Partner

Allhires; Chelmsford; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Long service holiday

Private healthcare

Profit share & bonus

Salary sacrifice

Life insurance

Job summary

Birketts, a UK Top 50 law firm, is seeking a Senior Private Client lawyer to lead the Private Client Advisory Team. You will advise high-net-worth individuals and families on estates, trusts and tax planning, while developing client relationships and mentoring junior lawyers.

The role offers hybrid working (60% office / 40% home) and a focus on client service, strategy, and business development. Strong PQE and leadership skills are essential.

Qualifications

• 10 years’+ PQE gained within a strong regional, national or City firm.
• Proven track record of advising high net worth clients in all areas of private client advisory law.
• Drives efficient time recording, profitable pricing, strong cash flow, and team gross profit delivery.
• Leads business development and high-profile pitches, builds a strong market presence, wins new clients, and drives cross-selling opportunities.
• Delivers exceptional project and client management, consistently meeting expectations through strong communication and deep client understanding.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong relationships with high-net-worth clients.
• Provide tailored private client advisory services including succession planning, tax advice, wills and estate administration.
• Lead and mentor a team of junior lawyers, fostering collaboration and professional development.
• Oversee workload and performance to ensure efficient service delivery.
• Contribute to the firm’s strategic plan and regional growth of the Private Client Advisory Team.
• Participate in networking events, conferences and business development activities.

Skills

Client relationships

Tax planning

Wills & estates

Trusts

Team leadership

Business development

Drafting documents

Regulatory compliance

Time management

Communication

Education

Solicitor qualification

Tools

MS Word

Excel

Outlook

Case management

Dictation software

Job description

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 and over 600 staff 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 6th best law firm to work at in 2026.

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 45% of our partnership.

The team you will join

Our Private Client Advisory team sits within the wider Private Client Division. The team work across all seven of our offices and act as trusted advisers to individuals, families, trustees, family or owner-run businesses and trust companies both in the UK and internationally.

They place particular priority on continuity and fostering close long-term relationships with contacts and clients in order to provide practical advice and commercial solutions on a very wide variety of tax, trust and estate planning situations that arise.

We are proud to be accredited as a STEP Employer Partner, demonstrating our commitment to the continuous professional development of our trust and estate practitioners.

The work you will be doing

• Build and maintain strong relationship with high-net-worth clients.
• Provide tailored legal advice on succession planning, tax advice, wills and estate administration.
• Ensure client need are met with the highest standard of professionalism and efficiency.
• Identify opportunities for expanding client relationships and cross-selling additional services.
• Draft and review complex legal documents including will, trust and powers of attorney.
• Advise clients on mitigating tax liabilities and structuring their estates effectively.
• Lead and mentor a team of junior lawyers fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment.
• Provide guidance and training to other team members ensuring continuous professional development.
• Oversee the workload and performance of the team, ensuring efficient and effective service delivery.
• Contribute to the development and execution of the firm’s strategic plan, particularly within the Private Client Advisory Team.
• Participate in networking events, conferences and other business development activities to promote the firm’s services.
• Develop and implement marketing initiatives to attract new clients and retain existing ones.
• Monitor and report on market trends, client feedback and competitive activity to inform strategic decisions.
• Lead efforts to establish and grow the firm’s presence in the region, leveraging local networks and industry contacts.
• Ensure all activities comply with relevant laws, regulations and professional standards.
• Manage risks associated with client engagements, including identifying and mitigating potential conflicts of interest.
• Maintain accurate and up to date client records and documentation in accordance with legal and firm policies.

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.

What we are looking for

• 10 years’+ PQE gained within a strong regional, national or City firm.
• Proven track record of advising high net worth clients in all areas of private client advisory law.
• Drives efficient time recording, profitable pricing, strong cash flow, and team gross profit delivery.
• Leads business development and high-profile pitches, builds a strong market presence, wins new clients, and drives cross-selling opportunities.
• Delivers exceptional project and client management, consistently meeting expectations through strong communication and deep client understanding.
• Builds trust through strong relationships, continual professional development, clear communication of vision, and championing positive change.
• Demonstrates strong risk management, supports junior staff, upholds Lexcel standards, and maintains high compliance and file review performance.
• Demonstrated leadership and team management abilities.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail to produce work documentation which is consistently of a high standard
• Professional integrity and a commitment to providing excellent client service
• To be competent in using Microsoft Word, Excel, time recording software, case management, Outlook and digital dictation

Hybrid Working

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. This role attracts a split of 60% office days and 40% working from home days per week.

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.

As a Birketts colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits:

• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance

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.

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.

If you require this advert in an accessible format, please visithttps://diversityjobsgroup.com/company/birketts/

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

At Birketts, we recognise the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal profession and recruitment. We welcome innovation and understand that candidates may use AI tools to support their job applications. However, we expect all applicants to use AI responsibly and ethically.

Our expectations regarding AI use in applications:

• Your application should reflect your own voice, experiences, and insights. AI may assist in structuring or refining your responses, but it must not replace your personal input.
• Do not use AI to misrepresent your qualifications, experiences, and skills. Any form of exaggeration or fabrication may result in rejection from the process.
• If you have used AI tools to assist with your application, be prepared to discuss how and why you used them during the interview process.
• Do not submit content generated by AI tools that may include personal or sensitive data not intended for public disclosure.
• AI-generated content should be reviewed and edited by you to ensure accuracy, relevance, and alignment with the role and our firm’s values.

We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment practices. The use of AI should enhance, not compromise your application. We encourage candidates to demonstrate critical thinking, commercial awareness, and a genuine interest in our firm.

If you have any questions about our expectations or the use of AI in your application, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team via [e-mail]