Solicitor - Property Disputes

Birketts LLP; Sevenoaks; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday (FTE)

Private Healthcare

Pension Scheme

Staff Profit Share

Life Assurance

Dress for your Day Policy

Job summary

Birketts LLP in Sevenoaks is seeking a Solicitor/Associate (NQ - 3 years PQE) to join our Property Disputes team. You will handle high-value, high-profile matters for national and regional clients, with exposure to development land, leases, dilapidations, and professional negligence issues.

The role offers a hybrid working model with a 60% office / 40% home split after probation, opportunities for career progression, and meaningful networking to develop the firm's business.

Qualifications

• Completed recognised training contract or equivalent qualifying experience
• Demonstrable interest and foundational knowledge in property disputes
• Strong attention to detail to produce work of high standard
• Professional integrity and commitment to client service
• Competent in Microsoft Word, Excel, time recording software, case management, Outlook and digital dictation

Responsibilities

• Advise and support high-profile commercial clients in property disputes
• Work across contentious property matters including leases, dilapidations and development land issues
• Assist with disputes in energy, renewables and real estate development sectors
• Network and contribute to business development
• Build and manage your own caseload of matters
• Direct communication with clients and advisers

Skills

Training contract

PQE 0-3 years

Attention to detail

Client service

Professional integrity

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Outlook

Time recording software

Case management

Digital dictation

Job description

About us

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.

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 Sevenoaks 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 on additional responsibilities 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.

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 6 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.

Benefits

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

• 25 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
• Dress for your Day Policy

You can find out more on our website: https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/

Inclusivity and Culture

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 visit https://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.

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]