Litigation Senior Manager

Job content

Job Title: Senior Counsel (Senior Manager)
Grade: B
Function: KBS
Location: London or anywhere in the UK

Department Information

The Practice Protection team (“PP”) comprises a team of experienced partners and lawyers based in Canary Wharf who specialise in advising on and managing the handling of practice protection issues.

Practice Protection is the process by which the firm takes effective action in the event of claims, or circumstances relating to its professional work, regulatory or law enforcement interest, and professional conduct matters. In addition, PP advises partners and staff of the UK firm on a wide range of other professional or client matters where there may be cause for concern, or where a legal consideration or process is involved.

PP also provides advise and assistance in relation to claims and circumstances affecting other KPMG network member firms and liaises with professional indemnity insurers and other interested stakeholders for this purpose.

Role and Responsibilities

This is an attractive opportunity for an experienced litigator to join PP. The lawyer will be within a team advising PP partners, other partners and staff of the UK firm and KPMG member firms overseas on a wide range of contentious matters relating to professional services and conduct. The role will involve assisting and advising on the management of litigation and threats of litigation against the UK firm and other member firms in the KPMG network.

The candidate will need to be able to work flexibly within a small team handling a large and varied work load, taking a significant degree of responsibility, and being able to understand the business drivers affecting the firm.

Specific responsibilities include the following:
UK role

Advising on and managing potential and actual claims against the UK firm, domestic and international regulatory and law enforcement interest and professional conduct matters.

Advising on a broad range of associated, general legal issues and risk management matters.

Providing legal and other support to more senior members of PP and to General Counsel.

Providing clear and succinct advice to leadership and senior management within the firm on matters of particular significance.

Liaising with and managing relations with external legal advisers and counsel.

Liaising with the firm’s professional indemnity insurers.

Overseas Role

Providing assistance and guidance to KPMG member firms in Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas on the handling and defence of claims and regulatory enquiries.

Assisting KPMG member firms in disposing of pre-claim problem situations.

Ensuring insurance reporting obligations are complied with by KPMG member firms.

Providing update reports to insurers (global and infill) and re-insurers on all open matters on a regular and ad hoc basis, as required.

Providing KPMG International with assistance in overseeing and dealing with issues of brand and reputational risk.

Assisting the media and communications teams in determining responses to press enquiries and reviewing press-releases.

Qualifications and Skills

Qualified solicitor or barrister with a minimum of 7 years post-qualification experience from either an existing in-house position or from private practice.

A background in regulatory investigations, professional negligence and IT litigation.

Fluency in European, Asian or other languages would be beneficial but is not essential.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate and influence with confidence and clarity at all levels.

Strong organisational skills with an ability to produce work to tight deadlines with attention to detail.

Mature, self-sufficient and proactive, with the ability to work independently as well as being a team player.

Commercially and risk aware.