Job Description
Associate & Senior Associate & Special Counsel - Class Actions
n
Associate / Senior Associate / Special Counsel – Class Actions
n
Sydney | 4+ Years PAE
n
About the Firm
n
Our client is an established national plaintiff law firm with a significant reputation across complex litigation, class actions and personal injury law.
n
The firm has represented Australians for more than 35 years and has developed a dedicated class actions practice focused on holding major corporations and institutions accountable where their conduct has affected large groups of people.
n
Its class action work spans areas including consumer claims, defective products and medical devices, financial products, environmental matters and other forms of corporate and institutional wrongdoing.
n
The practice conducts substantial Federal Court litigation and works alongside leading counsel, experts and specialist advisers on complex and high‐profile proceedings.
n
For lawyers who enjoy sophisticated litigation but also want their work to have a clear plaintiff‐side purpose, this represents an chance to combine both.
n
About the Role
n
The firm is looking to appoint a Class Actions Lawyer at Associate, Senior Associate or Special Counsel level to join its Sydney litigation team.
n
The level of appointment will depend on your experience, technical capability and ability to take responsibility for significant aspects of complex litigation.
n
You will work closely with experienced senior class action practitioners and have meaningful involvement in the conduct and strategy of one or more substantial class actions.
n
This is complex litigation rather than volume plaintiff work.
n
Depending on your level, your responsibilities will include:
n
n
Taking carriage of significant aspects of Federal Court class action proceedings;
n
Investigating potential claims and analysing causes of action, liability and damages;
n
Conducting detailed factual and legal analysis across complex and document-heavy matters;
n
Drafting pleadings, affidavits, submissions and other court documents;
n
Managing discovery and substantial documentary evidence;
n
Preparing evidence from lead applicants, group members and other witnesses;
n
Identifying and developing common issues across group claims;
n
Briefing and working closely with senior and junior counsel;
n
Engaging and instructing technical, medical, economic and other expert witnesses;
n
Analysing expert evidence and contributing to litigation strategy;
n




Conducting legal research across novel and developing areas of law;
n
Managing interlocutory and procedural aspects of proceedings;
n
Preparing matters for mediation and settlement negotiations;
n
Contributing to damages analysis and settlement methodology;
n
Communicating with lead applicants and group members;
n
Working with litigation funders and other external stakeholders where relevant; and
n
Contributing to the investigation and assessment of prospective new class actions.
n
n
At Senior Associate level, you will take greater responsibility for major workstreams within proceedings, supervise junior lawyers and contribute more substantially to case strategy.
n
At Special Counsel level, you will be expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, take a leading role in the conduct and strategic direction of significant matters, provide technical leadership to the team and contribute to the development of the broader class actions practice.
n
About You
n
The firm is open to lawyers from both class actions and commercial litigation backgrounds.
n
Previous class action experience will be highly regarded, but it is not essential, particularly for candidates with strong experience in complex commercial litigation.
n
You may currently be:
n
n
A Class Actions Lawyer looking to join a larger or more active plaintiff litigation practice;
n
A Commercial Litigation Associate, Senior Associate or Special Counsel looking to transition into class actions;
n
A Complex Litigation Lawyer with strong Federal Court or superior court experience; or
n
A Plaintiff Litigator with experience in sophisticated, large-scale or strategically complex disputes.
n
n
Ideally, you will have at least 4 years' post-admission experience and bring:
n
n
Strong commercial or class action litigation experience;
n
Excellent legal research and analytical skills;
n
High-level drafting ability;
n
Experience working with complex factual and evidentiary material;
n
Exposure to Federal Court or superior court proceedings;
n
Strong strategic judgement and problem-solving ability;
n
Experience working with counsel, experts and other senior stakeholders;
n




The ability to manage competing priorities across substantial litigation;
n
Strong communication, negotiation and relationship management skills; and
n
An interest in class actions, access to justice and plaintiff‐side litigation.
n
n
For candidates at Special Counsel level, the firm will also value:
n
n
Significant experience managing complex litigation with a high degree of autonomy;
n
The ability to lead substantial workstreams or proceedings;
n
Strong technical leadership and mentoring capability;
n
Confidence contributing to overall case strategy; and
n
The ability to manage senior stakeholder relationships across counsel, experts, funders and clients.
n
n
For commercial litigators, the key requirement is not prior class action experience but a strong foundation in complex litigation, technical legal analysis, evidence and court procedure, together with a genuine interest in moving into large-scale plaintiff litigation.
n
Why Consider This Opportunity?
n
The firm offers:
n
n
Exposure to major Australian class action proceedings;
n
The opportunity to work on litigation involving major corporations and institutions;
n
Sophisticated Federal Court work and complex legal issues;
n
A genuine pathway for commercial litigators to transition into class actions;
n
Meaningful involvement in litigation strategy rather than narrowly defined support work;
n
Exposure to leading counsel, experts and specialist advisers;
n
The opportunity to develop specialist expertise in one of the most technically demanding areas of litigation;
n
Significant responsibility across Associate, Senior Associate and Special Counsel levels;
n
Leadership and mentoring opportunities for senior practitioners;
n
Opportunities to participate in the investigation and development of new class actions;
n
A team-oriented national litigation team;
n
Hybrid working arrangements and genuine flexibility; and
n
Strong longer‐term career development opportunities.
n
n
This is a rare opportunity for an experienced class actions lawyer or accomplished commercial litigator looking to work on complex, high‐impact plaintiff litigation on a national scale, with scope to join at a level that properly reflects their experience and capability.
n
Be careful - Don't provide your bank or credit card details when applying for jobs. Don't transfer any money or complete suspicious online surveys. If you see something suspicious, report this job ad .

📌 Associate & Senior Associate & Special Counsel - Class Actions (New South Wales)
🏢 Hooker And Heijden
📍 New South Wales