Governance Associate/Senior Associate (5+ PQE)

Bevan Brittan LLP; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Bevan Brittan LLP invites a Solicitor to join its commercial and public sector governance team, focusing on complex advisory work for local authorities and combined authorities. The role involves collaborating with colleagues across offices, with hybrid working and opportunities to attend office premises in Leeds.

You will work with senior colleagues, deliver clear advice, and develop business through client relationships and cross-office collaboration.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years PQE including Monitoring Officer experience
• Experience advising local authority and combined authority clients
• Strong analytical and commercial approach to legal issues
• Ability to coordinate advice with fee earners across a team

Responsibilities

• Assist on governance advisory matters for local authorities and combined authorities
• Attend client meetings and liaise with clients and other advisors
• Develop practice and career with appropriate responsibility
• Develop business development skills within the local government/combined authority market
• Engage in CSR and pro-bono activities

Skills

PQE 5+ years

Public law expertise

Client relationship

Team collaboration

Education

Solicitor qualified

Job description

Join a team of experts and progressive thinkers

We are a market leading team with dedicated experts (ranked across Chambers and Legal 500) carrying out a wide range of governance work for clients across the central and local government sector including for local authority and combined (strategic) authority clients. The team works closely with colleagues across the firm, including those in our commercial, employment and pensions, procurement, corporate and property teams.

• Re-organisation: Advice and support to local authorities managing LGR and Devolution.
• Powers/vires: Advising on the powers of authorities to take action including statutory interpretation and advice on powers.
• Decision-making: Advice on lawful decisioning making, powers and functions of statutory officers.
• Corporate advisory services: Advising on the governance of local authority owned corporate structures
• Member and officer conduct: Advising on probity, ethics and promoting high standards of conduct, grievance and disciplinary processes.
• Senior Officer Disciplinary: Working with employment colleagues in relation to senior officer conduct, investigations, settlements.
• Constitutions: Health-checking and drafting of constitutions including for new authorities.
• Inquiries/investigations/complaints: Advising on a range of inquiries from internal investigations to major public inquiries.
• Shared Services: Local authority shared services and public/public collaboration.
• Governance in major projects. Advising on powers /vires; options appraisals and structuring (public-public; shared services; public-private; insourcing; outsourcing)
• Finance and audit: Advice and training to finance teams including advice on section 114 reporting

The role

We are looking for a Solicitor to join our vibrant and growing commercial and public law team within our Commercial and Infrastructure Department to focus on a wide variety of complex governance advisory work.

We have four offices across the UK in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and London. We are looking for someone who will work with colleagues across our offices on a remote basis with opportunities to attend office premises on a hybrid basis.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Assist the team on the delivery of a range of governance advisory matters to local authority and combined (strategic) authority clients.
• Be a valued member of the team, supported, trained and developed by senior members of the team in a supportive environment.
• Engage regularly with clients, attend client meetings and work closely with other legal, financial and technical advisors.
• Develop your practice and your career, have responsibility appropriate to your knowledge and expertise.
• Develop your business development skills, network with peers across the firm, and in the local government/combined authority market more broadly.
• Join in CSR activities across the firm and pro-bono work

What we're looking for from you.

You will have:

• At least 5 years PQE (ideally including experience as a Monitoring Officer or Deputy Monitoring Officer)
• Experience of advising local authority and combined authority clients
• A passion to learn, enthusiasm and the desire to excel as a lawyer
• Ability to work, or experience of working, in a team and coordinating advice with fee earners across a team
• The ability to deliver clear, precise advice
• Strong technical skills and an ability to understand and work through complex issues
• A demonstrable ability to adopt a practical and commercial approach to legal issues
• Ability to liaise effectively with clients and build relationships, particularly in a political context
• Ability to operate with a high level of self-sufficiency combined with an awareness of own abilities
• A positive and flexible approach
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage time effectively

Make a Real Impact

Bevan Brittan is a leading commercial law firm. Explore our markets and services here.

We are highly ranked across the legal directories and our 2025/26 financial results confirmed twelve years of consecutive growth.

Our Responsible Business pillars influence how we work together and motivate us to deliver meaningful outcomes for our clients and communities.

We support our people to be their best and, through our hybrid working model, we offer the flexibility to work your week in a way that suits you.

We’re looking for the best people to share in our ambition and success. Visit our Life page to discover what life at Bevan Brittan could look like for you.