Senior Associate - Commercial Property

Stone King; Ledston; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit Share Scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Private Medical Insurance

Life assurance (4 x salary)

31 days holiday

Job summary

Stone King LLP seeks a Senior Associate to join its National Real Estate team, based in Bath, Birmingham, or Leeds, with hybrid working arrangements. The role offers scope to build and lead within the Real Estate practice and develop client relationships across sectors.

The ideal candidate will have extensive Commercial Property experience, leadership skills and a track record in business development, supporting growth and cross‑selling across the firm.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience as a solicitor specialising in commercial property with a mixed portfolio of complex transactions.
• Experience supervising and developing other team members is essential.
• Proactive business development and marketing to generate revenue streams and cross-sell services.

Responsibilities

• Manage a varied caseload of commercial property matters including acquisitions, disposals, landlord and tenant work, development projects and property finance.
• Lead complex real estate transactions from instruction to completion with efficient delivery.
• Provide clear, pragmatic legal advice to developers, investors, occupiers, lenders and landowners.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships as a trusted adviser and principal contact.
• Draft, review and negotiate leases, agreements for lease, sale contracts, licences and related documents.
• Collaborate with Corporate, Construction and Planning teams on cross‑sector deals.
• Identify and manage legal and commercial risks with practical solutions for client objectives.
• Supervise and support junior solicitors, trainees and staff within the team.
• Contribute to business development events, seminars and thought leadership.

Skills

Commercial Property

Supervision

Business development

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Qualified solicitor

Job description

At Stone King, we're a purpose-driven law firm with a clear ambition: to deliver positive societal impact through the work we do with and for our clients. Since 1785, we've combined a proud heritage with a forward-looking approach, embracing change and investing in our future.

We work with many organisations and individuals who share our commitment to making a difference, including charities, social enterprises, faith-based organisations, educational institutions, businesses, public sector organisations and private individuals. We are nationally recognised for our expertise across the sectors we serve and are consistently ranked by Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500. Many of our lawyers are recognised as leading practitioners in their fields, reflecting the depth of expertise, sector knowledge and client service we provide.

We foster an inclusive and supportive culture where different perspectives are valued, people are empowered to develop and thrive.

Our lawyers are more than legal advisers. They are trusted partners, problem-solvers and collaborators, helping clients navigate complex challenges, achieve their ambitions and create lasting positive impact in the communities they serve.

The opportunity

We have a unique opportunity for a senior associate to join our nationally renowned and highly regarded Real Estate team, based from our Bath, Birmingham, or Leeds office, this role also offers a hybrid working environment. The successful candidate will have prospect of career development with scope to build and lead within the Real Estate team.

Reasons to apply

• Opportunity to gain invaluable experience across our Real Estate Team, you’ll have the opportunity to work closely with our specialists across the firm.
• To be part of an ambitious and collaborative national firm where our culture and values are at the heart of everything we do. We believe our people are our greatest asset and strive to create the best place to work.
• Excellent benefits for our people, with a focus on wellbeing and development at the forefront.
• Hybrid working - Stone King are proud to be signatories of the Mindful Business Charter as part of our commitment to mental health and wellbeing. We want to support all of our people in achieving a healthy work/ life balance and would be happy to speak with prospective candidates about flexible working arrangements.

Key Responsibilities

General duties include, but are not limited to:

• Manage a varied caseload of commercial property matters, including acquisitions, disposals, landlord and tenant work, development projects, and property finance transactions.
• Lead complex real estate transactions from instruction through to completion, ensuring matters are delivered efficiently and commercially.
• Provide clear, pragmatic legal advice to a broad range of clients, including developers, investors, occupiers, lenders, and landowners.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships, acting as a trusted adviser and key point of contact.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial property documentation, including leases, agreements for lease, sale contracts, licences, and ancillary documents.
• Collaborate with colleagues across Corporate, Construction, and Planning teams on cross-sector transactions.
• Identify and manage legal and commercial risks, offering practical solutions to support client objectives.
• Supervise, mentor, and support the development of junior solicitors, trainees, and support staff within the team.
• Contribute to business development initiatives, including networking, client events, seminars, and thought leadership activities.
• Support the growth of the Commercial Property team through active participation in client relationship management and new business opportunities.
• Maintain a strong awareness of market trends and developments affecting the commercial real estate sector.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, professional, and firm-wide risk management procedures.

Requirements

• The ideal candidate will have extensive experience working as a solicitor with Commercial Property law carrying out complex transactions with no supervision and having a mixed portfolio of work they have experienced.
• Experience of supervision and development of other team members is essential.
• Previous experience of pro-active business development and marketing; ability to demonstrate generation of new revenue streams and be able to promote the firm and cross-sell other specialisms internally and externally. Typical business development opportunities would include but are not limited to: attending seminars and networking events, presenting workshops to the firm’s client and being involved in pitches/tenders.
• Candidates should be well-organised, technically proficient and a leader.
• Have excellent communication skills, addressing any potentially difficult conversations promptly and with skill.
• Proven experience in independently managing a caseload, demonstrating strong organisational skills and good financial hygiene (e.g. accurate time recording, billing discipline, and cost awareness).
• Experience in a similar role would be advantageous.

Personal Attributes

• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and confidence to challenge constructively and offer alternative approaches.
• Solutions focused approach with drive to improve processes and outcomes.
• Strong organisation skills, taking full ownership of tasks and ensuring delivery within agreed deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey ideas and influence decision‑making effectively.
• Adaptable approach in managing workload and supporting others.
• Ability to work collaboratively and team‑first attitude.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Individual differences are embraced at Stone King, and we strive to create an environment in which people feel supported and able to be themselves. We are committed to promoting an inclusive working environment that supports the growth and development for all. We are proud to be signatories of the Mindful Business Charter, the Race Fairness Commitment, and the Age Friendly Employer Pledge, and we are a Disability Confident Employer.

Stone King LLP is committed to offering an interview to any job applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the role as defined by the job description and person specification. A full copy of the person specification and job description can be provided by contacting our Recruitment team. In some recruitment situations such as high-peak times, we might need to limit the overall numbers of interviews we offer. This will include the number of interviews offered to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria. When that happens, we’ll still aim to offer a proportionate number of interviews to disabled applicants.

We aim to make our recruitment process as inclusive as possible and will make reasonable adjustments where needed. To discuss adjustments or request information in an alternative format, please contact our recruitment team at [e-mail] or 01225 326770.

Stone King LLP is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity by encouraging all our staff to achieve their full potential and guaranteeing that all employment decisions are taken without reference to irrelevant information or discriminatory practices.

• Profit Share Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• Life assurance (4 x salary)
• 31 days holiday (in addition to statutory UK holidays)
• Additional day allocated for CSR activities per annum

Stone King LLP is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity by encouraging all our staff to achieve their full potential and guaranteeing that all employment decisions are taken without reference to irrelevant information or discriminatory practices.