Associate/Senior Associate - D&O/Coverage

Department: Professional and Commercial Risk

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Leeds

Description

Are you looking for a role that challenges you intellectually while offering industry-leading work quality, client engagement, business development opportunities, and genuine flexibility? An opportunity in our Professional and Commercial Risk team may be for you.

You will play an active role in the continued growth and success of the professional indemnity team nationally.

The team is ranked in Tier 1 in both the Legal 500 and Chambers directories, with a number of leading individuals named.

Within the team, the service line specialising in advising on Directors' and Officers' (D&O) insurance is particularly active. This team act for a number of the leading D&O insurers, both in advising insurers on coverage for a wide variety of claims as well as defending claims against directors and officers/insured companies. This often involves working with specialists from other teams in fields such as employment law and white collar crime. In addition, the team provide coverage advice under a wide range of insurance policies, including Crime and Financial Institutions insurance.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include but are not restricted to:

• Handling a stimulating and often complex D&O caseload with an emphasis on advising on insurance coverage, but with opportunities to handle a wide variety of claims against directors and officers
• The opportunity to interact on a regular basis with leading insurer clients in this area
• Working collaboratively with other specialists across the firm
• Maintaining an awareness of the firm's strategies and plans
• Maintaining and develop technical knowledge through attendance at training sessions, reading appropriate publications and exceeding Law Society CPD requirements
• Ensuring full compliance with DAC Beachcroft billing and credit control protocols, while demonstrating strong financial management across own files and in supporting others

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• At least 3 years' PQE, ideally gained at a specialist insurance firm (or in house at a financial lines insurer)
• Good experience in advising on insurance coverage under financial lines policies and ideally including under D&O/Management Liability policies
• Excellent relationship and client handling skills; able to deal confidently and professionally with clients on day to day issues
• Experience on secondment with a leading financial lines insurer would be beneficial
• The ability to deliver clear, well-written legal advice and reports on complex legal/coverage issues
• Able to demonstrate a reasonable level of self-sufficiency, commensurate with experience
• The ability to take a client-focused, commercial approach to legal issues rather than a purely academic one, with a strong grasp of emerging legal issues and a clear ability to learn quickly
• Change oriented with a positive, flexible approach towards the implementation of new initiatives.
• Team oriented and collegiate with a willingness to share knowledge and support other members of the team
• Willingness to work hard as part of a highly ambitious and driven team to help it continue to develop and achieve its objectives