Associate in our Pensions Disputes team. It will involve advising employers and trustees on resolving issues and disputes involving occupational pension schemes and, where necessary, handling litigation on their behalf.
We like our lawyers to develop their own personalities in the pensions market and you would be expected to be involved in business development and profile raising as well as pure legal work. Our lawyers have a passion for pensions and they are not afraid to flaunt it!
Key skills and experience
The ideal candidate for this role will be a qualified Solicitor with 4+ years' PQE.
Key skills and experience:
* A track record of advising trustees and employers on resolving pensions issues and disputes.
* Managing and supervising more junior lawyers to provide an excellent client service.
* An excellent understanding of the principal provisions of relevant pensions legislation and how to apply them in the context of a client's key commercial drivers.
* A track record of building and maintaining long term client relationships.
* Experience of participating in client development events.
* A clear understanding of the importance of accurate and efficient financial management.
* Experience in marketing and profile raising initiatives.
* Experience of writing articles and the presentation of seminars and other briefing sessions.
* A developed understanding of the commercial issues impacting on a client’s business.
We would look for the successful applicant to have:
* Solid organisation and time management skills.
* Experience of working in a team and the ability to develop relationships with colleagues and clients.
* Proven attention to detail and drafting skills.
* Sound problem-solving skills.
* The ability to adapt to a range of circumstances and remain calm under pressure.
* Proven understanding of technical legal issues in their chosen field.
* Strong interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills.
What we can offer you
The opportunity to work for a firm which has been recognised as one of the top 10 best places to work in the UK and has been ranked by Great Place to Work® for 23 consecutive years.
* A hybrid approach to office and remote working, with up to 50% remote working available
* Lawyer bonus
* Generous annual leave, with the option to buy up to a week's extra annual leave
* Private medical insurance, and the option to add family members
* A generous pension allowance
* Life assurance covering four times your annual salary
* The chance of a three-month sabbatical every five years
* Maternity, paternity and adoption leave schemes
* A range of health and wellbeing programmes
* State of the art offices, in the heart of Birmingham City Centre, with an onsite restaurant
* Opportunities to flourish in your role through training and personal development
Many of our people work flexibly in some way. If you would like to explore your own flexible working arrangements with us, we are happy to discuss this during the recruitment process.
Equal Opportunities
Gowling WLG is committed both to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to Equal Opportunities in employment. The firm believes in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re-assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity. This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment.
At Gowling WLG we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding place to work. Our aim is to fulfil everyone's potential and together to achieve personal and business goals.
Any offers we make will be conditional subject to clearance by the SRA, evidence of eligibility to work in the UK and DBS clearance.
If you have any queries in relation to this position, please contact Nina Marshall - nina.marshall@uk.gowlingwlg.com
#LI-NM1 #LI-HYBRID
#J-18808-Ljbffr