Senior Practice Manager

Our Client, is a leading set of commercial barristers' chambers, with a thriving domestic and international practice, comprising 74 barristers (including 33 King's Counsel), and 4 international members. Its barristers specialise in providing services across the areas of construction and engineering; energy and natural resources; infrastructure and utilities; international arbitration; IT and technology; offshore construction and marine engineering; procurement and competition, planning and environment and associated professional negligence.

Following a period of sustained growth, an opportunity has arisen for two Senior Practice Managers to join its highly regarded practice management team.

The Role

The Senior Practice Manager will lead the day-to-day management of a team, helping to deliver on Chambers' standards of professionalism and excellence. The role will support the Joint Directors of Clerking in ensuring the clerking teams are appropriately managing their workloads and that work is allocated effectively. The Senior Practice Managers act as ambassadors for every member of chambers and role models for more junior team members and will assist the Practice Managers in training and developing Junior Clerks. They are central to helping the Joint Directors of Clerking effectively deliver a first-class clerking service and play a key role in business development to support Chambers' growth.

The role balances strategic oversight and hands-on support to the team. Each Senior Practice Manager is specifically responsible for one of Chambers' Practice Management teams. Each Practice Management team has overall responsibility for the practice and caseload of a cohort of barristers. The Senior Practice Manager ensures that their team offers a dynamic, proactive and efficient service to those members of Chambers and clients. They also work with the other Senior Practice Managers to ensure that the teams are working collaboratively, that information and developments are consistently communicated, and that the clerking team is keeping up with market trends.

Key responsibilities in the role vary widely, but they will include:

• Line management, supervision and development of the clerking team
• Conducting practice development meetings with members of chambers to help them meet their long-term career targets
• Identifying business development opportunities and undertaking business development and marketing activities
• Reviewing pricing strategies and fee proposals, and agreeing on contractual terms
• Negotiating fees and supervising and supporting Practice Managers and Assistant Practice Managers in undertaking fee negotiations
• Ensuring accurate data is captured in Chambers' online practice management system to support effective reporting
• General case management
• Dealing with issues that arise from clients, members of Chambers and staff
• Acting as the lead point of contact in the absence of the Joint Directors of Clerking.

The Candidate will ideally:

• Have in-depth knowledge and experience of one or more of Keating Chambers' key industry sectors, gained through working in a barristers' chambers, or as a marketing or business development professional in the legal or construction industry. Candidates may have gained relevant knowledge from a range of previous professional roles, including but not limited to: barristers' chambers; law firms; arbitral institutions; construction/energy companies; construction consultancies; expert witness firms; management consultancies; and/or other business development service providers.
• Be a highly organised and commercially minded professional with strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Possess business development skills and a deep understanding of client service standards (this is essential), alongside the ability to act as a trusted point of contact for internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrate proven experience in managing teams and operations within a professional services environment, ideally in legal or similar sectors.
• Be able to balance driving strategic initiatives with hands-on day-to-day support to a busy team.
• Be able to demonstrate strategic thinking, excellent written and oral communication skills, and the ability to influence and build relationships across all levels, including senior management and clients.
• Demonstrate astute commercial judgement and excellent operational skills alongside an understanding of compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Be adept at managing complex workloads, mentoring junior staff, working collaboratively with other teams and departments and driving continuous improvement.
• Emotional intelligence, discretion, and resilience in high-pressure situations are critical, as is a proactive approach to problem-solving and innovation. Familiarity with the construction market is a benefit.

All applications to exclusively retained consultants GRL Legal.

To request a copy of the Candidate Brief (Job Description), or to confidentially discuss this role in more detail, please contact GRL consultants.

The Closing date for applications is 5 pm on Friday, 9th January 2026. Early applications are encouraged, and initial interviews with our consultants will take place immediately.

Keating Chambers is fully committed to equality and diversity in both recruitment and the provision of services.