Legal Counsel - Land

Heriot Brown In-House Legal Recruitment; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Heriot Brown In-House Legal Recruitment supports one of the UK’s largest and most significant infrastructure projects by recruiting a Legal Counsel specialising in Land. The role is to advise on land rights, acquisitions, leases, and related property matters across a long-term development.

You will work closely with Land, Planning and Delivery teams, negotiating with landowners, handling land assembly and compulsory acquisition while engaging with the wider consenting framework including

Qualifications

• Strong land/property expertise in real estate, infrastructure or major projects.
• Experience with land acquisitions, leases, licences, easements and compulsory acquisition.
• Negotiation with landowners and exposure to DCO/consenting frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Advise across land/property matters including acquisitions, leases, licences and easements.
• Conduct landowner negotiations and manage compulsory acquisition processes.
• Provide commercially focused advice within a major project environment.

Skills

Land law

Property rights

Land acquisitions

Leases

Licences

Easements

Wayleaves

Access rights

Compulsory acquisition

Negotiations

DCO exposure

Job description

We’re supporting one of the UK’s largest and most significant infrastructure projects with the appointment of a Legal Counsel specialising in Land.

This is a rare opportunity to join a major project that has moved firmly into delivery and play a key role in securing and managing the land rights required across a complex, long-term development.

Working closely with the project’s Land, Planning and Delivery teams, you’ll advise across a broad range of property and infrastructure matters including land acquisitions, leases, licences, easements, wayleaves and access rights, alongside landowner negotiations and compulsory acquisition.

The role will also provide exposure to the wider consenting framework surrounding the project, including DCO-related matters, but the core requirement is for someone with strong land/property expertise who can provide pragmatic, commercially focused advice within a major project environment.

We’re particularly interested in speaking with lawyers from real estate, infrastructure, utilities, energy or major projects backgrounds, whether currently in private practice or in-house. Previous experience of compulsory purchase, land assembly or major infrastructure projects would be particularly relevant.

For someone looking to move in-house, this offers the opportunity to get much closer to the delivery of a genuinely nationally significant project and see the long-term impact of the land work you are advising on.