Senior Private Client Lawyer

Thornton Legal; Chester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Thornton Legal is seeking a senior Private Client lawyer to drive growth in its Chester office, joining an established private client practice backed by a larger legal group. The role emphasizes high-quality client work, relationship development and business development within the Chester market.

You will join a growing regional practice with central support and local autonomy, while leveraging a supportive infrastructure to manage responsibilities effectively.

Qualifications

• Strong Private Client experience across related matters.
• Credibility with clients and professional contacts in Cheshire.
• Ability to contribute to growth of Private Client practice locally.

Responsibilities

• Advising on a broad range of private client matters.
• Developing relationships with accountants, financial advisers and other professional contacts.
• Building on your existing network within Chester and the wider Cheshire market.
• Raising the profile of the Private Client practice locally.
• Working alongside experienced colleagues across the wider practice.

Skills

Relationship building

Business development

Private Client expertise

Job description

Chester | Hybrid working | Senior-level package

We’re working with an established regional law firm looking for a senior Private Client lawyer to play an important role in the continued development of its Chester office.

This isn’t simply another senior fee-earning appointment. The firm wants someone who understands the Chester and wider Cheshire market, has established professional relationships and would value the opportunity to help develop the Private Client practice locally.

The opportunity

You’ll join an established wider Private Client practice, with the infrastructure and resources of a larger legal group behind you.

In Chester, there is genuine scope to make an impact. The firm is growing the office carefully and wants to strengthen its local presence through an established lawyer who can combine high-quality client work with relationship building and business development.

The role is likely to include:

• Advising on a broad range of private client matters
• Developing relationships with accountants, financial advisers and other professional contacts
• Building on your existing network within Chester and the wider Cheshire market
• Raising the profile of the Private Client practice locally
• Working alongside experienced colleagues across the wider practice
• Helping shape the continued development of the Chester offering

You won’t be expected to arrive with a book of business ready to transfer.

What matters is that you’re credible in the local market, have relationships you can develop and understand how a senior lawyer can contribute to the growth of a practice.

The firm

This is a growing regional practice backed by a larger legal group.

Central support provides the infrastructure, technology, HR, finance and wider resources you’d expect from a larger organisation, while individual offices and teams retain a significant degree of autonomy.

The culture is collaborative and relatively informal. Growth is considered rather than driven simply by headcount, and finding the right person for the team matters.

Hybrid and flexible working are established, with senior lawyers trusted to manage their responsibilities sensibly.

Who would this suit?

We’re deliberately not setting an arbitrary PQE threshold. You could currently be a Senior Associate, Legal Director or Partner.

More important is what you’ve built during your career.

You’ll be an established Private Client lawyer with strong technical experience, credibility with clients and professional contacts, and a good understanding of the Chester or wider Cheshire market.

You may already be active in business development. Alternatively, you may have developed a strong network but not had the freedom, support or platform to make full use of it.

Either way, you’ll be looking for a move that offers more than another caseload.

Why consider it?

For the right lawyer, this is an opportunity to take what you’ve already built and have greater influence over what comes next.

You’ll have the backing and resources of an established practice and larger group, while retaining the autonomy and local relationships that matter at this level.

If you’re settled where you are but interested in whether there could be a stronger long-term platform for your practice, an initial conversation can take place discreetly, and you don’t need a CV to start.

For more information, please contact Joe Rees at Thornton Legal on 07903 222 898 or [e-mail].

Thornton Legal connects talented lawyers with leading law firms across the North West, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands. We believe in straightforward, transparent recruitment that focuses on quality relationships, not volume.