Careers

Litigation and dispute management

In today's fast moving, highly regulated business environment disputes are inevitable. We help clients resolve them without damaging valuable relationships. The work we do covers business disputes, commercial litigation, construction, regulatory issues, real estate litigation, IT, shipping, IP, and enquiries and investigations. More leading lawyers work in our team of 400 specialist advisers than at any other firm.

The Eversheds litigation and dispute management team was the first in the UK to offer dispute management as a way forward from traditional aggressive litigation. We have now taken the concept one stage forward with RAPID Resolution; a project management approach to the lifetime of a dispute. This innovative attitude has led to strong growth year on year for our collection of over 400 advisers.

You'll be able to exercise your strategic and creative talents in coming up with the right plan for our clients. You'll find yourself not just litigating but building relationships, developing sector based expertise, focusing on providing a great service and getting genuine satisfaction out of reducing the time and costs needed for a successful conclusion.

We cover everything related to disputes: both dealing with them and avoiding them. Our international client base includes global household names, national giants, financial specialists, property developers, and even a pop star or two (we've acted for the Beatles in their dispute with Apple Inc). That means you'll get the best cases to work on - the ones that will stretch your abilities and challenge you every step of the way.
The support you receive will be what you would expect from one of the world's largest law firms. The opportunity to develop new skills and move your career into the areas that interest you are unparalleled. You'll feel like a real part of a team wherever you are located and be able to take on as much responsibility as you think you can handle.

Personal perspective

Richard New, Solicitor

"As a solicitor in the real estate litigation department I deal with a lot of landlord and tenant issues, boundary disputes, restrictive covenants and the like.

"I joined around two years ago from a smaller firm as I was looking for better quality work and had the desire to progress as a lawyer. I've definitely found that. We've got good supervisory protocols in place which really help you and you always feel that there's someone there you can bounce ideas off and get guidance from.

"Many of my clients are big companies. For example, I'm currently working on 25 files from HSBC, all of which have come in during the last 6 months. But there are also smaller private clients so it's quite a mixture. You always get a constant flow of work and there's never been a point where I thought I had time on my hands. But whilst I've had to put in long days, my hours are generally pretty good.

"We've recently started using RAPID Resolution, the firm's project management system which makes things an awful lot easier, particularly when you're taking initial instructions where the scoping questionnaire is very helpful. Using the case outline, analysis and strategy we can give clients quick, easy to understand summaries of the cases so they always have a good picture of where we're up to with the litigation.

"At the moment I've just finished my diploma in advanced litigation to improve my basic skills such as advocacy, negotiation and mediation. The courses are very good, with real structure to them. You are free to choose from a variety of training courses but you're also guided by your supervisor who can help identify where you need to develop.

"The career structure is open. I'm currently aiming for associateship and the application form on our intranet shows you where you fit in and what you have to do to impress upon the partners that you're capable of advancing.

"The culture at Eversheds is great. For example, I spent last weekend in Amsterdam with my team. You don't often see that at many firms. I think we've got a very sociable, very friendly culture within our team and the firm as a whole. In fact I can put my hand on my heart and say that there is no-one at the firm I couldn't approach if I needed assistance.

"You'll be very hard pushed to find another firm where you act for such big clients on high profile, high value work and where you actually get great responsibility. Eversheds is a very enjoyable place to arrive at in the morning."

Owain Morgan, Solicitor

"I moved to Eversheds from acting as a legal adviser to central government because I wanted to work in a dynamic commercial environment where I could build on my existing experience and gain further experience of a wide range of fields within my practice area.

"I work on a diverse range of matters, some of which involve public law issues. I am also working on a number of high-value contractual disputes in relation to the provision of major IT systems, as well as acting on a number of professional negligence claims.

"Eversheds has an open and friendly culture. The work is demanding and very varied and Eversheds sets high standards for its lawyers. It makes sure that the resources needed to meet those standards are available and takes a very ‘can do' approach to everything it does.

"There is a strong and effective network between the offices and one is able to draw on the experience of colleagues not only within one's office or jurisdiction but also across jurisdictions to deliver the very high level of service clients expect of the firm.

"I can fully recommend Eversheds for the quality of work, the diversity of the areas in which the firm operates, and the innovative and creative approach taken to delivering the results clients want."

Helen Newham, Solicitor

"I deal with a wide variety of clients in the public and private sector, including financial services, retail and leisure, travel, professional services and manufacturing.

"The hours are generally fine. There will be times when it's necessary to work evenings and or weekends but that's certainly not the norm. There is no culture of staying late for the sake of it.

"In addition to supervision and assistance on chargeable matters, each member of the team is assigned a coach to discuss business development to ensure that everyone has the right opportunities to assist in growing the business. Each member of the team also has a mentor to chat to about any issues you have generally - whether it's that you would like to do work in a particular area or that you have too much work!

"The people are friendly, down to earth and always willing to help. There are opportunities for everyone to progress and senior members of the team are on hand to guide and advise in this process."