Associate - Private Client 5PQE+

Russell-Cooke LLP; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a dynamic and expanding Private Client team at a leading law firm, where your expertise in private client law will be valued. This role offers the chance to handle a diverse caseload, including trusts, tax, and mental capacity issues, while developing your skills in a supportive environment. You'll be expected to build and maintain excellent client relationships and engage in proactive financial management. With opportunities for career progression and a commitment to professional development, this is an exciting chance to advance your legal career in a well-respected firm known for its collaborative approach and high-quality work.

Benefits

Competitive Salary

Discretionary Bonuses

Career Development Program

Agile Working Policy

Qualifications

• 5+ years PQE in Private Client work with strong academic background.
• Experience in trusts, tax, and mental capacity issues is a bonus.

Responsibilities

• Manage own caseload with support from junior fee-earners.
• Develop client relationships and engage in business development.

Skills

Private Client Law

Trusts

Tax Law

Mental Capacity Law

Cross Border Work

Networking

Financial Management

Client Relationship Management

Education

Degree Level 2:1

LPC Commendation

STEP Qualification

ATT Qualification

Tools

Excel

Job description

A16122024 - Associate - Private Client 5PQE+

Posted: 16/12/2024 09:58 Salary: Competitive Location: Putney Level: Associate Deadline: 03/01/2025 23:59 Hours: 35.00 Benefits: Competitive Job Type: Full Time

Associate / Senior Associate – Private Client

Hours: 9.30am – 5.30pm

Department: Private Client Putney

The Role:

We are seeking a highly motivated, professional individual to join our large and expanding Private Client team.

About You:

We are looking for an ambitious individual who should ideally be around 5+ years PQE with excellent academics, with a breadth of experience and a keen desire to develop their knowledge and practice.

The successful candidate should be highly motivated and demonstrate experience of a wide range of private client work, with a keen desire to develop their knowledge and practice.

The caseload would include all the variety of private client work, and expertise and experience in one or more of the following areas would be a bonus: trusts, tax, mental capacity, cross border work. STEP qualification or tax focused qualifications, such as ATT or CTA, will be strongly supported.

Developing and maintaining excellent relationships with both clients, colleagues and with other professionals is central to this role.

In addition to the provision of technically expert legal advice, the candidate will be expected to take responsibility and ownership of their work and clients, engage in proactive financial management of their matters, engage in business development and marketing to build their own network and bring in instructions, and work towards developing their management skills, with a view to partnership.

About Us:

The Private Client team at Russell Cooke has a well-established reputation and broad experience over the entire sector. With offerings based in Putney, Kingston and Bedford Row, the whole team now numbers almost 60 people, led by 9 partners. The technical expertise in the team rivals many other Top 100 law firms.

This role is based in our Putney office. Attendance at our other offices in Holborn (8 Bedford Row) and Kingston will depend on client need or meetings with referrers.

We have an agile working policy which includes working from home for up to 40% of working time each month.

We handle varied and high-quality work to include: advising on and drafting wills; estate, business succession and inheritance tax planning advice; the administration of complex estates; the creation, administration and taxation of UK trusts; inheritance tax, capital gains tax and income tax advice in relation to trusts and estates; advising on mental capacity issues and Lasting Powers of Attorney (or equivalent).

Our client base is extremely varied. Russell Cooke is a full service law firm (17 areas of practice) and often legal advice is provided to clients collaboratively by several teams within the firm. Russell Cooke has a high reputation within the profession and is often instructed by other lawyers, including for their own personal affairs. Many lawyers are ranked in Legal 500 and Chambers directories.

Russell Cooke offers an excellent opportunity to join a stimulating work environment, working alongside friendly and supportive colleagues. The Private Client Team is client-focused in its approach and offers superb career development opportunities.

Please include the following information when making your application:

1. Your current location
2. Why you have chosen to apply to Russell-Cooke
3. Why you are leaving your current employment
4. Your current salary

Technical Skills and Expertise:

Main Duties:

• Proactive conduct of own caseload - under line management of supervising partner and with support of other more junior fee-earners including trainee solicitors and legal assistants (paralegals)
• Ability to bring in your own work, to include networking, article writing, cross-departmental relationship building, developing referrer relationships such as Accountants, Wealth managers etc.
• Excellent financial management including time recording, WIP management and billing to reach annual targets (measured on fees received).
• Participation in firm wide events

Client Relations:

• To provide a high quality service to all Russell Cooke clients
• To independently develop and maintain good client relationship skills, gaining clients’ confidence and that of other professionals
• Receive requests for advice from current and potential clients and deciding on the most appropriate responses to make to these requests – providing sound legal advice
• Establishing a plan to solve a client’s problems

Personal Development:

• Qualify into and maintain professional development in a professional body such as STEP , ATT or similar
• Support internal procedures and systems of Russell Cooke including file and financial management
• Participate in team meetings
• Develop management skills eg by supervising junior fee earners, especially trainees
• Attend internal training and external training as and when required
• Read journals and attend courses as part of continuing professional development and to share knowledge
• Maintain high standards of professional conduct while generating adequate practice income, ensuring that the fees earned sufficiently exceed total costs and expenses incurred

Qualifications & Experience:

• Degree level 2:1 and ideally commendation at LPC level
• Working towards qualification of a relevant professional body such as STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) or ATT
• Highly numerate, IT literate, with excellent working knowledge of Excel.

Motivation & Competencies:

• Evidence of interest in, and commitment to, the success of the firm.
• Relevant experience within a professional services firm.
• Understanding of and commitment to Russell Cooke’s values and ethos which can be seen at www.russell-cooke.co.uk
• Excellent communication both written and verbal - the role involves liaison with internal and external people at a senior level
• A self-starter, able to demonstrate high levels of initiative and motivation, but also work closely with other team members and display trust, loyalty, diplomacy and integrity.
• The successful candidate will be highly organised with an ability to manage assigned tasks in an assertive, efficient and timely manner
• Good interpersonal skills, demonstrating professionalism in all dealings
• Excellent attention to detail and a positive professional attitude
• Must be able to multitask and keep calm under pressure
• The flexibility to work outside normal office hours as may be required from time to time.

Your Career Development:

Russell-Cooke’s lawyers are rounded professional advisers with strong commercial awareness and a commitment to exceeding client expectations. All our lawyers benefit from our cohort based career development programme. We understand the importance of building an internal network and have developed this excellent cohort programme to allow our lawyers to work together across practice areas and share their knowledge, experiences and networks.

At each stage of your career, a bespoke training programme will be provided to support you with your development and progression.

Salary and Benefits:

We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits. Discretionary bonuses are awarded based on performance. Salary commensurate with experience and expertise.

We prefer direct applications. If you would like any further information, please contact a member of the HR team.

We have a diverse workforce and aim to attract high calibre applicants who reflect the demography of our geographical location and client base. Individuals will be employed solely on merit and the requirement of the position. No applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, race, marital status, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or religion. Reasonable adjustments will be made to eliminate or reduce disadvantage.