Associate: Construction - EMEA

Firm Summary

White & Case is an elite global law firm serving leading companies, financial institutions and governments worldwide. Our long history as an international firm means we are perfectly placed to help our clients resolve their most complex legal challenges wherever they may be.

With lawyers and staff operating from more than 47 locations, working in virtually every country of the world, we have invested heavily in building a high-quality full-service practice competing at the top of the market. We are distinguished by our on-the-ground presence in the world’s key financial markets and our strengths in handling complex cross-border work.

It’s not just about our global network of offices and shared services centers; it’s the global interconnectedness of the Firm that our people, and our clients, value most. We work well together across geographic and practice boundaries. It’s one of the reasons we attract and retain cross-border work. And why we attract a diverse group of people.

Our lawyers are globally minded, enterprising, collaborative and committed to excellence. Diversity is a core value of our Firm and it has been recognized with numerous awards and top rankings around the world. Our people represent 90 nationalities and speak 80 languages.

Position Summary

We are currently looking for associates with an interest in Construction disputes to join our {Free Text} office.

With outstanding academic credentials, you will also possess excellent technical skills, and good basic knowledge -- and preferably some first-hand experience -- of the construction industry. To thrive in this highly-specialized field, you will need to be a quick learner, open to new areas of knowledge and comfortable with one-the-job learning and development.

Combining a keen eye for detail with an ability to see the bigger picture, you should be skilled in both drafting and research. Highly organized and deadline-focused, you should also be comfortable managing multiple workstreams and working to short timeframes. Given our team’s focus on written and oral advocacy, strong communication and interpersonal skills will be significant assets. At ease liaising and interacting with a wide range of professionals, you will be adept at conveying sophisticated legal concepts in clear, precise language that is comprehensible to non-lawyers.

A collaborative practitioner who enjoys working within groups of varying sizes, you should also be self-motivated—eager for the opportunity to take ownership of aspects of a case, and to proactively anticipate the needs of your team. Enthusiastic about the challenges of working on disputes around the world, and ready to travel as required, you can expect to learn from lawyers across the firm’s international network.

Our Practice Area

Global leaders in our field, we advise clients around the world on their construction-related legal needs, from the drafting of tender and project documentation to the resolution of disputes arising out of projects. With a client base that spans governments and states, energy and utility companies, lenders, developers and contractors, we offer clients insight into the shifting commercial and legal landscape across all the major construction sectors.

In dispute resolution, we represent clients in international arbitrations around the globe, as well as in litigation before courts at all levels. We also advise clients on dispute board proceedings and other forms of intermediate and alternative dispute resolution, as well as on contract administration and the management of claims arising during the course of a project.

From the moment you join our specialist team of construction litigators, you will be working directly with partners within our group, developing the foundational tools and experience required to flourish in this field. As a junior associate, you will be assigned a wide range of research, drafting and logistics tasks, as well as liaising with clients and local counsel. You will also support the team’s court preparation activities by taking on such responsibilities as helping to select and interview expert witnesses, and assisting in the preparation of expert reports.

A relatively small, specialized practice with a collegial working culture, we believe in giving everyone a voice, and are keen to give our associates significant responsibility at an early stage of their careers. As well as working alongside lawyers within our team, the cross-border and cross-practice dimension to our work means that you will also have the opportunity of interacting with—and learning from—lawyers from across the firm’s international offices, and from groups such as M&A and Asset Finance.

The work can be demanding, but is also varied and rewarding—both in terms of the constant opportunities to expand your knowledge, and the satisfaction of contributing to major construction projects that have a real and lasting impact on a country or region.

Duties And Accountabilities1

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• Drafting of basic filings addressed to courts and authorities (Commercial Register, Cadastral Register, Trade Licensing Office)
• Conducting brief or somewhat more complex research, or drafting of memoranda (search for judicature, commentaries to specific legal issues)
• Drafting of basic agreements (according to model documents), powers of attorney, draft resolutions of General Meetings, waivers of appeal, various statements
• Involvement in due diligence - analysis of agreements in data room and their subsequent description
• Communication with clients (via telephone, E-mail)
• Assisting clients with corporate establishment, registration, transformation, governance and liquidation
• Conducting research and analysis on impact of {Free Text}
• Drafting legal memoranda on broad range of topics arising under commercial law and corporate and labor law precedents
• Analyzing corporate health of businesses prior to acquisition by clients
• Providing direct assistance to senior lawyers on matters arising in the course of day-to-day provision of legal services to leading international and domestic corporate clients
• Joining educational seminar and practice groups
• Drafting of all types of corporate documents required for organization of all types of companies or for adoption of changes to companies (e.g. change of business name, registered office, statutory body, etc.) and subsequent registration thereof in Commercial Register (i.e. powers of attorney, statements, decisions, simple draft agreements), drafting of motions for entry of changes in entries of companies in Commercial Register, completion of schedules to such motions
• Communicating with {Free Text} and foreign authorities, preparing forms, and serving notice
• Organizing General Meetings, on their own or together with Notary Public
• Assisting in {Free Text} and {Free Text} due diligence
• Assisting foreign clients in paperwork regarding {Free Text}