Litigation Lawyer

Initial 6 month contract working in our Stratford Regional Centre.

About HMRC Legal Group

HMRC Legal Group provides legal services to the whole of HMRC. This includes:

• Legal advice to ExCom and staff.
• Work on new legislation.
• Drafting of statutory instruments and other legal documents.
• The conduct of independent reviews of decisions made by HMRC which are requested by customers under the legislative provisions.
• The conduct of tribunal and civil litigation on a full range of services.

We also provide technical accountancy and forensic services to HMRC, are head of the Compliance Accountants’ and insolvency professions as well as handling Ministerial Correspondence and Freedom of Information requests for HMRC.

What we cover in Enforcement, Damages and Illicit Finance Litigation

• litigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA), including cash detention and forfeiture, account freezing orders and other civil recovery.
• advice on debt recovery and insolvency law.
• applications for freezing injunctions.
• insolvency litigation (excluding bankruptcy and winding up petitions).
• company restoration.
• damages claims against HMRC, including for data breaches, breaches of equality law, and misfeasance.
• litigation to deal with unlawful behaviour towards HMRC and its staff.
• litigation about HMRC’s use of its criminal powers.
• litigation relating to breaches of the Money Laundering Regulations.
• Some benefits and credits litigation.
• Information law claims in the Information Tribunal.
• advice and legal representation in respect of the COVID-19 Inquiry.

The team also provides HMRC with legal services relating to Personal Injury, Tort and Health and Safety issues. These include:

• providing generic and case specific legal advice to policy colleagues on health and safety law and the law of Tort, such as negligence, as it applies to HMRC in its ‘non tax’ capacity, e.g. as an employer, occupier of property and provider of services.
• acting on behalf of HMRC in relation to personal injury claims brought against the Department, which includes defending litigation claims brought against HMRC by employees or others who are claiming compensation.
• for guidance on what to do if you receive a letter before claim or proceedings are served on your office.

Skills and experience

We are looking for an intellectually capable, highly motivated lawyer with powerful oral and written communication skills and excellent interpersonal skills.

You will need solid legal professional skills, including the following essential requirements:

• reliable legal judgement and appreciation of legal risk
• sound analysis of issues, using secure legal research
• making evidence-based decisions.
• managing a quality service for clients

You need to have good self-awareness and a commitment to using feedback to learn and develop as a professional, and work as part of a team.