Legal Counsel – Real Estate Dispute Resolution

Aviva; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A global investment management firm in Bristol is seeking a skilled Legal Counsel to provide high-quality legal advice on real estate disputes. You will manage a personal caseload, oversee complex litigation, and play a key leadership role within the team. The ideal candidate is a qualified solicitor in England or Wales with experience in commercial real estate dispute resolution. This role offers flexible working arrangements and generous benefits.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

Annual performance bonus

Flexible benefits including electric cars

Up to 40% discount for Aviva products

21 volunteering hours per year

Qualifications

• Post qualification experience within commercial real estate dispute resolution.
• Experience of dealing with clients at senior management level.
• Knowledge of residential leasehold matters desirable but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality legal advice on real estate dispute resolution.
• Manage a personal caseload and oversee complex litigation.
• Supervise junior team members and support their development.

Skills

Commercial real estate dispute resolution

Collaboration and solutions-oriented mindset

Senior management client interaction

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Admitted as a solicitor in England or Wales, or ILEX fellow

Job description

Overview

Legal Counsel – Real Estate Dispute Resolution

This is a great job for someone with good technical knowledge of all aspects of commercial real estate dispute resolution advice with an understanding of the needs of an institutional investor.

We’re looking for a skilled legal professional to join the Aviva Investors Private Markets Legal team, supporting our Direct Real Estate business. In this role, you’ll deliver high-quality legal advice that enables the business to achieve its strategic goals while maintaining strong governance and risk management. You’ll be a key contributor to the Private Markets team, advising on a broad range of real estate dispute resolution matters related to assets held within UK property funds. As part of our in-house legal function, you’ll manage your own caseload and provide oversight on complex litigation handled by external panel firms. You’ll also play a leadership role by supervising junior team members and supporting their development. Your responsibilities will include making sound technical decisions on dispute resolution matters and offering commercially focused legal advice that helps maximise fund performance while mitigating legal and reputational risks.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include delivering high-quality legal advice on real estate dispute resolution, managing a personal caseload, overseeing complex litigation with external firms, supervising junior team members, and providing commercially focused guidance to support fund performance and risk management.

Skills and experience we’re looking for

• Relevant degree or equivalent experience / Admitted as a solicitor in England or Wales, or ILEX fellow.
• Post qualification experience within commercial real estate dispute resolution
• Demonstrate a consistently positive attitude, effectively resolve challenges through collaboration, and maintain a solutions-oriented mindset to achieve the best outcomes for clients and the business
• Experience of dealing with clients at senior management level including an understanding of when matters need to be escalated to senior stakeholders from a risk perspective
• Knowledge and experience of residential leasehold matters would be desirable but not essential

What you’ll get for this role

• Generous pension scheme - Aviva will contribute up to 14%, depending on what you put in
• Eligibility for annual performance bonus
• Family friendly parental and carer’s leave
• Generous holiday entitlement plus bank holidays with the option to buy/sell up to 5 additional days
• Up to 40% discount for Aviva products
• Aviva-funded private medical benefit to help you get expert support when you need it
• Brilliant flexible benefits including electric cars
• Aviva Matching Share Plan and Save As You Earn scheme
• 21 volunteering hours per year

Aviva is for everyone

We’re inclusive and welcome everyone – we want applications from all backgrounds and experiences. Excited but not sure you tick every box? Even if you don’t, we would still encourage you to apply. We also consider all forms of flexible working, including part time and job shares.

We flex locations, hours and working patterns to suit our customers, business, and you. Most of our people are smart working – spending around 50% of their time in our offices every week - combining the benefits of flexibility, with time together with colleagues.

To find out more about working at Aviva take a look.

We interview every disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria for the job. Once you’ve applied, please send us an email stating that you have a disclosed disability, and we’ll interview you.

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