Senior Associate, Commercial Litigation

Description:

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Senior Associate to join our leading Band 1 and award-winning Dispute Resolution team in Melbourne.

In this role, you will primarily work with Aoife Xuereb (Rising Star, Doyle’s Guide) while also working with Damian Grave (Leading Lawyer, Chambers and Legal 500) and other leading partners and lawyers across our local, national, and global teams. You will handle a diverse range of matters, including class actions, general commercial litigation, and product liability for high-profile national and international clients.

As a Senior Associate, you will:

• Contribute to exceptional client service, managing files and delivering strategic solutions.

• Play a key role in business development initiatives, strengthening relationships with new and existing clients.

• Work within a high-performing and innovative team, including front-line lawyers and our Digital Legal Delivery team.

• Collaborate with colleagues across interstate and international offices, gaining extensive client exposure and a strong professional network.

• Benefit from exceptional learning opportunities, working alongside ambitious and collaborative professionals.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• An Australian or New Zealand practicing certificate (or eligibility to obtain one).

• At least 1 year of experience at Senior Associate level in a top-tier, national, or international firm, or an in-house environment.

• A strong track record in commercial litigation, class actions, and/or product liability matters.

• Excellent legal skills and a practical, solutions-focused mindset.

• A proactive approach, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

• Strong time management skills, with the ability to handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.

• A genuine hunger to learn and develop, contributing to a market-leading practice.

The team:

With a multi-disciplinary global disputes team of world-leading sector specialists and regional experts, the Disputes team provides commercial insight and legal advice which is described by Chambers and Partners as a 'Dispute Resolution powerhouse that consistently tops the rankings across the world'.

Herbert Smith Freehills' Disputes group is ranked as a Tier 1 Dispute Resolution Firm (Legal 500, 2025) and ranked a Band 1 Dispute Resolution Firm (Chambers Asia Pacific 2025).

What you can expect from us:

• We’re a world leading international law firm with a global team of over 5,000 professionals. As the market leader in Australia, we are committed to high performance, collaboration, diversity and digital innovation. We are client-centred, commercially driven, and renowned for our solution-focused expertise. We will align your growth with our ambitions.

• We make your personal and professional growth our business. And as part of the team, our ambition is yours too. Wherever you are in your career: grow and help the firm grow with you.

• We will provide opportunities to learn on the job as well as a mix of learning opportunities tailored to you. Daily experiences, supportive challenges, team collaboration, mentors, and structured learning opportunities help you to expand your knowledge and reach your goals.

• We value your wellbeing, both at home and work and we place a strong emphasis on mental health. If you need support, you’ll have it and we’ll empower you to harness your personal strengths, navigate uncertainty, embrace opportunities, and effectively manage things within your control.

• For more benefits on offer such as our 26 weeks paid parental leave, holistic wellbeing fund or home office allowance please click/ copy this link into your browser - https://marketing.hsf.com/20/29354/landing-pages/hsf-benefits.pdf

• Join us to be part of a human, bold and outstanding team at Australia’s market leading law firm.

We encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to First Nations, LGBTIQA+ and neurodivergent individuals, as well as individuals of all ages, cultures, genders, and abilities. We’re a safe, inclusive, and equitable workplace and celebrate the diversity of our people.

Please include a copy of your LLB, JD or LLM academic transcript(s), including in-progress Masters' transcripts with your application.

For any questions or a confidential discussion, please contact Ashley Irving, Recruitment Manager on Ashley.Irving@hsf.com.

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Diversity & Inclusion

At Herbert Smith Freehills you will be part of a diverse, innovative culture where high performance, client focus and highly engaged people are our differentiator. People at our firm come from a range of backgrounds and bring a wide variety of experiences and perspectives to their work with us. We strive to ensure that our inclusive environment means you feel valued and able to perform at your best by being your authentic self at work. We know that our future success not only depends on being innovative and progressive in the changing legal market but, most importantly, on our people feeling highly engaged in meaningful work.
We understand that you have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to create a working environment based on mutual trust and respect, in which you can perform at your best whilst maintaining sustainable balance across your life.