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The Firm
Farrer & Co is synonymous with the highest quality legal advice and service.
We advise individuals, families, businesses, financial services, educational and not-for-profit organisations on every aspect of the law, wherever the need arises. From our offices in London we work with trusted professionals around the world to deliver a seamless international service.
Our clients present us with complex and varied challenges. Whether that's a complicated family trust issue, a multinational corporate transaction, or an emerging threat to their reputation, they need clear thinkers who can advise on the best solutions, fast thinkers when speed is of the essence and agile thinkers who can produce a fresh approach to get the job done. That's why they choose us.
Our clients value our in-depth knowledge, technical excellence and diversity of disciplines. But what really binds our long-standing relationships with them is our approach: pragmatic, plain speaking and always steadfast in our values, which we hold dear. Values which mean we gain our clients' trust, always strive to do the right thing, and aim for the best results for them.
Superb client service sits at the heart of everything we do. We are modern lawyers with timeless values.
The Department
The firm acts for private capital, private wealth, and institutions. The work of the dispute resolution department spreads across all of those but fundamentally it is a commercial litigation team. Our clients include several sovereign states and major state-owned entities, as well as businesses (private companies, private equity, venture capital, family businesses and partnerships), financial institutions (banks, asset managers and wealth managers), individuals (founders, UHNW individuals, family offices, established entrepreneurs and senior executives) and institutions (cultural institutions, universities and schools).
The Team
This role seeks an arbitration specialist. It sits within our growing arbitration and sovereign disputes practice, which is part of the wider dispute resolution team. We act on complex, high-value and usually multi-jurisdictional matters, with a particular focus on international commercial arbitration and public international law. The successful candidate is also expected to assist the wider civil litigation team with commercial matters in the domestic courts as may be needed by client demand.
The practice's work includes:
- acting for clients across a range of disputes in commercial arbitration, principally but by no means exclusively in the energy sector. Clients may need us to handle disputes related to shipping and ship charters, aviation, asset recovery, and finance;
- acting for major sovereign states and state-owned entities, advising on issues such as state immunity and public international law; and
- acting in the English courts, either on behalf of sovereigns, or in matters in support of domestic or foreign arbitration proceedings, or in commercial litigation matters as the team may require from time to time.
Members of our team have acted in significant commercial and investment treaty arbitrations including proceedings before ICSID. We regularly handle high-stakes disputes under the ICC, LCIA, DIAC, and LMAA rules, as well as ad hoc arbitrations, and continue to develop our practice at the intersection of commercial arbitration, investor–State disputes and public international law.
Associates are given significant responsibility and are expected, at mid-level, to be able to run smaller matters with limited partner input. Associates will have ownership of key workstreams, direct involvement in submissions and hearings, and regular client exposure.
Scope
The successful candidate will work on complex and significant disputes, with a strong emphasis on arbitration and public international law. Matters are typically multi-jurisdictional and involve major companies, sovereign states and state-owned entities, often adverse to major international law firms.
Responsibilities
- Managing discrete matters and key workstreams on large, complex and cross-border disputes, including public international law matters.
- Draft key correspondence, submissions and witness statements, support disclosure, attend meetings and hearings, and assist in settlement negotiations.
- Manage and oversee large-scale disclosure and document production exercises.
- Liaising with counsel, expert witnesses and investigators as required.
- Contribute to and originate business development, including preparing thought leadership, supporting pitches, attending events and developing client and intermediary relationships.
Skills and Experience
Essential:
- Strong experience in arbitration, with exposure to public international law or sovereign-related matters.
- Excellent drafting skills, with the ability to produce clear, structured and persuasive written work; as well as a very strong understanding of the disclosure process and a familiarity with the major e-disclosure platforms.
- Ability to work with a degree of autonomy and take ownership of work.
- Highly organised, with the ability to manage competing deadlines and complex matters.
- Demonstrated engagement in business development activities, including attendance at client events and preparation of articles.
Desirable:
- Experience of construction and aviation disputes.
- Experience with investment treaty arbitration (e.g. ICSID or UNCITRAL).
- Experience acting for or against states or state-owned entities in disputes.
Education and Qualifications
Special aspects
The hours of work for this opportunity are 09:30am-5:30pm but it is essential to be committed, flexible and prepared to work beyond the normal office hours when necessary and in response to client demand. Farrer & Co operates an agile working framework under which members of the firm are expected to spend at least 40% of their working hours in the office. This is a minimum expectation: individuals may elect or be asked or expected to work more frequently in the office, depending on circumstance.
Farrer & Co is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We look to employ the best candidates regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, social or economic background, religion, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, or any other protected characteristic.
We are keen to ensure candidates have the best interview experience possible; if you require any adjustments during the interview or application process please let the recruitment team know.
Comments
Farrer & Co conducts a pre-employment screening which includes a Criminal History Background and Credit Check for successful candidates.
