Contentious Trusts Senior Associate

The Role

Our Private Wealth Litigation team is seeking a Senior Associate with specialist experience in top tier international contentious trust matters to join their growing team within our wider Dispute Resolution practice, which currently comprises 13 Partners, 3 Counsels, 1 Consultant, 3 Knowledge Lawyers and 40 Associates and Trainees. Duties include:

• Advising ultra HNW clients, trustees, protectors and financial institutions on a range of matters, with a particular focus on contentious offshore trusts and succession and corporate governance disputes. Associates work in a collegiate environment, for a range of partners, and can expect a good variety of work
• Associates are given regular and direct contact with clients, with a culture based on associates being given the level of responsibility they are ready for, rather than a PQE based method of work allocation
• Developing relationships with clients including gaining a good knowledge of the client’s businesses, economic drivers, market and sector requirements in order to ensure advice is relevant and commercial
• There are regular opportunities for secondments with clients. Posting to other offices under the Firm's associate transfer programme is also a possibility
• Engaging in business development activities and being active in the promotion of the firm and seeking opportunities for new work is encouraged
• Working as part of a team and taking an active part in sharing knowledge and experience with the team

The Team

Our Private Wealth Disputes group in London sits within our wider Dispute Resolutions team, which is a full service dispute resolution practice able to advise our clients on a wide variety of domestic and international disputes and conflict avoidance matters for some of the world’s wealthiest people, major companies, banks, insurers and public bodies. We are experienced in strategic dispute analysis, litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution. We are the only law firm in the world with trusts and tax expertise practicing local law in all key wealth markets, including the US, UK, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and the UAE. We frequently advise on complex cross-border disputes often working closely with our other offices to provide a seamless multi-jurisdictional service.

We represent the widest possible range of clients: from states and sovereign funds, through multinational corporations to professional practices such as law and accountancy firms and private individuals. This varied client base means that we fully understand that different disputes and clients require different approaches, strategies and solutions. We advise on high-value and complex conventional litigation (whether High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, Privy Council or Court of Justice of the European Union), arbitration or alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation. We also understand that many cases have to be handled with great sensitivity and our experience with the media enables us to offer unrivalled advice where a dispute is likely to reach the public eye.

Key Skills and Experience Required

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate all or the majority of the following:

• A qualified lawyer with excellent academic credentials
• Strong contentious trusts experience attained from a leading City, offshore or US firm with a main focus on international off-shore matters
• First rate technical skills needed to support the client work of the department
• Commerciality and demonstrable business development experience
• Excellent written communication and drafting skills
• Maturity and gravitas
• Strong service orientation - a "client first" culture
• Ability to develop strong relationships with clients and to take responsibility for this relationship
• Outstanding communication skills and the ability to adapt style as required
• Ability to work well in both a team and individually
• Respects and enjoys the diversity of cultural, social and academic backgrounds found in the Firm

Why join us?

We are one of the very few global law firms to act regularly in the highest value cross-border and multi-party trust litigation, and our cases are amongst the highest value disputes to be litigated in their respective jurisdictions. The strength of the firm and our culture is evidenced by a number of recent awards, including:

• Winner: International Legal Team of the Year (Large Firm) – STEP Awards 2024
• Band 1, Private Wealth Disputes, Chambers Global Guide and Chambers HNW Guide
• Band 1, Contentious Trusts and Probate, Legal 500 UK Guide
• Ranked in Law.com’s 2024 UK A-List of best firms to work at
• Included in The Times 2024 list of Best Law Firms
• Ranked in the Financial Times Most Innovative Law Firms in Europe 2024 list
• Listed in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2024-2025
• Winner: Pro Bono Initiative of the Year – The Lawyer Awards 2024.
• Winner: Finance Team of the Year – Legal Business Awards 2024

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To Apply

At Baker McKenzie we welcome direct applications.

Please click on the Apply icon to start the online application process for this role. We will then be in touch with you once we have reviewed your application.  If you are unable to apply online, please contact the Recruitment Team on either 020 7919 1000 or Recruitment.London@bakermckenzie.com 

For more information about this position or to discuss any adjustments you may require during the process please contact in confidence, Vanessa Renforth, Recruitment Manager, on 020 7072 5731 or Vanessa.Renforth@bakermckenzie.com 

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Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

As the first truly global law firm, diversity and inclusion are foundational to our culture and strategic vision. We are a Firm of individuals from across the globe with different backgrounds, ideas, and points of view who collegially work together to solve complex problems and design practical solutions for our clients. Our multiple perspectives come from many sources, including the diverse ethnicity, culture, gender, nationality, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, parental status, education, social background and life experience of our people.

Our global strategy is focused on our people, our culture, our clients and the communities where we operate. In 2019 we enacted ambitious new targets related to gender, racial and ethnic diversity at the Firm. These targets are viewed as a floor, not a ceiling, to advancing underrepresented groups, and they are backed by a variety of strategic initiatives aimed at achieving our goals. Our strategic vision is supported in London by six active employee led networks which champion diversity, lead on a number of internal campaigns and deliver a range of activity to celebrate differences in identity, inclusion, and key dates throughout the year including: LGBT+ History Month, International Women’s Day, International Trans Day of Visibility, Mental Health Awareness Week, Pride, Black History Month, Social Mobility Week, International Day of Disabled Persons and many more!