Area Regulatory
Location Birmingham
Description
Associate – Principal Associate

Full-time, Hybrid working

THE FIRM

They are a leading provider of legal services to the health, social care, housing and emergency services sectors, as well as in the field of professional regulation. The firm has a turnover of c£60m and around 600 staff – including 450 fee earners – across five offices nationally. We act for a wide range of long standing clients in both the public and private sector, including all forms of NHS organisations, governmental and regulatory bodies, registered providers, insurers, police, fire and rescue services, independent health and social care providers, charities and GP practices.

In 2022 they achieved a two star accreditation from Best Companies is an “outstanding place to work” – Best Companies to work for 2022, the specialists whose recognition programme is the standard for workplace engagement. The Best Companies accreditation is really important to the firm as it focuses on the trust and value we place in our people, their wellbeing and their careers.the Firm is independently rated as an “outstanding company to work for” .

THE ROLE

Our professional discipline team is ranked in the top-tier by the legal directories and is one of the largest in the country. We act for a significant number of regulatory bodies, primarily in the health sector but, increasingly, more widely across a number of professional disciplines. We are now seeking ambitious individuals to join our Birmingham office to help us build and develop our practice.

The work requires managing an investigatory caseload where it is alleged that the registrant’s fitness to practise is impaired through misconduct, competence or health issues and preparing those cases for hearings before panels and committees of the relevant regulators. The work is varied, challenging and rewarding and the cases cover everything from large-scale fraud or multi-patient clinical failings through to inappropriate sexualised behaviour.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

You will be expected to carry out the day-to-day conduct of the regulator’s cases under the supervision of a partner and with the assistance of a paralegal. In summary:

Prepare the case plan at the outset of the case;
Prepare advice on procedural or evidential issues;
Correspond with the defence;
Ensure that all factual evidence required to prove the allegations is obtained;
Are the key point of contact for all witnesses;
Interview key witnesses in complex cases or if the witness deals with novel or sensitive issues or is a vulnerable witness;
Supervise witness statements taken by paralegals;
Instruct experts and identify if any amendments are necessary to the expert report;
Prepare instructions to counsel (both our internal advocates and the external bar);
Attend conferences with counsel;
Ensure that all action points following the conference are completed;
Either draft the charge or review the draft charge against the evidence if drafted by counsel;
Carry out disclosure of unused material;
Liaise with the defence in the run up to the hearing;
Supervise the preparation of the hearing bundle by the paralegal;
Attend hearing at outset only, unless there are legal issues or problems with the case;
Seek instructions from the client on any issues that arise in the course of the hearing;
Prepare final reports at the conclusion of a case and resent cases to Practice Committees/Interim Orders Committees.

If you feel you have the required experience and skills please submit your CV tyo be considered