Assistant Legal Directors (Litigation)

Location:         Canary Wharf, London

Contract:         Permanent

Hours:             Full time, Part time, Flexible

Salary:            £70,315 - £77,300 (dependent on experience)

We are looking for Assistant Legal Advisers to join our Litigation Group within the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Legal Service. With markets changing fast, and the prospect of legal change related to EU exit, this is an exciting time to join us. 

Our litigation lawyers are at the heart of the CMA Legal Service and act for the CMA in all its civil litigation in a wide range of courts and tribunals including the Competition Appeal Tribunal, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Successful applicants will conduct competition and consumer enforcement appeals, challenges to merger decisions, director disqualification proceedings and related public law litigation. You will also provide advice on litigation risk and procedure to decision makers across the CMA in their inquiries and decision making, throughout the CMA and externally.  In addition, you will have experience for managing, coaching and managing performance and driving litigation within a team.

You will need litigation experience in the Competition Appeal Tribunal and/or High Court (or similar courts or tribunals in other jurisdictions), the ability to work under pressure, persuasive communication and analytical skills, flexibility and a willingness to work across the organisation. Experience of competition law and/or competition litigation is an advantage and successful candidates will need to show a grasp of public law at interview.

If you want to gain valuable skills and experience working on varied and interesting cases and make a difference to people’s lives, then we encourage you to apply to work with us. Joining us now as we work on our next phase of transformation will offer uniquely rewarding professional opportunities.

As an international and diverse organisation we also welcome applications from international candidates who have the skills and experience we are looking for. For exceptional candidates, we may be able to sponsor your right to work. Sponsorship will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Main responsibilities will be to

• Lead in the day to day conduct and management of CMA litigation casework and projects including overseeing the preparation of pleadings and statements of case and drafting pre-action correspondence; the preparation and drafting of witness evidence; attending court; retaining and instructing counsel; making applications to court; and dealing with other matters such as onward appeals, costs, disclosure, interim applications and all correspondence with litigating parties and the courts.
• Assist the case-teams at the pre-litigation stage with advising and decision making to ensure the strengths and weaknesses of a case are considered before litigation is commenced. This may include reviewing evidence and considering the merits of the case ahead of providing advice.
• Lead in providing advice on litigation risk to decision makers across the CMA and providing advice on litigation procedure.  You may also be asked to advise on press releases and in relation to cross cutting issues like FoIA, LPP, Data Protection and GDPR.
• Provide regular updates to the Litigation Decision Group (LDG) who are responsible for key decisions in litigation at the CMA
• To play a constructive role in the development of the CMA’s Litigation Group.
• Monitor and assimilate developments in relevant legislation and case law and litigation practice and inform CMA staff of developments.
• Line manage, develop and motivate team members and offer support in fostering innovative solutions to complex issues along with recommending and implementing ‘best practice.’
• Liaise with Counsel, the Litigation Directors and other stakeholders as necessary and generally support CMA colleagues in developing a flexible and highly effective litigation team.

Essential criteria

It is essential that you provide evidence and examples for each of the following selection criteria in your application.

• Practical experience of litigating in the UK, or other common law jurisdictions, preferably in the Competition Appeal Tribunal and the High Court (or their equivalent) and with a focus on competition, consumer and/or public law litigation.
• Fully qualified lawyer entitled to practise in the UK or evidence of preparedness to sit and pass the QLTT within two years of appointment.
• Significant experience in managing, coaching and motivating staff including managing performance, development and overseeing and driving litigation.
• Excellent communication skills, experience of dealing with internal and external stakeholders, working with project delivery teams.
• Degree educated (2:2 or above) or evidence of an equivalent high level academic or professional achievement.

In return we offer generous benefits, including an excellent pension scheme, 25 days leave and generous maternity/paternity leave provision, plus interest-free season ticket loans, a cycle to work scheme and favourable consideration of flexible working.

Please click on the APPLY button as this will lead you to the full advert on Civil Service Jobs.

Closing date: 26 October 2020.

The CMA is an accredited Disability Confident Employer and are Stonewall Diversity Champions. As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome suitably qualified applicants from all backgrounds and recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.