Senior Solicitor/ Senior Legal Advisor – Dispute Resolution Specialist

Job Purpose

To provide high quality legal advice and support to University staff on a wide range of matters with a particular focus on dispute resolution, complaints handling and resolution, conduct and disciplinary matters.

To support the strategic and operational management of the Legal Team and to provide support, supervision and advice to solicitor and non-solicitor team members (including Trainee Solicitors).

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. To provide specialist legal advice, support, and analysis in relation to litigation and dispute resolution involving the University (including pre-litigation advice and support), judicial review, management of court orders, liaising with and instructing external counsel (as required), liaising with the University’s insurers, brokers and insurer’s solicitors on claims made.

2. To provide specialist legal advice, support, and analysis in relation to the development and application of the University’s complaints handling policy and processes (including where referral has been made to the SPSO), research misconduct, student fitness to practise, student conduct, and other University policies and processes.

3. To provide specialist legal advice, support, and analysis to internal stakeholders across the University on a wide range of other legal matters, which may include IP management and commercialisation, corporate and commercial matters, public and charity law, branding and reputation management, regulatory compliance.

4. To provide specialist and professional advice to University staff in respect of a wide variety of commercial contracts, including (without limitation) research agreements, academic collaborations, services agreements, IP licence agreements, secondment agreements, procurement contracts, agreements relating to the processing of personal data, agreements in support of clinical trials, MTAs, NDAs and other contracts.

5. To use significant expertise and experience to prepare, negotiate  (both terms and conditions and price) and finalise contracts with a range of complexity, ensuring effective due diligence, compliance with all relevant legislation and regulations, and alignment with University policies and strategies.

6. To provide specialist legal input into the preparation and submission of tenders including reviewing and advising on the contractual terms and legal risks associated with a successful award.

7. To advise senior University staff of key contract terms and associated risks prior to approval to ensure informed decision-making.  Applying high level expertise to matters of strategic significance and/or political sensitivity, providing insight and analysis in order to produce effective solutions to complex and/or novel legal problems, to manage risk and to help ensure the University’s strategic outcomes are achieved.

8. To apply significant expertise and experience in respect of the post-award management and enforcement of contracts, to ensure efficient post award management by providing clear instructions and guidance on contract terms and deliverables, including specific invoicing instructions to ensure that maximum funds are recovered from funders, and to advise in respect of the appropriate management and resolution of disputes, should they arise.

9. To proactively identify legal risks to the University and recommend and implement process and system improvements and policy changes.

10. To ensure maintenance of accurate project data in the Research System.

11. To provide support, advice, management and supervision to solicitor and non-solicitor team members (including Trainee Solicitors) and to provide training, briefings and presentations in support of the objectives of the Legal Team.

12. To support the strategic and operational management of the Contracts Team.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential:

A1 LL.B Degree (at Honours level or accelerated LL.B (ordinary)) or successful completion of pre-PEAT traineeship).

A2 Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (DPLP).

A3 In-depth Knowledge of dispute resolution processes in Scotland, including civil litigation and judicial review.

Desirable:

B2 Current or recent (within last 12 months) holder of a full Practising Certificate from the Law Society of Scotland including maintaining professional competence (e.g. through CPD).

B3 Knowledge of professional regulatory processes around fitness to practise.

Skills

Essential:

C1 Excellent workload and time management skills with an ability to prioritise competing demands.

C2 Self-motivated, flexible, and prepared to take on and adapt to new challenges.

C3 Ability to learn new areas of law and regulation and incorporate into practice.

C4 Strong team player with the ability to work independently when required.

C5 Strong customer service skills.

C6 Highly developed communication skills.

C7 Ability to influence senior managers.

C8 Ability to liaise and cooperate with people across organisational boundaries.

C9 Strong understanding of risk management.

C10 Good attention to detail with high standards of accuracy.

C11 Proficient IT skills including MS products and networked systems.

C12 Strong financial awareness.

C13 Excellent training, supervisory and management skills with respect to more junior team members.

Experience

Essential:

E1 Significant experience of advising on civil litigation in Scotland with a broad range of dispute resolution experience.

E2 Experience of drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, providing legal advice, and managing contractual risk.

E3 Significant experience in delivering a high quality customer service.

E4 Significant experience of planning and progressing work activities using initiative and independent judgement.

E5 Experience in supervising/managing the work of others.

Desirable:

F1 Experience of working in or with the HE sector.

F2 Experience of policy-based or regulatory processes (for example conduct hearings, fitness to practise panels).

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 8, £46,047 – £53,353 per annum.

This post is offered on a full time (35 hours) and open-ended basis. Relocation support will be provided where appropriate.

As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension – pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University  https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.