Public Law & Regulation Solicitor

This firm is truly international, and they are looking for an NQ-2PQE to join the Public Law and Regulatory team in the Birmingham office.

About the Team

We are one of a small number of UK law firms with specialist public law and regulation expertise. Our dedicated Public Law & Regulation team is a single centre of excellence in the areas of public administrative and regulatory law, and is well known for its highly specialised and bespoke service.

The team provides public law and regulatory advice across a range of sectors including energy, health, water, education, transport, pharmaceuticals, telecoms, gambling and food and drink.

We act for wide range of clients including multinational companies (e.g. Volkswagen), government departments (e.g. BEIS), sectoral regulators (e.g. Ofqual, Ofwat), other public bodies (e.g. HM Inspectorate of Probation, NHS Trusts) and representative bodies (such as trade associations and consumer councils) - both in the UK and elsewhere.

We work closely with in-house legal, commercial, and policy teams and are regularly instructed directly by policy makers, commercial leads, chief executives and board members. Working collaboratively with each other and with our clients (and their other advisors, such as economists and consultants) is important to us and a key to our success. We are also actively involved in a number of cross-firm teams focusing on particular sectors such as health, food and drink, and emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles.

Our practice comprises both contentious and advisory work and includes judicial review, statutory and regulatory appeal mechanisms, human rights and equalities law, constitutional law and applicable frameworks, statutory vires, statutory interpretation and application, the development and drafting of legislative and subsidiary legal instruments, regulatory compliance and enforcement, due process and consultation duties and principles, and economic and consumer regulation.

The team is central to the firm's Brexit work. Team members have published extensively on Brexit related issues since before the referendum in 2016, and been widely quoted in the media. The team has also been involved in a range of advisory work in relation to Brexit on behalf of public and private sector clients, both in the UK and elsewhere.

Main Purpose of the Job

We are a busy team. Our client base is growing and there is considerable potential for it to grow even further.

We are currently looking for a newly qualified lawyer , up to 2 years PQE, to join the team and help us explore and develop the opportunities that are open to us. The role will involve providing support to the senior lawyers in the team on matters spanning the breadth of work that we undertake, as well as having supervised conduct of your own matters where appropriate.

You will (with appropriate supervision) be involved in:

• Advising on the application of public administrative law, including equalities law and human rights law.
• Representing clients in judicial reviews and other appeals and complaints mechanisms such as regulatory tribunals.
• Drafting legislative and sub-legislative legal instruments, including: licences, statutory instruments, clauses for new Bills before Parliament and new laws for overseas governments.
• Advising on the interpretation of statutory powers and duties applying to regulators and government (under both domestic and EU law).
• Advising on the development of constitutional frameworks, policies and procedures for public bodies.
• Providing sector specific advice in regulated industries such as energy, water, communications, transport, telecoms, gambling, education and health (including advising on economic regulation).
• Advising on compliance and enforcement issues, including civil penalties.
• Representing private sector clients in negotiations with regulators and government on the development of new law and the enforcement of existing legislation.

The appointment is Birmingham based but there is occasional travel to and working out of our London office (in addition to the need to travel to client offices). There may also be the opportunity from time to time to carry out international regulatory development work, in particular in the Middle East and East Africa.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

We are currently looking for a newly qualified lawyer, up to 2 years PQE, to join the team.

Previous experience in this specialism, while it would be a bonus, is not essential. Of greater importance is that you have the requisite skills and aptitude to work in this highly specialised and often complex area of law, and can demonstrate that you have a real interest it.

Strong academics are likely to assist in demonstrating the ability to work to the high standards expected of you.

The appointment is Birmingham based but there is occasional travel to and working out of our London office (in addition to the need to travel to client offices). There may also be the opportunity to carry out significant international regulatory development work, in particular in the Middle East and East Africa.

Lipson Lloyd Jones Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy. Please note our advertisements use PQE levels purely as a guide to the minimum level of experience required. However we are happy to consider applications from all candidates who are able to demonstrate the skills necessary to fulfill this kind of work.