Job Description

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Legal Executive/Senior Paralegal with specialist experience in contested debt collection litigation to join our dynamic debt collection litigation team.
This role is ideal for a seasoned legal professional with a strong background in debt recovery litigation and a passion for mentoring junior staff. You will play a pivotal role in managing a portfolio of bad debt cases, overseeing junior trainees and ensuring the efficient and effective progression of litigation matters.
Role responsibility
Ensure all matters referred to the team have the relevant forms completed by the fee earner and the files have been correctly transferred to the debt collection team.
Lead and manage a caseload of complex debt recovery matters from pre-action through to enforcement. This will involve managing the trainees within the team and having an overview of their current caseload. This individual will need to ensure high standards of work from the junior trainees that complies with all regulatory requirements and internal policies.
Liaise and provide administrative and technical assistance to the designated partner charged with debt recovery
Collate a monthly report for the Partner; Chairman and Head of Finance which summarises status updates on all cases currently referred to the Team.
Draft legal documents including claim forms, statements of case, application notices, witness statements and draft orders. Collate court bundles; liaise with counsel and attend court as required. Some advocacy experience preferred. Familiarity with all forms of enforcement including the presentation and prosecution of Bankruptcy and Winding up petitions
Identify opportunities to streamline how the team works with others across the business, in particular, the Finance team.
Manage the finances of the debt collection team to ensure disbursements are logged and paid; any funds received are claimed and used to pay outstanding invoices and dealing with any residual balances.
About you
Ideally you will be able to demonstrate:

• Proven relevant experience in a debt collection litigation role or equivalent for at least five years
• Experience of mentoring and managing junior legal staff.
• Confidence in dealing with client queries and reading iManage to understand the nature of the file to draft responses back to the client.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of senior stakeholders, include fee earners, business service functions and senior management.
• Excellent drafting, communication, and organisational skills; ability to manage competing priorities under pressure.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and some understanding of case management software.

Please note that we are not accepting applications via agencies for this role at this time. Before sharing any named candidate CVs, please contact your recruitment representative. If any named CVs are sent from agencies without approval from our recruitment team, they will not be deemed valid introductions, and no agency fee will be paid.
Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days annual holiday
• Permanent Health Insurance
• Life Assurance
• Interest free Season Ticket Loan
• Private Healthcare
• Pension Scheme
• Staff Introductory Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

About us
With almost 200 lawyers in one location, we ensure our clients have the right team to help them get from where they are to where they want to be. We advise major corporates and institutions as well as entrepreneurial, ambitious enterprises which are often privately or family owned, or private equity backed. As well as our significant business law capability, we are one of only a few London-based law firms with a large private wealth offering. Our clients find our straightforward approach a compelling alternative to larger, less personal firms.
Whether you are an ambitious and talented individual wanting to hit the ground running from day one, or an established professional looking for a new opportunity, Howard Kennedy is the firm where you can really make it happen.
We have earned a strong reputation for our exceptional and uniquely talented people who between them deliver outstanding results for clients. In a firm of our size, our strong team dynamic creates a thriving culture of creativity and entrepreneurialism. Howard Kennedy is a pragmatic and non-hierarchical environment where success is shared, and you are proactively encouraged to thrive at your own pace.
Our distinctive culture is built on fairness and respect. Guided by the firm's values of talk straight, think smart and be yourself, everyone in the firm holds equal value, and everyone plays their role in supporting, encouraging and inspiring colleagues to do their best work.
At the same time, we recognise and reward individualism, celebrating the diversity of our people and supporting them to grow their practice and drive their own career advancement.
As well as client work, there is opportunity to broaden your horizons at the firm with fulfilling pro bono and charity projects. We have a regular social calendar full of wellbeing activities, charitable and social events too.