The role As an Associate, you will play a pivotal role in supporting the strategic initiatives of our Construction & Surety Unit. You will work closely with the National Head to ensure efficient operations, compliance, and successful project execution. Your responsibilities will span various aspects of construction, risk management and surety services. Here are the key aspects of your role: Construction Litigation: Prosecuting litigation, arbitration and adjudication proceedings. Strategic use of alternate dispute resolution (mediation, conciliation and expert determination. You’ll also work on all the major standard forms construction and engineering contracts as well as professional negligence claims. Sureties: Dealing with a range of complex surety work including bond transactions, bond disputes and security & recovery claims. The team Our nationally recognised construction & engineering team advises on all types of construction & engineering projects for contractors, developers and housebuilders and are involved with international construction projects. Our clients include many of the major developers, national housebuilders, contractors, subcontractors, professional consultants as well as employers not directly involved in construction. We also act for a wide range of other clients including, local authorities, universities, football clubs and automotive clients to deliver on a wide range of construction projects. We are proud that our partners are noted in the Legal 500 UK for their broad expertise within construction. The person Qualifications: We are looking for a candidate with 3 to 6 years’ PQE. You will have a solid grounding with contentious construction work and a passion for litigation. Analytical Skills: You should demonstrate strong analytical capabilities, enabling you to dissect complex legal issues, review documentation, and formulate effective strategies. Attention to detail and precision are critical. Team Player: Our collaborative environment thrives on teamwork. You’ll work closely with colleagues including Emlyn Hudson, National Head of Construction and Surety and Holly Howarth, Partner. Effective communication and a willingness to contribute to team success are vital. Commercial Acumen: A pragmatic approach to legal problem-solving is essential. Understanding the commercial implications of legal decisions and balancing legal risks with business objectives will set you apart. Passion for Contentious Construction Law: If you’re passionate about contentious construction law, eager to learn and excited about contributing to high-profile projects, we encourage you to apply. Your enthusiasm and commitment will drive your success in this role. We have a track record of fast-tracking promotion within our Construction work due to the expertise within the team, commercial opportunities available within this legal specialism and the commitment and passion of our colleagues. Recent examples include Holly Howarth last year became a Partner at 8 years’ PQE. If you’re looking for an opportunity to drive your career forward, then we’d love to hear from you. About You About Us The benefits With support, coaching and feedback from some of the most engaging colleagues around our great development and progression opportunities will reward your commitment and loyalty. We offer a competitive remuneration package where you'll be rewarded for your individual performance with an opportunity to receive an annual bonus. In addition, we have a wide range of learning and development opportunities via our Learn platform to develop new skills and progress your career. Our My Flex comprehensive rewards package includes options covering annual leave (and the benefit of purchasing extra days), cycle to work, critical illness benefit, employee assistance programme, group personal pension, health care, season ticket loan and many more benefits (grade dependent). Finally, with Perks At Work/Home you can select a host of retail benefits that suit your needs alongside a Community Online Academy, free courses for all from fitness to coding to languages to hip hop dance. We are Gateley We are forward thinking and straight talking, our approach is to find solutions to the problems that our clients face. Gateley is a legal and professional services group, we are a group of formidable experts in all areas of law and business. Passionate problem solvers, we get our kicks from finding the right answers and getting our legal and business clients where they need to be. We support more than 5,700 active clients, ranging from FTSE 100 companies to private individuals, in the UK and beyond. Being part of Gateley is not just about the expertise that you bring; it's about attitude too. The 'Gateley Story' is the story of our people and our culture. It is what has got us to where we are today as a successful business and it's the driving force behind the Gateley Team Spirit and the values that have shaped it. We have a set of shared internal values that capture what the Gateley Team Spirit is and this includes five elements that bind us all together as one Gateley: Ambitious for Success, Forward Thinking, Room to Breathe, Trusted to Do and Working Together. Every year across the group, we recognise members of our team that have gone and above and beyond and have lived these shared values. They are recognised at our annual Gateley Team Spirit awards. Diversity, inclusion and well being Diversity, inclusion and well being is an important part of Gateley's culture and values. We recruit talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, providing equal opportunities for all to join our team regardless of age, sex, race, sexual orientation, disability, or culture. We create an exciting and rewarding place to work that aims to fulfil everyone's potential and together to achieve personal and business goals. We offer flexible working patterns to help our staff achieve a good work/ life balance and we encourage candidates seeking flexibility in their next role to apply for any of our vacancies. We are proud to have been recognised by The Law Society as gold standard for our Diversity and Inclusion Charter and to be Stonewall Diversity Champions. Additional Information If you are successful in receiving an offer of a role with our company a variety of pre-employment screening checks will be completed. Our screening checks can include but are not limited to your eligibility to work, professional and academic qualifications, any criminal records, your financial stability and references from previous employers. The screening that takes place will be relevant to your role and will vary from role to role. LI-DH1