Disputes Lawyer

Full Time Finance Insurance

Job Description

End Date

Tuesday 26 November 2024

Salary Range

£0 - £0

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Job Description Summary

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Job Description

Role: Disputes Lawyer

Grade: Band E

Location: Luxembourg

About Scottish Widows Europe and Lloyds Banking Group

Scottish Widows Europe (“SWE”), a subsidiary of Scottish Widows L.P., was established in Luxembourg to ensure continuity of servicing for its existing EU business after the UK’s exit from the EU, and is authorized to conduct life insurance business in Europe.

The portfolio of SWE is largely represented by with-profit policies (but also includes unit-linked policies), originally sold through the Clerical Medical Brand. The portfolio has c.€2 billion assets, with approximately 50,000 policy holders. Since March 2019, the business has been run from Luxembourg, and via its German branch . SWE relies on outsourcers to provide policyholder service and administration.

SWE is part of Scottish Widows, a 100% subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group (“LBG”) and a strong life and pension company in the UK. Its product range includes life assurance, pensions, investments and savings. The company has been providing financial services to the UK market since 1815. The company sells products through independent financial advisers, direct to customers and through LBG bank branches. Scottish Widows employs around 3,000 people.

LBG is a leading UK based financial services group providing a wide range of banking and financial services, passionate about personal and commercial customers. The main business activities are retail, commercial and corporate banking, general insurance, and life, pensions and investment provision. Services are offered through well-recognized brands including Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, and Scottish Widows, and a range of distribution channels.

About the role:

We have an outstanding opportunity for you to join SWE, a diverse and inclusive team based in Luxembourg, and to work in an international and informal environment.

As an SWE Disputes Lawyer, you’ll be part of a litigation team that deals with complaints, threatened and live claims across a breadth of insurance products. You’ll be responsible for advising on and providing specialist litigation and contentious regulatory support to the business area in relation to insurance legacy cases in a timely, efficient and effective manner. You'll consider possible lines of defence in conjunction with the litigation and complaints strategy, and review and draft responses developing appropriate lines of legal and strategic arguments. You’ll also support with the provision of appropriate management information on status and development of litigation and complaints handling in collaboration with the complaints team (preparing status reports, case lists, briefing notes on individual high profile cases, settlement registers etc.)

What you’ll be doing:

Handling disputes: You’ll collaborate with colleagues in the SWE legal and business teams and external lawyers, and analyse complaints and litigation related material. You’ll provide support to the project team in the identification and/or resolution of legal risk issues.

Governance and Reporting: You’ll prepare and present management reports and provide appropriate information on status and development of litigation and complaints.

Stakeholder Management: You'll work with key project collaborators and build relationships that support your disputes work. You’ll coordinate and prioritise litigation and complaints related input required from other business areas such as Finance and Risk.

Line Management: You'll line lead colleagues providing administrative support to team, and support senior managers in the management of the legal team to include ensuring adequate attendance at the office and coverage in the event of absence (planned/unplanned). You’ll identify and develop protocols and guidance notes to improve the efficiency of complaints, litigation and contentious regulatory management to aid the team, working closely with other team members to deliver these.

Panel Firm Management: You’ll instruct and liaise with external law firms, including supporting senior managers in managing the relationship with panel advisors and improving the value received from panel firms. You’ll support team members and senior managers to ensure the provision of structure and quality control around the use and instruction of panel law firms, and assist senior managers with the control of external spend on legal advisors.

Group Values: You'll seek to positively influences others by demonstrating Lloyds Banking Group values and behaviour and encourage this in team members. You’ll have the ability to quickly demonstrate an understanding of Group specific systems and key operational processes.

What you’ll need:

  • Fully qualified lawyer in Germany with sound appreciation of legal, technical, and procedural factors affecting complaints, litigation and contentious regulatory matters and the relevant impact on banking/financial services
  • Have excellent knowledge and understanding of relevant processes and application of German civil procedure rules and insurance contract law
  • Experience in conducting and managing litigation and/or complaints confidently with limited direct supervision
  • Demonstrate and exercise sound judgement in recommending and implementing risk mitigation strategies
  • Possess strong influencing skills and sound commercial savvy, together with the ability to deliver sound, practical and clear advice to colleagues including at executive level across the business
  • Track record of creating and maintaining effective relationships with the divisional businesses, colleagues in legal and other professionals and technical specialists
  • Ability to advise at senior business level and establish credentials very quickly
  • Great teammate with strong communication, personal and interpersonal skills; motivated and hardworking; excellent at establishing and maintaining strong networks
  • Excellent command of English, both written and spoken
  • Fluent in German; French or Italian would be a plus
  • Open minded, able to demonstrate key behavioural capabilities including teamwork, ownership, agility, proactivity and innovation with a growth mindset
  • Keen to suggest new ideas and implement pragmatic and workable solutions

We're dedicated to giving you opportunities and support to develop you both expertly and personally as well as to optimise and increase your potential.

In return, you would get a package that includes:

  • A discretionary performance related bonus
  • Cash allowance to reflect lunch vouchers and private medical contributions
  • Pension scheme
  • Annual and special leave according to the collective labour agreement of the insurance sector

At Lloyds Banking Group, we're driven by a clear purpose; to help Britain prosper. Across the Group, our colleagues are focused on making a difference to customers, businesses and communities. With us you'll have a key role to play in shaping the financial services of the future, whilst the scale and reach of our Group means you'll have many opportunities to learn, grow and develop.

We keep your data safe. So, we'll only ever ask you to provide confidential or sensitive information once you have formally been invited along to an interview or accepted a verbal offer to join us which is when we run our background checks.  We'll always explain what we need and why, with any request coming from a trusted Lloyds Banking Group person. 

We're focused on creating a values-led culture and are committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the customers and communities we serve. Together we’re building a truly inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference.