Principal Lawyer - Litigation

Your new company

This is an excellent opportunity with one of the largest legal services teams within local government, committed to delivering high-quality, impactful legal advice to support vital council services. Their teams work collaboratively across departments to achieve the best outcomes for residents, helping to shape and protect essential public services.

Your new role

As a Principal Lawyer within the Litigation Team, you will manage a varied and complex caseload covering a broad range of contentious and some non contentious matters. The team undertakes diverse litigation work, including housing, employment, education and general civil litigation.

This hybrid role includes a mix of office attendance, court attendance, and remote work.

Key responsibilities

• Lead on complex cases from start to finish
• Provide expert legal advice to officers and stakeholders
• Conduct advocacy where appropriate and instruct counsel when required
• Support and supervise junior lawyers and contribute to the development of the wider team
• Play a key role in shaping legal strategy and service delivery

Key requirements

• Qualified solicitor, barrister or Fellow of CILEX with a current practising certificate
• Significant experience handling a broad range of litigation matters
• Strong expertise in housing law, particularly housing disrepair
• Confident managing a complex caseload independently
• Experience of advocacy or supervising external counsel
• Ability to build strong working relationships with internal clients and stakeholders
• Excellent drafting, communication and organisational skills
• Previous experience in a local authority or public sector setting desirable but not essential

Benefits

• Generous annual leave entitlement, increasing with service (plus bank holidays)
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Access to a wide range of health and wellbeing services, including counselling and occupational health support
• Cycle to work scheme and travel benefits
• Ongoing training and development opportunities to support your career progression