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Are you an experienced Paralegal, seeking the next step in your legal career? Do you have a passion for competition, consumer, and public law litigation? The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is looking for a skilled Senior Paralegal to play a key role within our Litigation Unit (LU).

We help people, businesses, and the UK economy by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour. Our work is wide ranging, ambitious and often new and challenging.

Our Litigation Unit (LU) acts for the CMA in all its civil litigation (in the Competition Appeal Tribunal, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court), with work focused on the areas of competition, consumer and public law.

As a Senior Paralegal, you will be at the heart of our LU, leading a team of dedicated Paralegals to ensure the seamless delivery of the CMA's litigation function. You will work with the Litigation Directors to manage the allocation of work to the team, ensuring our lawyers have the requisite paralegal assistance on cases at all times, whilst assessing the availability of resources on both current and anticipated needs.

You will also play an important legal role, delivering proactive paralegal support to the LU and Office of the General Counsel (OGC). This will include managing documentation, preparing bundles/documents and correspondence, and liaising with Counsel, Court/Tribunal staff, witnesses, external service providers and lawyers, as well as attending case conferences and hearings.

We are looking for someone who is already a Head Paralegal or has extensive experience as a Paralegal within a litigation environment. A strong grasp of litigation is essential, along with specific experience in competition, consumer, and public law litigation. You should be well-versed in the workings/procedures of the Competition Appeal Tribunal and High Court, with an understanding of other courts and tribunals of England and Wales. A Law Degree (LLB) or Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Law, a BVC or LPC, is required for this role.

We recognise the value of work-life balance, offering hybrid working arrangements and flexible working options. You will be equipped with excellent technology tools and services that facilitate collaboration regardless of your location. Our modern, professional workplaces across the UK provide an exceptional working environment. Furthermore, we proactively promote mental and physical well-being through a diverse range of well-being initiatives, including an employee assistance programme and a supportive network of mental health first aiders.

The CMA is a hugely rewarding, diverse and stimulating place to work – an opportunity to work for the public good and to stretch and develop yourself in doing so. All CMA staff enjoy generous benefits, including an excellent pension scheme, at least 25 days leave (increasing to 30 over five years), and generous maternity/paternity leave provision. You can also take advantage of interest-free season ticket loans and a cycle to work scheme.

To find out more about this opportunity and about working for the CMA, please click on the APPLY button.

CMA – Working for the CMA , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

Or our LinkedIn page:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/competition-and-markets-authority/

Closing date: 11:55pm on Monday 14 August 2023.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading a team of paralegals who support the delivery of CMA litigation and other OGC work with the responsibility for overseeing their work in this regard.
• Working with the Litigation Directors in managing the allocation of work to the paralegal team, ensuring lawyers have the requisite paralegal assistance on cases at all times, as well as factoring in the availability of resource on both current and anticipated need.
• Providing effective and proactive paralegal support to CMA lawyers, in order to assist them in providing high quality litigation services to the CMA, including (but not limited to):
  • Maintaining all aspects of document management, including devising file organisation schemes in both electronic and hard copy formats;
  • Preparation of bundles/documents as required, including electronic hearing bundles;
  • Electronic filing of court documents
  • Dealing with and responding to correspondence and disclosure requests;
  • Liaising with Counsel, Court/Tribunal staff, witnesses, external service providers and lawyers acting for parties;
  • Arranging and attending case conferences and taking detailed notes of the same;
  • Attending hearings and proactively responding to matters that arise at court;
  • Assisting with costs assessments as may be required in a particular case;
  • Conducting high-quality legal research and preparing accurate and thorough background summaries to assist colleagues in LU;
• Sharing and maintaining know-how among the paralegals and lawyers within LU to ensure knowledge is retained within the LU and OGC.
• Providing paralegal assistance to other teams within OGC when necessary.
• Any other reasonable duties

It is essential that you can provide evidence and examples for each of the following selection criteria in your application:

• Experience in a Head paralegal/paralegal role in a litigation environment. (Lead Criteria)
• A good understanding of litigation, and of the workings/procedures of the Competition Appeal Tribunal and High Court. (Lead Criteria)
• Law Degree (LLB) or Post Graduate Diploma (PGDip) in Law (essential); BVC or LPC.
• An understanding of the workings/procedures of other courts and tribunals of England and Wales.
• Experience of competition, consumer and public law litigation.
• Excellent communication skills and experience of developing relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team as well as independently, being responsible for own workload and supporting others in the delivery of work.
• Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Word, ability to construct complex tables in Excel and some knowledge of Microsoft PowerPoint.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Microsoft Office

As well as the interesting and varied work you’ll do to contribute to effective competition in the UK, and to ensure consumers get a good deal when buying goods and services, you’ll also benefit from:

• An exceptionally generous pension scheme with a significant employer contribution and range of options, including a tax-free lump sum at the point of retirement and injury, ill-health and life assurance benefits
• 25 days leave (increasing to 30 days over five years), plus 8 public holidays and an additional day off for the King’s birthday. In addition, you’ll be able to access a wide range of other types of leave as and when you need it, including generous maternity, paternity, shared parental leave and adoption options, as well as paid special leave for volunteering
• Season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme, flu vaccinations and eye tests
• Access to the Civil Service Sports & Leisure, giving discounted gym membership, high street discounts, free access to UK wide attractions and a free Tastecard
• A range of wellbeing benefits, including an employee assistance programme, flexible working options and family friendly policies, regular networking events and professional learning opportunities at work

Any move to the CMA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.”

If you’re already a civil servant being appointed on level transfer, you’ll retain your existing terms, including annual leave. Where you are being promoted, however, you’ll receive the greater of a 10% pay increase or the new grade minimum. Applicants new to the civil service may be considered for appointment at a salary higher than the starting point indicated above, but not more than the advertised mid-point, depending on skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications.

The CMA, like many other organisations, have moved to a hybrid working model with a mix of office and home working. We believe this supports us to deliver our best work while allowing the flexibility to maintain balanced and healthy lives. Our staff work at least 40% of their time from their office location.

The CMA are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. It is a priority to make our workforce as diverse as possible and we welcome applications from under-represented groups, including ethnically diverse people, people with a disability, people with diverse gender identities and from people of different ages.

The CMA is an accredited Disability Confident Employer. Disabled applicants meeting the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.

Our Values

The CMA delivers impactful outcomes for people, business and the UK economy. We are Ambitious and Evidence-based, and always strive for Excellence. We treat everyone with Respect, and are Collaborative and Inclusive.

Everything we do is underpinned by the Civil Service values: Honesty, Integrity, Impartiality and Objectivity.

Job contact :

Name :
Sarah Pina
Email :
recruitment@cma.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email :
recruitment@cma.gov.uk