Title: Property Litigation Solicitor - Nationwide opportunities

Duncan Lewis Solicitors is seeking a talented and driven Property Litigation Solicitor to join our highly regarded Litigation Department. This is an excellent opportunity to develop your career with one of the UK's leading law firms, recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners as a top-tier practice and awarded Law Firm of the Year at both the 2024 LexisNexis Awards and the 2023 Modern Law Awards.

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in the City of London, Duncan Lewis Solicitors is a national, award-winning, paperless law firm with over 500 professionals nationwide. Our ethos is simple: "We give people a voice."

Our Litigation Department is recommended by The Legal 500 UK for its expertise in Commercial Litigation, Professional Negligence, Contentious Probate, and General Litigation. Acting for individuals, businesses, charities, and organisations, the team handles a wide range of complex disputes, including contract claims, civil fraud, insolvency, contentious probate, property disputes, and cross-border litigation.

The department regularly represents clients in the High Court and Court of Appeal, providing strategic advice, effective dispute resolution, and robust representation. This is an excellent opportunity to work on high-quality and complex litigation matters alongside highly experienced practitioners.

Joining Duncan Lewis means becoming part of a diverse, supportive and forward-thinking organisation committed to professional development, innovation and delivering exceptional client service.

Duties and responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

• Report directly to the Department Director.
• Manage a varied litigation caseload, providing technical expertise and guidance where appropriate.
• Maintain a professional and proactive approach, delivering excellent client care and understanding clients' needs.
• Take client instructions, prepare cases, and manage correspondence.
• Maintain accurate time recording and file management procedures.
• Implement recommendations arising from file reviews promptly and effectively.
• Ensure compliance with departmental and regulatory requirements.

Key tasks include:

• Boundary disputes– resolving disagreements between neighbours about property lines.
• Landlord and tenant issues– dealing with rent arrears, lease breaches, eviction proceedings, and lease renewals.
• Rights of way and easements– advising on access rights and usage of land.
• Nuisance and trespass claims– acting where someone’s use of their property interferes with another’s.
• Disputes over property ownership– handling cases like co-ownership disagreements or claims under trusts.
• Development issues– disputes related to property development, including restrictive covenants and planning.
• Disrepair– acting for landlord and tenant
• Mortgage Repossessions
• Commercial property matters- lease related matters - dilapidations, arrears of rents , lease forfeiture

Experience and qualifications

• Must have a clean, valid Practising Certificate at the time of applying
• Committed team player and adapt well to new challenges
• Professional with a pro-active approach; excellent client care skills and ability to deal with client matters in a sensitive manner and resolve complicated practicalities
• Excellent networking and communication skills with the ability to successfully market the Company and generate new business
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills
• Ability to use own initiative and sound judgment
• Working knowledge of the publicly funded Litigation work and have the ability to service privately funded cases
• Have extensive experience in dealing with Probate Litigation related work
• Experience in own advocacy is an advantage
• Excellent IT Skills -familiar with Microsoft Office applications and document management skills

Benefits

At Duncan Lewis Solicitors, we are committed to supporting our employees through a range of professional, financial, and wellbeing benefits, including:

• Competitive remuneration package.
• Clear salary review and career progression opportunities.
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements.
• 22 days' annual leave, increasing with length of service, plus birthday leave.
• Company pension scheme.
• Ongoing training, professional development, and access to e-learning resources.
• Payment of practising certificate renewal fees and support for relevant professional accreditations (subject to eligibility).
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and wellbeing support, including Mental Health First Aiders.
• Company Medical Cash Plan (subject to eligibility).
• Employee referral scheme and eyesight test vouchers.
• Full payment of employment-related DBS checks.
• A supportive and collaborative working environment with opportunities to help shape and grow our family mediation services.

Some benefits are subject to eligibility criteria and company terms and conditions.

Company culture

At Duncan Lewis Solicitors, we are passionate about creating an environment where talented professionals can thrive. We are proud of our diverse and inclusive workforce and are committed to providing equal opportunities for all employees.

Our long-standing Investors in People Gold Standard accreditation reflects our commitment to employee development, while our Lexcel, Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001 certifications demonstrate our dedication to excellence, innovation and security.

We invest heavily in the growth of our people through ongoing training, mentoring, clear progression pathways and opportunities to gain industry recognition. Whether you are looking to deepen your expertise, develop leadership skills or advance your career within a nationally recognised law firm, Duncan Lewis provides the platform to help you succeed.

Join a firm where your expertise is valued, your development is supported, and your work makes a genuine difference to the lives of clients across the UK.