Associate

Buckworths; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid day off for your birthday

50% discount at gyms

Professional development program

Free snacks and beverages

Attractive pension scheme

"Cycle to Work" scheme

20 days holiday plus bank holidays

Job summary

Buckworths is offering an exciting NQ solicitor role in London, focusing on commercial and venture capital law. Candidates will manage their own work, oversee junior solicitors, and engage with innovative clients. This position provides career growth opportunities, potentially leading to partnership. Responsibilities include drafting documentation and advising startups, with essential skills in client management and communication. A vibrant office culture with an attractive benefits package includes discounts on fitness memberships and a generous holiday allowance.

Qualifications

• Experience handling commercial documentation and investment round documentation.
• Proactive client engagement and marketing skills.
• Ability to supervise junior solicitors.

Responsibilities

• Draft commercial documentation and advise on investment rounds.
• Manage work for junior solicitors and trainees.
• Secure new clients and promote the firm’s services.

Skills

Experience in commercial/corporate law

Client management

Strong communication skills

Organizational skills

Ability to delegate

Education

Qualified solicitor

Job description

This is an exciting role for a NQ solicitor with experience in commercial/corporate law and/or venture capital work. The work that the firm does is commercial and innovative and so an entrepreneurial spirit is essential. The successful candidate will work directly with clients and will manage their own work and those of junior solicitors and trainee solicitors.

The role itself is very broad including drafting commercial documentation, advising on investment rounds, structuring employee option and incentive schemes and advising on tax incentive schemes (SEIS and EIS) specific to investors in startups. The candidate does not need to have had experience in all of these areas, but a detailed understanding and experience of commercial documentation and investment round documentation is essential.

The successful candidate will act for founders and startups to help them set up and grow their businesses. The candidate must demonstrate the ability to play a pivotal role in transactions with evidence of having handled matters for clients on their own.

The successful candidate will be expected to pro-actively network and promote the firm’s services whilst securing new clients and managing the firm’s advice to them.

The role will involve supervising junior and trainee solicitors and assisting with drafting, reviewing and commenting on their work.

Good communication, client care and organisational skills as well as accuracy and drafting ability are all required.

Is there career progression?

We are a small firm and are looking to recruit an associate who will be given a high level of responsibility and client contact. This is the first mid-level hire intended to form part of a broader expanded team.

The firm is open to retaining this hire through to partnership. However, in order to secure partnership, the successful candidate will need to (i) demonstrate excellent technical skills (ii) efficiently and effectively manage more junior team members (iii) secure new clients and manage work for new and existing clients and (iv) grow fee revenue such that the firm can recruit a broader team of associates junior to them.

What are we looking for in a candidate?

Enthusiasm – our team is young and our clients are generally excited innovative founders. A vibrant, enthusiastic attitude is crucial.

“Get up and go” attitude – this role will only suit someone who enjoys pro-actively engaging with clients and marketing the firm.

Team player – as a small team, everyone pitches in to get work done and to ensure that clients are satisfied. An individual who works alone and does not interact well with other people would not suit this role.

Strong delegation skills – the successful applicant will be managing more junior lawyers. They must be good at delegating and reviewing the work of more junior members of the team.

Excellent presentational skills – the successful applicant will be confident presenting in public and to the rest of the team.

Who will you be working with?

Our team is small and friendly. We are also a diverse bunch with a range of backgrounds and interests. We have a fairly relaxed culture compared to other firms.

We have three objectives we want team members to achieve every day:

• provide the best service to our clients;
• achieve something (whether it be an aspect of personal development, or a task you have done really well); and
• have fun.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from anyone regardless of their background.

About our firm

We are the only law firm in the UK working exclusively with start-ups and high growth businesses. 70% of our clients are high growth technology start-ups. A significant part of our practice is advising founders and start-ups on venture capital work / investment rounds including SEIS and EIS compliance.

Birthday: Celebrate your birthday with a paid day off to enjoy as you please.

Fitness: Stay active at top-notch gyms like Virgin Active, Nuffield Health, David Lloyd and the Gym Group, all at an exclusive 50% discount.

Perks: Enjoy savings and rewards through our exclusive discounts and rewards scheme, designed to enhance your lifestyle.

Professional: Career growth with our comprehensive professional development program, empowering you to reach new heights.

Fuel: Enjoy an array of free snacks and beverages at our well-stocked office bar to keep you energised and refreshed throughout the day.

Golden Years: Secure your future with our attractive pension scheme.

Pedal Power: Take advantage of our “Cycle to Work” scheme, making it easier and more affordable to acquire your dream bike.

Hours: Achieve work-life balance with working hours from 9:30am to 6:00pm, Monday to Friday.

Holiday: Enjoy a generous holiday package of 20 days plus bank holidays.

Prime Location: Join us at our vibrant London office, conveniently located at 2nd Floor, 1-3 Worship Street, London, EC2A 2AB, in the heart of the city’s action.