NQ Solicitor +

Birketts; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Birketts, a leading UK law firm, seeks a Solicitor/Associate for high-profile commercial property disputes in its Bristol office. The role offers opportunities to work alongside acclaimed legal professionals and engage diverse clients, with a focus on contributing to business development within a supportive team environment. Exceptional attention to detail and strong communication skills are crucial to delivering precise legal advice and nurturing client relationships, while hybrid working arrangements support work-life balance.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays

Private Healthcare with BUPA

Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% employee)

Life Assurance - 4 x salary

Paid CSR Day

Subsidised gym membership

Agile/Hybrid Working Policy

Qualifications

• Pro-active and shows initiative.
• Enjoys helping and working alongside others.
• Able to think clearly under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Advise high-profile commercial clients on property disputes.
• Manage a caseload of varied property matters including contracts and landlord-tenant issues.
• Contribute to business development and networking efforts.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication

Teamwork

Resilience

Analytical thinking

Job description

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Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.

Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 5th best law firm to work at in 2024.

With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 40% of our partnership.

The department

The firm

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.

Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 5th best law firm to work at in 2024.

With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 40% of our partnership.

The department

This is an exciting and unique opportunity to engage in high quality and specialist property disputes work within a leading UK firm and receive dedicated support from Partners and other senior lawyers both locally and across the national team.

You will be working alongside:

Senior Partner, Patrick Wetherall, who has been ranked in Chambers as a Band 1 individual for Real Estate Litigation and in Legal 500 as a Leading Individual for Property Litigation for the past 16 years: “A superstar”; “One of the most experienced and accomplished property litigators in the country”; and “utterly unflappable, calm and measured whatever he’s faced with”.

Partner, Stephanie Kingdon, who leads the Property Disputes team in Bristol, is ranked in Legal 500 as a Next Generation Partner for Real Estate Property Litigation in the South West: “Extremely knowledgeable and competent advisor”; “extremely effective at targeting client goals and formulating litigation strategy to suit the goals of the client”; “really great engaged with clients” and “works hard to achieve results for clients”.

Legal Director, Lucia Mills, who specialises in applications under the Trusts of Land and Appointments of Trustees Act 1996 (TOLATA) with a focus on resolving trusts of land disputes and cohabitation disputes. Lucia’s expertise is widely recognised in Legal 500: “an excellent breadth of knowledge as regards disputes over beneficial interests in property due to her TOLATA specialism”.

The strength and depth of the Bristol team means we can offer opportunities for talented lawyers to work on high value, high profile and strategic regional and national matters.

The EQ building has a dedicated cycle ramp at the front door and more than 260 cycle spaces, high quality changing and shower facilities, meditation room, ground floor café kitchen, 50 seat auditorium, fitness suite, co-working areas and a stunning rooftop bar with large south facing terrace.

Accountabilities

In this role you will:

• Advise and support a wide array of high-profile commercial clients including national and regional commercial property owners, landlords and tenants, investors, large retailers, transport and renewable entities and developers.
• Work across a broad range of contentious property matters, for example disputes concerning development land and property contracts as well as commercial landlord and tenant issues such as lease renewals and termination, disrepair and dilapidations, break notices, forfeiture and breach of lease covenants including consent issues and service charge disputes.
• Assist with property disputes in the energy and renewables sector including title and ownership issues, securing appropriate land rights for projects, dealing with issues of interpretation and enforcement with, for example, agreements for lease or purchase, options and overage agreements, land rights (including easements and restrictive covenants) and trespass and nuisance claims.
• Support our specialist team in helping clients to resolve property trust disputes under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (TOLATA).
• Play an important role in networking and business development as the firm continues to build its client base and grow the Bristol Property Disputes team.
• Build and manage your own caseload of property disputes matters, working closely with experienced Partners and Legal Director in the Bristol team as well as assist and support other senior lawyers across the national team.

The candidate

We are seeking a Solicitor/Associate who:

• is pro-active and shows initiative
• is a great team player and good communicator
• has excellent attention to detail
• has strong listening, researching and writing skills
• enjoys helping and working alongside others
• is resilient and able to think commercially and analytically so as to provide accurate and practical advice to clients which meets their aims and objectives
• is able to think clearly under pressure
• has competent financial management, including accurate time recording, billing and management of WIP

Equal opportunities

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Alongside a flexible and inclusive work environment, we offer the following core benefits:

• 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays (rising to 30 days)
• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
• Dress for your Day Policy

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.