Purpose of job
The Residential Development Team acts for a broad range of developers (both small regional companies to national developers), affordable housing providers, local authorities, promoters and landowners.
Developments we work on regularly range from 5 to 4,000 dwellings, and can in some instances be worked on for 10 years or more, giving the team members extensive opportunities to grow long standing relationships with clients and a real sense of pride in schemes worked on.
All members of our Residential Development team play an active role in marketing and practice development as well as providing a high level of service to existing clients within the team.
This is an excellent opportunity to join a successful and growing team, joining a top 50 law firm which enjoys an excellent reputation and offers excellent and exciting career prospects. You will be based in one of the four offices set out above, supported and working with each local team, but also working collaboratively cross office with other team members.
Our Legal Talent framework can see Solicitors become Associates after 3/4 years and Senior Associates after 6 years with further promotion to Legal Director and Partner. We welcome candidates who can bring ambition, drive and growth to our team and in return we can offer the first-class training with a progressive career path.
Accountabilities
1. Working with and supporting senior fee earners across our offices in the Residential Development Team on a wide variety of residential development and strategic land acquisitions and disposals (options, conditional and unconditional contracts, promotion agreements)
2. Working on affordable housing transactions for both Registered Providers and private developers;
3. Carrying out title due diligence, reporting on title – including searches and site visits;
4. Understanding development infrastructure delivery and working on transfers and easements to bring services and access rights to development sites;
5. Dealing with lender requirements for development funding;
6. Proactively working with other specialisms within Birketts to ensure full and commercial advice is given to clients;
7. Drafting documents accurately and commercially;
8. Early responsibility and opportunity to network and grow client relationships.
9. Liaison with our plot sales team within Residential Development for site set up and handover, but this role is not to support the plot sales function.
The candidate
We are seeking two solicitors to come and join our Residential Development Team on a full time permanent basis. Preferably you will have trained within a well-regarded city, national or regional firm and already have experience in the residential development sector and wish to further specialise in this practice area.
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:
10. 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
11. Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
12. Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
13. Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
14. Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
15. Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
16. Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
17. Paid CSR Day
18. Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
19. Subsidised gym membership
20. Electric car scheme
21. Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
22. Dress for your Day Policy
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.