Senior Associate / Head of Litigation

Job Title: Senior Associate / Head of Litigation
Reports to: Managing Partner
Industry: Legal
Location: Nairobi
Gross Salary: Kshs 180K - 200K
Our client is a global law firm with a strong foundation in Kenya seeking to hire a senior associate to provide technical, commercial, client and people leadership to the company's Litigation & Dispute Resolution Department while remaining a hands-on senior commercial litigator.
The role holder will be accountable not only for their own matters, but for the quality, performance, profitability and effectiveness of the Litigation Department as a whole.
Key Responsibilities

• 
  
• Lead and manage the Litigation Department, with overall accountability for the department's legal delivery, people, clients and financial performance.
  
• Independently lead complex and high-value commercial litigation, including banking and financial services disputes, contractual disputes, shareholder and corporate disputes, insolvency matters, judicial review and other significant commercial disputes.
  
• Develop litigation strategy on complex matters and provide senior-level review and quality assurance of pleadings, submissions, opinions, witness statements, applications, correspondence and other legal work produced by the team.
  
• Conduct and/or strategically oversee hearings, trials, appeals, applications, negotiations, mediations and other dispute-resolution proceedings, ensuring advocates are properly prepared and matters are prosecuted or defended strategically.
  
• Allocate matters and responsibilities across the Litigation team based on complexity, capacity, experience and development needs, while maintaining appropriate oversight of all significant matters.
  
• Ensure rigorous matter management, including diarisation, court deadlines, hearing preparation, file reviews, status reporting, follow-ups, documentation and compliance with the firm's Litigation SOPs.
  
• Own the department's client experience, ensuring proactive communication, timely and substantive status reports, responsiveness, commercial advice and early escalation of matters presenting material client or reputational risk.
  
• Drive proactive client engagement, client visits and build trusted relationships and ensuring engagement translates into stronger relationships, additional high value instructions, cross-selling opportunities and measurable commercial outcomes.
  
• Take ownership of the department's revenue targets, billings, collections and aged debt ensuring legal work translates into timely invoicing and ultimately cash collection.
  
• Develop, supervise and mentor Associates, Junior Associates, Pupils and other team members, strengthening their technical ability, commercial judgment, advocacy, client management and accountability.
  
• Contribute to the growth and positioning of the company's Litigation practice through business development, tenders, pitches, thought leadership, client training, industry participation and development of new areas of dispute-resolution work.
  

Qualifications:

• 
  
• Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with a current Practising Certificate and good standing with the Law Society of Kenya.
  
• Minimum of 8–10 years' PQE, with substantial experience in commercial litigation and dispute resolution within a reputable and busy commercial law firm.
  
• Demonstrable experience handling complex and high-value commercial disputes independently with proof of favorable judgements and rulings.
  
• Strong courtroom advocacy, drafting, research, negotiation and strategic judgment.
  
• Previous experience leading or materially supervising a litigation team.
  
• Demonstrable experience managing relationships with sophisticated corporate or institutional clients.
  
• Commercially astute and comfortable taking accountability for financial performace, not merely legal outputs.
  
• Strong people manager capable of setting high standards while coaching and developing younger lawyers.
  
• Solutions-oriented, decisive and capable of identifying and addressing problems without waiting for Managing Partner intervention.
  
• Strong personal accountability, judgment, integrity and attention to detail.
  
• Able to operate effectively in a high-performance, entrepreneurial and growth-oriented commercial law firm.
  
• Currently works in a litigation law firm that is reputable.
  
• Must have gotten an A- or B+ in High School and a Second Class Upper
  

How to Apply
If you are up to the challenge and possess the necessary qualifications and experience, please send your CV, quoting only the job title in the email subject (Senior Associate), to jobs@corporatestaffing.co.ke before 8th September 2026
NB: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not receive any communication from us within two weeks of your application, kindly consider your application unsuccessful. We appreciate your interest and thank you for applying
Corporate Staffing Service never asks candidates to pay any money or pay for tests at any stage of the recruitment process