We are a top 50 law firm with over 200 partners and around 1,600 staff in total. We have 13 locations in the UK and a significant international network. Our clients include some of the largest financial, automotive, and technology businesses in the UK.

We champion diversity and inclusion, and do everything we can to attract and nurture a diverse group of people and to create an environment and culture that is genuinely inclusive, in which every member of staff feels valued for their contribution. We have been awarded Gold status in the Law Society Diversity and Inclusion Charter in recognition of our commitment to this. We were the first major law firm to achieve “Gold Standard” Investors in People.

Perhaps most recently we are celebrating a win as Law Firm of the Year (Large Firms) category at the first ever Women in Law Awards.

The Financial Services Disputes and Investigations team is part of the Advisory Services Division of Shoosmiths, one of the UK’s largest national law firms.

The Dispute Resolution & Litigation team in Leeds act for Bank and finance house clients in pursuing their high value business to business recoveries cases. The work mainly involves breach of contract claims against customers, breach of guarantee claims against guarantors, title disputes with third parties, advice on the broker / dealer relationship to protect the client’s interests and the enforcement of high value return of goods orders / money judgments in England and abroad.

We provide high quality legal advice and litigation work quickly which is designed to achieve resolutions that add value for the client’s business. Cases are progressed promptly and the focus is to maximise asset and cash recoveries for our clients. We look to finish the litigation for our clients in the fewest moves and so strategic thinking is encouraged.

We are looking for a Paralegal to join the team’s Leeds office. We pride ourselves on having a culture and technology which lends itself well to flexible working. In this role, you would be required to spend time in the office to receive training and to work the portfolio of cases, while having the option of working from home. Having said that, we are looking to build an enthusiastic, vibrant team where members build close working relationships with each other and colleagues in other teams. We believe that fostering an exciting working environment in the office will deliver benefits for you, if you are the successful candidate, because you will have a better opportunity to enjoy developing your legal knowledge, working closely with – and learning from – more experienced colleagues, socialising with colleagues and taking part in both office-based and external business development or ESG activities, which may offer opportunities for in-person meetings with clients and other important contacts. Through such activities, you can learn about networking and build a network of your own.

As the paralegal you will work as part of a busy team dealing with litigation and dispute resolution on behalf of banks and finance houses, in the fields of Asset Based Lending, general banking and commercial litigation. You will need to deal with your own caseload (with appropriate supervision), assist specialist lawyers in the team and support clients at case review meetings and training sessions to develop good working relationships. You will receive full training and support in the role to assist knowledge development and learning.

You can expect the work to include:

• preparation of pre action correspondence; notes of advice and settlement agreements / correspondence.
• drafting statements of case (Claim Forms / Particulars of Claim) applications, witness statements, draft orders, preparation of hearing bundles, instructions to counsel;
• legal research;
• working your own case load plus supporting more senior members of the team with their high value disputes;
• communicating with clients, opponents, courts and other third parties in a courteous and professional manner;
• business development.

We can support your development as you will be expected to attend and complete mandatory high quality training. You may also have the opportunity to attend client meetings – building on your relationship skills and growing your confidence.

You will experience a strong team ethos as you collaborate with your colleagues to reach financial targets and support marketing initiatives, as required.

If you are well-organised, keen to develop your skills and enjoy working hard and getting results, as part of a team, then this is the job for you!

We hold a strong belief in culture and community, and genuinely believe we have something different to offer you at Shoosmiths. This is reflected in everything we say and do from our use of technology, to the team spirit and culture and our collaborative way of working across offices.

We are a values-driven business – our values are at the core of the firm and we evaluate how we behave in accordance with these values through a competency framework. This role is considered to be at competency Level 1 in our internal framework.

• Legal background - a law degree or experience working in a law firm.
• Prior recent experience as a paralegal in finance litigation or equivalent and a genuine interest in working in a contentious area of law is desirable but not essential.
• Previous experience acting for financial institutions or strong awareness and interest in this sector is desirable but not essential.
• IT literate with experience of using Word, Excel and the internet.
• Good written, numeracy and oral communication skills. Professional telephone manner.
• Accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritise, be organised and efficient.
• Flexibility with the capability to adapt to change, new practices and cope under pressure but with the ability to recognise when to seek assistance.
• Able to integrate within a team and able to work on your own initiative.
• Friendly and helpful approach.

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. These checks will include references, proof of ID and current address, Personnel Vetting credit search (which will only highlight insolvency or County Court Judgements); Terrorism Check (against data supplied by the Bank of England) and a Criminal Records check.

Our approach to our people is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues.

This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.