Paralegal (Construction)

The Firm
HFW is a sector focused global law firm. We have over 700 lawyers working across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. We take a progressive approach to our roles in commercial business – thinking creatively and pragmatically to support our clients.

Whether we are solving complex issues within the construction, aviation or shipping industries, or providing advice across insurance, commodities and energy we are specialist lawyers here to add value to our clients. We think about the commercial solution first, and then underpin our advice with a solid foundation of legal expertise.

The Department
The Construction team advises on procurement, risk management and disputes for a wide range of clients, including contractors, owners, consultants and insurers. We have worked on some of the largest and most technically complex projects in the world, in relation to a wide range of industries, in particular in the energy and infrastructure fields.

The team spans the globe, with particular hubs in London, Dubai, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, although we are able to resource projects from any of HFW's international offices.

What we do in Construction
Our work can be divided up into three core areas:

Procurement: We advise on all aspects of drafting and negotiating construction contracts and other related project agreements. This includes providing advice on the full range of contracts used in the construction and engineering market as well as related procurement issues, such as tendering procedures, security documentation and insurance.

Live project advice: A considerable amount of our work involves advising employers and contractors during the course of a project. This will include advising on the procedures under the contract, such as notices and applications for time and money. We are often asked by clients to provide a project monitoring service, to support the project team on the legal and contractual issues that regularly arise.

Dispute resolution: Our work can involve providing specific targeted advice on particular limited points in dispute or, at the other extreme, providing an entire team to develop and run a major claim. Our ideal is to be involved at the early stages of a dispute in order to help negotiate a resolution before positions become entrenched or intractable. If matters do progress, we have considerable experience of all dispute resolution forums, including mediation, adjudication, DAB, expert determination, litigation and arbitration. We advise regularly on all types of construction claim, including in relation to project delay, disruption, variations, defects, termination and the recovery of insured losses.

We have worked on wide range of major projects including: rail, bridges, tunnelling, roads, oil and gas, power plants, offshore wind, hydroelectric schemes, nuclear, industrial and process plant, water facilities, airports, ports and terminals, dredging and land reclamation, city developments, sports facilities, iconic and historic buildings, retail and leisure, hospitals and office developments.

The Role
To provide paralegal support to the Construction team. This will involve a range of activities, including assisting fee earners with case submissions, document management, disclosure, and marketing and business development. Strong performers will have the opportunity to take on greater responsibility.

Key Skills & Experience Required

Law degree or GDL qualification. Previous law firm experience. Strong academics – 2:i at university and ideally BBB (minimum) at 'A' level - or equivalent. Strong interpersonal skills including oral/written communications, influencing, diplomacy, flexibility, tenacity. Motivated, enthusiastic, and able to thrive in a fast-paced working environment. Time management - able to work to tight deadlines, ensuring a high standard of accuracy, prioritising work between fee earners. Client service - dealing with queries from internal and external clients in a professional, polite and considerate manner. Strong IT skills, including MS Office.
Additional Information
Kindly note that this Job Description is not contractual. It will be reviewed periodically and may be amended or altered to meet the needs of the firm.

HFW aims to ensure equality of opportunity and we are actively working towards improving the diversity of our staff. All applications will be considered only on merit and the applicant's suitability to meet the requirements of the role.

Due to the volume of applications, only those candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted.

HFW operates a Preferred Supplier List (PSL). Recruitment agencies should not submit CVs unless they are part of the PSL and have been engaged regarding this specific vacancy.

HFW collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants to manage its recruitment process. The firm is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses that data and to meeting its data protection obligations. For information on how the firm will process your data, please see our Privacy Notice on our website, in the section "What we collect and how we use it".