Contentious Construction Solicitor/Associate

Contentious Construction Associate/Solicitor (2 - 4 PQE) | City of London | Top 100 Law Firm

This Top 100 UK law firm is known for its early adoption of legal technology. Their award-winning practice is seeking a Contentious Construction Solicitor to join a highly ranked team in a role where you will work on high‑quality disputes, build relationships with the firms highly regarded clients and develop your career in a fast‑paced and supportive City environment.

The Firm

This is a Top 100 and Chambers ranked firm where many of the teams are ranked highly for their specialties, including construction. The firm is home to many ranked and recognised lawyers at the top of their respective fields.

Their office culture is brilliant, with plenty of social initiatives on offer and a no-pressure approach to joining in, but you will find that given the personalities of the teams, you'll likely find something to interest you away from the work itself.

Work-wise, the firm has an entrepreneurial, collaborative approach, and they handle work of very high quality, making it a genuinely stimulating environment.

The practice operates with a modern approach, offering the best IT solutions alongside practical, flexible, and hybrid working options.

The Team:

The Contentious Construction team has gone from strength to strength in recent years, working closely with the non-contentious team and advises at every stage of the construction life cycle, from planning and design through to successful completion, and every stage in between. The team sits within the wider Real Estate Group and works with a variety of leading clients across multiple industries (offices, logistics, retail, ports, healthcare, biotech, data centres etc).

The construction disputes department advises a broad range of clients including developers, contractors, specialist subcontractors, building owners and asset managers. The team is particularly well known for its expertise in adjudication, litigation in the Technology and Construction Court, ADR and arbitration. The team also is well regarded as market leaders in Building Safety Act‑related disputes.

The Role:

This Top 100 Legal 500 firm is seeking an Associate/Solicitor to join their L500 and Chambers ranked construction team focusing on contentious matters, operating from the London office with good flexibility for home working.

Joining the team, you can expect to play a proactive role in disputes, often acting as an extension of the project team. Where you will be encouraged to take responsibility for running aspects of matters, working closely with clients, experts and counsel to drive disputes forward and achieve commercial outcomes.

This is a rare opportunity to join a growing contentious practice, work on high‑quality disputes, and develop your career in a fast‑paced and supportive City environment.

With the firm’s ambitious growth plans, this role offers excellent prospects for progression. You will gain exposure to complex, high-quality work while developing your profile and taking on increasing responsibility for business development as your career advances. Contributing both to your own career success and to the continued growth of the team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Delivering clear, commercially focused legal advice on a range of contentious construction matters, including adjudication, mediation, arbitration and litigation;
• Drafting dispute documentation, including pre‑action correspondence, adjudication submissions and responses, statements of case and witness statements;
• Acting as the day‑to‑day contact for clients on ongoing or new contentious matters, under appropriate supervision; and
• Supporting the development of the practice by promoting the firm and its work to existing and potential clients.

Key Skills and Qualifications:

• Experience working in a recognised construction law practice;
• At least 2-4 years PQE advising on construction issues – contentious ideally but any advisory experience would also be considered for a candidate wishing to specialise;
• A clear and developed understanding of construction law and its commercial application;
• Strong drafting, analytical and organisational skills;
• Strong client relationship and business-development skills;
• Strong academic history and ability to "think outside the box" and analyse; and
• A high level of professionalism and integrity.

This is an exciting opportunity for a contentious construction associate to join a highly respected UK law firm, based in London.

Apply now for immediate consideration, or feel free to contact Charlie Simpkin at JMC Legal Recruitment for a confidential conversation.