Selecting a Claims and Disputes Consultancy That Suits You

Selecting the right claims and disputes consultancy is a pivotal decision in your career, whether you’re stepping into a specialised claims role for the first time or seeking to advance within this competitive field. For professionals in claims and disputes, a strategic choice of consultancy employer can mean the difference between a role that merely meets the basics and one that fosters career growth, offers robust challenges, and aligns with your long-term aspirations. Here we look how to evaluate and assess consultancies and make the best choice for your career.

Map Out Your Career Goals

Before you take a look at other consultancies, it's important to self-reflect and assess what your strengths and weaknesses are, what you enjoy and which path you would like your career to go down. For those entering the industry, self-assessment can be challenging without firsthand experience, so try to explore different paths early on.

Seasoned professionals, on the other hand, may have a clearer idea of their strengths and preferences. Is it claims you prefer? Is it Expert work? Is it both? Do you prefer working on adjudications? Or Arbitrations? Do you like a variety? Do you want a mix of disputes and project advisory work? Look for consultancies with a strong track record in your area of interests. Some firms offer more comprehensive development pathways, giving you access to specific training programs, technical resources and mentorship from seniors that will help you reach your career goals.

Consider Long-Term Development Opportunities

Advancement opportunities vary between firms. While some consultancies offer a clear, structured path for promotion, others are less formal. If you’re looking to move up the ranks, ensure the consultancy has a framework that supports career growth, with milestones and evaluations.

Look for consultancies that invest in continuous education and training, offering workshops, industry seminars, and the chance to attain relevant qualifications such as the Masters/ LLM in Construction Law and CIArb certifications.

Research Their Market Standing and Reputation

A consultancy that’s growing in reputation and clientele often offers more rapid advancement and the potential to specialise in high-demand areas. Moreover, a consultancy with a strong reputation among clients in the industry often has a steady flow of interesting, complex cases.

One way to research this, is to seek feedback and testimonials. Don’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth feedback. Reaching out to professionals in your network who have experience with specific consultancies can give you a real sense of what it’s like to work there. For expert work, Lexology provides recommendations of professionals based on feedback from clients and law firms, so this may be a useful site to view.

Size of the Consultancy

This is truly a personal preference and may be influenced by previous experience working at a small or large consultancy.

Typically, global and leading consultancies attract high-profile projects and clients, providing opportunities to work on exciting cases. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean the larger the consultancy, the better. I’ve had conversations with candidates who have worked with larger consultancies and some of the issues they face include:

• More staff, more internal competition for progression, promotions, and to climb up that greasy pole to become an expert.
  
  
• Big consultancies generally have higher fixed costs, from office space and support staff to technology and administrative expenses. To remain profitable during slower periods, or if several high-value projects wind down or a key client reduces their caseload they may look at redundancy as a way to trim these expenses quickly, impacting a larger number of roles. Of course, redundancies can also be made at smaller firms, but provided they maintain their specialised client base, the risk is lower.

• Experts not having the opportunity to spend thorough time with their lead assistants or juniors. This can be due to the lack of time, or because of the frequent staff changes. This can impact on the quality of work and reports for example as they don’t have enough time to train/support them or understand where their individual strengths can be utilised.

• Larger firms tend to have strict salary bandings and standardized pay scales for each role or seniority level. This means salary increases are often tied to promotion rather than performance alone, and even high performers may not see significant salary adjustments unless they advance to the next formal level. This lack of flexibility can be frustrating, especially for top talent who want to be compensated directly for their contributions rather than wait for a structured review, promotion cycle,or from an inaccessible CEO in another country to sign this off. Whereas, in smaller consultancies, performance is often highly visible and directly tied to individual contributions.

However, I’ve also had conversations who prefer to work with larger consultancies for some of the following reasons:

• Large expert witness firms often have international offices and networks, which can be beneficial for cross-border disputes. In turn, working on such cases can be challenging but rewarding, offering professionals valuable experience that can be career-defining.
• Large firms typically have formalised career paths with defined promotion criteria, making it easier for professionals to understand what’s required to advance. This structured environment is appealing for those who prefer knowing the steps needed for career growth.
• Large firms typically offer attractive base salaries, along with structured bonus schemes and benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and paid leave.

Evaluate Culture and Work-Life Balance

Each consultancy has a unique culture, and finding the right fit can greatly impact your job satisfaction. Some companies have a competitive, fast-paced environment, while others focus more on collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and continuous improvement. Connecting with current or former employees can provide insight into the consultancy’s culture.

The nature of claims and disputes work is often intense and deadline-driven. Consulting firms vary significantly in terms of workload expectations, flexibility, and work-life balance. Make sure you’re comfortable with the consultancy’s approach to managing workloads. What is perceived as a flexible employer, means different things to different people. So find a firm that offers what you’re looking for, whether that’s hybrid working, flexible hours, counselling, regular check-ins with management generous PTO, wellness programs?

An office stress-relieving dog? We have one at Maxim and he’s pretty amazing!

Evaluate Their Client Base and Project Portfolio

Working with a consultancy that has a diverse client base can expose you to a range of dispute types and complexities, which can be invaluable for your career development. Consider if the consultancy’s clients align with the sectors you’re interested in, like infrastructure, oil and gas, or commercial real estate.

Some consultancies are renowned for high-profile projects, which can offer unique experience and career advantages. Others specialize in smaller or regional cases, offering the chance to take on more responsibility from the outset. Reviewing their portfolio will give you insight into what you might work on and help determine if it matches your professional aspirations.

Assess Compensation and Benefits

Last but not least, the dreaded talk of salaries. Claims and disputes professionals are in very high demand, especially in competitive markets like London, and pay structures can vary significantly. Make sure to compare offers and consider factors like bonuses, benefits, and retirement contributions.

Additionally, consider whether the consultancy offers additional perks such as flexible working arrangements, remote work options, or professional development stipends. Benefits like these can play a big role in both your quality of life and long-term career satisfaction.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are  many factors that should be considered when assessing if a consultancy is the right fit for you. Collating all this information and evaluating can be difficult – especially alongside a full-time job. That's where Maxim Recruitment can help. With over 20+ years of experience as specialists in this industry, we have a plethora of information – including salary bands, company culture, nature of the work the consultancy does, their standing in their market etc, so we can help you evaluate your options.

Feel free to reach out to have a confidential chat to evaluate your career and find the best consultancy that suits you.

Nilam Modhwadia
Recruitment Consultant
Maxim Recruitment
LinkedIn

Nilam is a Recruitment Consultant based in the Maxim head office in Leicester, UK. She supports the team with researching, headhunting, shortlisting, and interviewing valuable construction industry candidates, to place them in premium construction jobs with our market-leading UK and international clients.