NQ Solicitor - Uninsured Loss Recovery - #1734974

At Shakespeare Martineau, we believe your career journey deserves a workplace where you can truly thrive. Whether you’re completing your training contract elsewhere or are newly qualified and ready for the next challenge, we’re here to offer you the support, resources, and opportunities you need to launch a successful legal career.

Here’s why joining SHMA as an NQ solicitor is a brilliant move:

Commitment to Your Development

We’re passionate about helping our people succeed. You’ll benefit from a structured program of training and mentoring designed to help you transition smoothly from trainee to confident, capable solicitor. Our investment in your professional growth is only just beginning - we’re committed to supporting you at every step.

Culture of Trust and Empowerment

We value autonomy and empower our team members to take ownership of their work and manage their time effectively. You’ll enjoy the independence to shape your role and make an impact, all within a collaborative, supportive team environment.

Competitive Remuneration and Benefits

We offer a competitive salary alongside a comprehensive benefits package focused on your wellbeing and work-life balance. You’ll feel supported and appreciated as you advance in your career.

This is an exciting time to join SHMA, and we’re committed to helping you thrive as part of our talented team!

The role will offer exposure to a variety of contentious highways damage work across Fast, Intermediate and Multi Tracks. You’ll be trained up to manage your own caseload and conducting litigation, on behalf of businesses in the recovery of their uninsured losses. Meet Ian who heads up the team - he is looking forward to working with you!

Key Responsibilities

• Managing your own caseload of contentious claims and being responsible for diary management
• Evaluating each claim and pro-actively obtaining quantum documentation
• Investigating liability by gathering/assessing evidence and establishing negligence
• Negotiating liability or quantum with defendant solicitors or insurers
• Instructing and liaising with experts to evidence claims
• Drafting own legal proceedings and dealing with all aspects of litigation / compliance within the civil procedure rules
• Instructing and liaising with counsel and experts
• To attend hearings where necessary
• Drafting your own correspondence and witness statements etc
• Maintaining client relationships e.g. informing them on the progress of a claim, providing advice and participation in claims
• Review meeting where appropriate
• Carrying out general administration to include archiving, billing, case management

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise (ideal but not essential)

• NQ or experience in litigation across Fast/Intermediate/Multi Tracks
• Experience in managing your own caseload
• Previous experience in using a case management system
• Confidence with IT systems to include Microsoft Word and Excel

Key competencies you will need:

• The ability to prioritise well and produce a high standard of work, sometimes under tight time constraints, whilst maintaining accuracy and good attention to detail
• Strong organisational skills whilst maintaining team processes and procedures
• A pro-active approach in documenting and handling tasks / cases
• The ability to cope and respond to sudden client demands
• Good communication skills, a good telephone manner and the ability to discuss and
• Negotiate matters on the telephone
• An analytical, problem solving approach

Benefits, Agile Working and Additional information

We embrace agile working and offer a blended approach to where and how we work.

We appreciate that people have different needs and preferences and we’re keen to be flexible, after all, we value what you do, not where you do it.

We have numerous hubs within the UK, however this role will be based in our Birmingham offices

Do you want to check out our amazing benefits?

Meet the team:

Our niche Uninsured Loss Recovery team, part of the Corclaim super-team, consists of specialists who focus solely on recovering uninsured losses for businesses in the public and private sectors who have sustained loss or damage to property resulting from the actions of others. We recover these costs and losses from the “at fault” party or their insurers. We have particular expertise in the application of the Road Traffic Act, European regulations in relation to vehicle insurance and all matters relating to the Motor Insurers Bureau so far as these matters relate to the recovery of damages.

Our clients include retailers, construction companies, utility providers, hire operators, logistics businesses and any business that operates its own vehicle fleet or has exposure to property risks and can provide repeat / volume instructions. In the last twelve months we have handled almost 7,000 cases, issued 2,700 legal proceedings and recovered £6.9m of client damages.

Additional information:

Please be aware, for some vacancies, where we receive high numbers of applications we may need to bring the close date forward.

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Equal opportunities

Our Debt and Asset Recovery Team, as part of the Ampa Group is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.

As part of Ampa, we are part of a large multi-brand group, all of our brands are linked by a shared purpose and set of values that brings about a positive, inclusive and diverse work culture - helping everyone achieve their ambitions.