Solicitor

Birketts LLP; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Long Service holiday award

Private Healthcare with BUPA

Staff Profit Share & Bonus scheme

Salary sacrifice (Pensions)

Life Assurance - 4x salary

Job summary

Birketts is seeking a Solicitor/Associate (NQ-3 PQE) to join the Property Disputes team in Cambridge. You will gain exposure to high-value regional and national matters and develop through career progression.

The role offers a hybrid working arrangement with a 60% office / 40% home split after probation, and a supportive environment for developing clients and managing your own caseload.

Qualifications

• Completion of a recognised training contract or equivalent qualifying experience
• Demonstrable interest and foundational knowledge in chosen practice area
• Strong attention to detail to produce work documentation of high standard
• Professional integrity and commitment to excellent client service
• Competence in using Microsoft Word, Excel, time recording software, case management, Outlook and digital dictation

Responsibilities

• Advise and support a wide array of high-profile commercial clients including national and regional commercial property owners, landlords and tenants, investors, developers, promoters, education providers, charities and other stakeholders.
• Work across a broad range of contentious property matters including disputes over development land, leases, dilapidations and service charge disputes.
• Assist with property disputes in energy, renewables and real estate development sectors, including land rights and agreements.
• Play a role in networking and business development.
• Build and manage your own caseload of matters.
• Direct communication with clients, advisers and other stakeholders

Skills

Attention to detail

Client service

Integrity

Microsoft Word/Outlook

Education

Training contract completed or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Time recording software

Case management

Outlook

Digital dictation

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 Property Disputes Team sits within our wider Dispute Resolution Division and acts for a wide range of clients including corporate clients, partnerships, trusts, registered social landlords and individual clients in both the public and private sectors.

The work you will be doing

We are seeking a Solicitor / Associate (NQ - 3 years PQE) to join our growing Property Disputes team in our Cambridge Office.

The strength and depth of our team means you will gain exposure to high-value, high-profile, strategic regional and national matters, with excellent opportunities for career development.

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, developers, promotors, education providers, charities and other stakeholders.
• Work across a broad range of contentious property matters, for example disputes concerning development land and property contracts; commercial landlord and tenant matters such as lease renewals and termination, disrepair and dilapidations, break notices, forfeiture and breach of lease covenants including consent issues and service charge disputes and exposure to professional negligence matters.
• Assist with property disputes in the energy and renewables and real estate development sectors including title and ownership issues, securing appropriate land rights for projects and developments, interpretation and enforcement of agreements for lease or purchase, options and overage, land rights (including easements and restrictive covenants) and trespass and nuisance claims.
• Play an important role in networking and business development.
• Build and manage your own caseload of matters.
• Direct communication with clients, advisers and other relevant stakeholders

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 onadditionalresponsibilities when requested.

What we are looking for

We have designed a 'Talent Management Framework' which provides a career structure that will help us develop, retain and reward talented people. As a Solicitor, we typically expect candidates to have between 0–3 years PQE.

• Completion of a recognised training contract or equivalent qualifying experience
• Demonstrable interest and foundational knowledge in chosen practice area
• 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

Any information provided in relation to PQE should be used for guidance only and will not be determinative in the recruitment decision. Applicants will be considered on their individual merits. 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. During your 3 month probation period, there will be a requirement to be in the office full time whilst you are developing in the role. Once you have successfully passed probation, 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, or 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.