Senior Associate / Legal Director

Birketts; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK law firm is seeking a Senior Associate or Legal Director for their expanding Real Estate Investment Team. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in real estate investment transactions and a strong academic background. This role offers excellent career prospects within a supportive and dynamic work environment.

Benefits

30 days holiday plus Bank Holidays

Private Healthcare with BUPA

Scottish Widows Pension Scheme

Staff Profit Share

Life Assurance

Subsidised gym membership

Agile/Hybrid Working Policy

Qualifications

• 6+ years' PQE experience in real estate investment transactions.
• Ability to provide tailored commercial advice under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Conduct acquisitions and disposals for real estate.
• Lead business development initiatives and supervise junior team members.

Skills

Commercial Awareness

Analytical Thinking

Attention to Detail

Education

Strong Academic Background

Job description

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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: property, corporate services, litigation and private client advisory.

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 Real Estate Investment Team at Birketts is expanding! We are seeking a Senior Associate or Legal Director to come and join us based in any of our seven offices.

Together, as a collaborative firm, we have close to 1000 people working with us and we are ranked highly in the Legal 500 across all areas we practice in. We are people orientated, offering a dynamic, progressive and supportive culture.

Our Real Estate Investment team is dedicated to acting for some of the most prestigious and sophisticated real estate investors globally and this is a key mandate driven by sustained growth and client demand.
Accountabilities
The real estate investment team has extensive combined experience and the ideal candidate will possess experience in the following areas:

• Conditional and unconditional acquisitions and disposals (including corporate real estate/wrapper expertise)
• Portfolio acquisitions, disposals and asset management
• Portfolio financings

Acting for landlords and tenants across multiple sectors in relation to:

- Leases

- Surrenders

- Conditional and unconditional agreements for lease

- Management matters such as licences to assign, alter etc

• Being an integral part of the business development initiatives and growth strategy of the Real Estate Investment Team

The candidate
We are seeking a candidate who is a solicitor with ideally 6+ years' PQE experience gained within a well-regarded city, regional or national firm with a well-developed knowledge in real estate investment transactions.

The successful candidate will have an excellent knowledge of the law yet be able to think commercially and analytically so as to provide accurate and practical advice to company clients which is tailored to their needs, with an ability to think clearly under pressure. You will also be expected to play an active role in marketing and practice development as well as providing a high level of service to existing clients.

The successful candidate will also be involved in team leadership and supervision of junior members of the team, also supporting the leadership teams across all offices.

Birketts has designed a 'Talent Management Framework' which provides a career structure that will help us develop, retain and reward talented people. Promotion is based on assessment of your performance, competency and achievements.

This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious real estate investment lawyer to join a successful team in a growing firm which enjoys an excellent reputation and can offer good career prospects.
Qualifications/Experience

• 6 years'+ PQE gained within a strong regional, national or City firm
• Real estate investment experience
• Strong academic background
• A high attention to detail to produce work/ documentation which is consistently of a high standard
• To have a flexible approach to work to ensure client deadlines are always met and clients are communicated with on a consistent and regular basis.
• Interest in and aptitude for business development

The information provided in relation to PQE is provided for guidance only and will not be determinative in the recruitment decision. Any applicant with more or less PQE than that mentioned in the vacancy details will be considered on their individual merits.
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:

• 30 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
• 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

https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/

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.