Costs Draftsman

Role profile

The Costs Draftsman will work within Hamlins’ Media Disputes department, one of the largest and most successful media disputes teams in the UK. The team handles cases involving print and digital media, with an increasingly high-profile client list.

The individual will be accountable for drafting Statements and Bills of Costs and will support the Media Disputes team in this key area. The role requires a hardworking individual with strong technical knowledge who is able to manage challenging priorities and to give guidance and support and build relationships at all levels across the firm.

Key responsibilities

• Drafting Statements of Costs and Bills of Costs and/or reviewing and amending drafts of the same.
• Drafting and preparing Precedent H Costs Budgets and Budget discussion reports.
• Liaising with external costs lawyers as to all Bills and/or Statements of Costs, matters related to numerous assessment matters and ensuring all such matters are diarised and driven forward as swiftly as possible.
• Drafting Part 8 Claim proceedings for costs only together with draft Order; issuing and serving Part 8 proceedings. Serving sealed Order once received from the Court and proceeding to draft N252 and formal Bill of Costs. Arranging for service of Bills.
• Drafting and preparing N258, Request for Detailed Assessment.
• Seeing litigation of Bills through the court process and liaising with Partners on progress.
• Attending CCMCs, Detailed Assessments and all costs related hearings.
• Considering Points of Dispute and drafting and/or considering Points of Reply.
• Advocacy duties at court, as and when necessary.
• Providing training, guidance and supervision to other members of staff as to costs recovery best practice.
• Post-assessment work including the calculation of costs of assessment figures.
• Liaising with and reporting to Partners overseeing claims as to the negotiation of costs in those claims.
• Preparing breakdowns of all costs offers received and advising Department Heads and Partners as to suitability of accepting/declining the same together with advice as to any counteroffers that should be made.
• Liaising with external stakeholders regarding costs-related issues.
• Liaising with internal stakeholders including Accounts Department as to internal costs-related actions, including invoicing and distribution of funds received.
• Weekly updating of CFA costs schedule.
• Any other duties related to the costs recovery process.

Skills

• Ambitious, proactive and self-starting individual with the ability to work independently
• Team player
• Strong commercial awareness
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Strong time management skills
• Excellent academic record.

Our way of working

• Hamlins offers a unique culture for its staff and clients. It is vital to us that we create an environment in which our people feel they belong and we strive to ensure our team members are treated respectfully and fairly, are valued and encouraged to fulfil their potential, and can bring their true selves to work.
• We support the wellbeing of our people through employer-funded health and wellness programmes and access to mental health support for everyone.
• We adopt an agile working pattern for all staff and offer flexible working.
• Our Social Committee manages a programme of internal events including games, quiz and bingo nights, Hamlins Football Club fixtures, rounders, the Hamlins Book Club and fundraising activities.
• We are committed to supporting charitable and fundraising efforts and encourage our staff to give their time through volunteering. In 2022 we announced our partnership with the Ruth Strauss Foundation (RSF) as our official charity partner. The Foundation, set up by former England cricket captain Sir Andrew Strauss, provides support to families facing the death of a parent and drives the need for more research into non-smoking lung cancers. By partnering with the RSF, Hamlins commits to undertaking fundraising activities and initiatives throughout the year.

What we offer

• Private medical insurance
• Stakeholder pension scheme
• Life assurance policy
• 25 days holiday
• Employee assistance programme and free access to the Smart Health GP service
• Annual bonus package including firm-wide profit share bonus and an annual individual discretionary performance bonus
• Hamlins Rewards employee discounts and benefits platform via Sodexo
• Continued Professional Development and Essential Skills Training
• Regular staff events and social activities.

Download the job description for this role here.

If you would like to have a conversation about this role, or about a future opportunity at Hamlins, please contact our Head of HR, Lesley Hunter, lesley.hunter@hamlins.com, +44 (0)20 7355 6118.

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