Associate, Real Estate (Investment & Development)

Trowers & Hamlins; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm in Birmingham is seeking a Property Lawyer to join its expanding team. The role involves a wide range of responsibilities, including property acquisition due diligence, managing development projects, and maintaining client relationships. The ideal candidate is a qualified solicitor with strong commercial awareness and client management experience. This is an excellent opportunity to work in a friendly and collaborative environment while engaging in significant property development projects.

Qualifications

• Strong client focus and a commitment to service delivery.
• Ability to take on responsibility and manage projects independently.
• Flexibility and a 'can do' attitude.

Responsibilities

• Conduct property acquisition due diligence.
• Manage commercial landlord and tenant relationships.
• Coordinate all property aspects of large development schemes.

Skills

Client management experience

Commercial awareness

Drive and enthusiasm

Ability to manage projects

Team player

Education

Qualified Solicitor

Excellent academic record

Job description

Description

Where you'll work

Real Estate is a key focus of our business. From investment and management of existing assets to major development and regeneration schemes, about 60% of our lawyers operate in the sector across a wide range of disciplines including investment, finance, development, construction, asset management, planning, environmental and dispute resolution. We are ranked by The Lawyer as having one of the UK's Top 15 Real Estate practices overall.

From large scale investment and regeneration of Birmingham city centre to local housing in Wolverhampton, our thinking extends beyond the day-to-day delivery of transactional and advisory legal services to provide our clients with fresh thinking and commercially driven solutions. Our multidisciplinary real estate team advises on investment and development across commercial, retail, residential and mixed‑use real estate, with a strong inward investment practice. Some of the team's more notable transactions have included acting for one of the UK's largest pension funds on their property portfolio, the disposal programme for Birmingham Council, and advising a UK / US joint venture on various industrial development schemes.

What you will be doing

We cover a large array of work which is ideal for a property lawyer in the earlier part of their career. We provide our clients with fresh thinking and commercially driven solutions, which is why we are looking for new talent to join our expanding team. Our multidisciplinary real estate team advises on investment and development across commercial, retail, residential and mixed‑use real estate, with a strong inward investment practice. For example, we cover large scale investment and regeneration projects, such as the £3bn UK Central Hub, the Commonwealth Games, and the 3,500 new homes for Druids Heath in Birmingham. There is also an increasing practice for industrial developments and lettings. Our national strategic land promotion and housebuilder practice has a significant amount of work carried out by the Birmingham team. We are also expanding our retail lettings and asset management work.

With so many of our service areas expanding, there is plenty of room to support different types of work before focusing into an area of choice. Such a broad spectrum of work means the team is a perfect home for a lively, interested and ambitious lawyer, and with a friendly and collaborative environment, the team has also developed a really supportive and collaborative culture. This is key to the continued success and was a vital element in keeping the team motivated during the difficult times of the pandemic. Part of a national practice, the Birmingham real estate team is led by Matthew Holbrook.

The local team comprises three Partners, six Senior Associates, one Associate, a trainee and two Paralegals. We want to continue our growth and so an exciting opportunity has arisen for an additional lawyer to join. Work will focus on all aspects of property work for property investors and occupiers, developers, strategic land promoters and public bodies, and will include: all types of development work, acquisitions, disposals, leases, asset management and joint venture projects. You will be working as part of our national team so there will be opportunities to support colleagues in our other UK offices.

Principal Responsibilities

• Property acquisition due diligence.
• Commercial landlord and tenant / asset management.
• Involvement in all property aspects of large development and regeneration schemes.
• Undertaking a mix of property work for housing associations and similar clients including acquisitions of development sites for residential and mixed‑use schemes, asset management and joint venture projects.
• Portfolio sales and acquisitions.
• Advising on management agreements, grant agreements and other forms of commercial contracts.
• Project management and working with other specialist teams on more complex matters.
• Comply with core competencies as appropriate to the fee earner level of qualification.
• Building and maintaining and where possible initiating effective client relationships.
• Active participation in and, where appropriate, leading marketing initiatives.
• Running own files.
• Ensuring files are managed in compliance with Lexcel procedures.
• Participating in firm-wide and departmental training sessions.

What you will need

The firm operates a Career Development Framework, a merit based and clearly defined career structure which sets out the competencies we expect of those at the Solicitor grade and beyond. In particular, for this role we require :

• Ability to take on responsibility and manage projects, Independently where appropriate;
• Strong client focus and a commitment to service delivery;
• Drive and enthusiasm;
• Aptitude for business development;
• Client management experience;
• Commercial awareness;
• Credibility; flexibility and a can do attitude;
• Excellent academic record;
• Qualified Solicitor;
• Good team player.

Trowers & Hamlins is an equal opportunities employer and values equity, diversity and inclusion. All applications will be considered on merit and the applicant's suitability to meet the requirements of the role and will be treated equally irrespective of Ethnicity, Gender (including Trans and non-binary) Race, Disability, Religion and sexual orientation.

As part of our firm recruitment policy our candidates are subject to employment screening background checks. These checks include personal details, education and employment history, professional qualifications and credit and criminal checks as appropriate.