Associate

JR United Kingdom; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading legal service provider in Portsmouth seeks an experienced Associate to join its Residential Property New Homes team. The role involves managing new home conveyancing transactions, mentoring team members, and ensuring high standards of client service. This position offers a unique team culture that values responsibility and transparency.

Qualifications

• Property lawyer with technical ability in residential conveyancing.
• Proven client management and effective communication skills.
• Awareness of Solicitors’ Accounts Rules and Mortgage Lender’s Handbook.

Responsibilities

• Conduct New Homes Conveyancing matters within the team.
• Review site paper packs and prepare legal reports.
• Maintain client relations and assist with technical queries.

Skills

Technical and practical ability in residential conveyancing

Client management

Attention to detail

Time management

Proactivity

Education

Property lawyer with at least 4 years standing

Job description

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Knights has always done things differently; in 2012, we were the first organisation of our type in the UK legal sector to attract private equity investment, enabling us to move from the traditional partnership model to a corporate structure, creating a clear separation between management / ownership and fee earners.

The success of our model was reflected in very attractive growth over the following 6 years and since our listing on the AIM market in June 2018, we have reported year on year growth.

With nearly 1500 colleagues across 30 locations and our strong organic growth, combined with a number of high-quality recent acquisitions means we are now a more diversified business with strengthened positions in our key target markets. We have the team and financial resources in place to deliver our organic and acquisitive growth strategy as we scale up to be the leading legal and professional services business outside London.

Our business model and culture remain a clear differentiator from many legal services businesses enabling us to recruit individuals who wish to work in a modern professional services business. The Group's strong position in its markets, increased scale, national reputation, differentiated model and unique culture is enabling us to attract high quality talent.

We are now looking for an experienced Associate to join our fantastic Residential Property New Homes team based out of our Portsmouth offices. The team work with a range of developers and housing associations selling new build property. They have expert knowledge of the new homes market from both a developers and plot buyers perspective. The role itself is detailed below;

Role:

• To have day to day conduct of New Homes Conveyancing matters within a team
• To be responsible for reviewing site paper packs and for preparing precedent site paper reports for use by the Team.
• To assist the with the supervision mentoring and training of a team to deal with newly built property transactions from initial enquiry or referral, the opening of a matter to post completion.
• To maintain the highest possible standards of service to clients and technical and operational excellence in conveyancing

Main Tasks:

• Using the Teams case management system to carry a caseload of new home conveyancing transactions, including difficult or sensitive cases and one-off new homes purchases
• To prepare master legal reports on title to client purchasers of newly built properties having thoroughly considered the documentation provided by sellers’ solicitors and others and obtained satisfactory answers to necessary enquiries and investigations
• To deal with day-to-day contact with clients, solicitors and third parties in a professional manner and provide excellent client care.
• To assist team members with technical queries and issues as may arise
• To identify, build and nurture potential new work sources for the Team
• To assist with the maintenance of the New Homes Teams existing work sources and relationships to include visiting the developer sites and also attending such external meetings and events as required

Knowledge Skills and Experience:

• To be a property lawyer of at least 4 years standing with excellent technical and practical ability in residential conveyancing with particular emphasis on the purchase of new build properties and with an aptitude to learn and progress within the Team.
• To demonstrate a natural affinity and empathy with clients and referrers and the ability to present well to both internal and external customers.
• To have a thorough awareness and understanding of the Solicitors’ Accounts Rules relating to the financial aspects of conveyancing transactions.
• To demonstrate an ability to cope with changing levels of workloads and work effectively with others
• To demonstrate organization and time management skills
• To be able to demonstrate proactivity and attention to detail
• To understand the financial workings behind conveyancing transactions.
• To understand the requirements of the Mortgage Lender’s Handbook.

We offer a unique environment; you will be part of a one team culture that promotes direct responsibility with an expectation to always deliver the best service possible for clients within a collegiate, team-based environment.

Most excitingly of all, you can help change the way we all think about and deliver the future of legal and professional services in a friendly, caring business, with little (if any) hierarchy. Our culture of positivity and transparency, provides a great platform for the right people to take their careers to the next level.