Associate Costs Lawyer

Join our specialist Costs Team based in either our Manchester, Leeds or Birmingham office.

The role

This is an exciting opportunity to join our growing Costs Team, working closely with Ged Courtney, the Head of Costs, colleagues across the team and experienced disputes lawyers throughout the firm.

You will advise colleagues and clients across a wide range of contentious practice areas, helping to manage costs risk, maximise recovery and resolve costs disputes throughout the lifecycle of a matter. Your work will cover costs budgeting and management, preparing bills of costs, drafting Points of Dispute and Replies, costs negotiations, detailed assessment proceedings and advising on strategic costs issues, including funding and fee estimation.

You will manage your own caseload while supporting more complex matters, working directly with clients and fee earners across the firm. There will also be opportunities to undertake advocacy at costs hearings and contribute to internal training and support on costs-related issues.

As part of a small, ambitious team with a growing profile, you will benefit from significant responsibility and excellent exposure from an early stage. This is a great opportunity to develop your specialist costs expertise while playing an active role in the continued growth and development of the practice.

The person

You will be a Costs Lawyer, Solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive with experience in a wide range of costs litigation and a knowledge of costs law and procedure.

The activities

You will be working with and supporting the Head of Costs. It is envisaged activities will include, but not be limited to the below:

• Drafting costs precedents, such as Bills of Costs (both Precedent A and S), N260, Costs Budgets (Precedent H), Budget Discussion Reports (Precedent R) and Budget Variations (Precedent T).
• Conducting costs negotiations on behalf of paying and receiving parties cradle to grave i.e. dealing with costs instructions from inception up to Detailed Assessment. Experience of advocacy is desirable, but not essential.
• Providing on going and ad hoc costs advice to clients and internal lawyers in relation to costs procedure, law and strategy.
• Assisting with training and development of junior staff, internal lawyers and clients.
• Supporting with business development, and roadshows.
• Considering and offering new perspectives to the way in which we deliver services to all practice areas and clients.
• Attending client meetings and meetings with internal teams as appropriate
• Collaborating with teams to identify process improvement opportunities.

Please ensure you read the job description below for full requirements & responsibilites.

Pre employment screening

If we offer you a role, we will conduct comprehensive pre-employment screening. This screening will include, but is not limited to, a basic DBS, verification of your right to work, a three year employment history and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role. Full details of our pre-screening employment process are available upon request.

Use of AI during the recruitment process

Technology is changing rapidly and we are all increasingly using AI software in our day to day lives, as well as using it to support our learning and professional development.

Here at Mills & Reeve, we embrace the use of technology and AI and we recognise that candidates may use AI tools to support their applications. As a regulated industry, we expect candidates to use such tools responsibly, honestly and in a manner that allows us to make a fair and accurate assessment of their individual skills, experience and suitability for the role.

Please ensure you have thoroughly read the document attached below to understand what we deem acceptable uses of AI.