Associate - SevenoaksBirketts 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 42% of our partnership.The Residential Development Team at Birketts is expanding. The team includes 5 partners and 40 other fee earners at all levels working collaboratively together across six of Birketts seven offices specialising in the acquisition, sale and development of land for an array of national and SME Residential Developers and Registered Providers.The Residential Development Team sits within Birketts highly regarded and one of the UKs largest dedicated Real Estate teams. Our property lawyers are particularly experienced in dealing with development and investment, planning, secured lending and landlord and tenant matters.The team works closely with colleagues across planning, tax, construction, environmental and real estate litigation to deliver joined up, commercially focused advice on major development schemes.Responsibilities include:Drafting and negotiating on relevant contracts, deeds, documents, advice notes, letters and correspondence tailored to the clients individual needs and requirements.Acting as a key point of contact for clients, building trusted relationships, and identifying opportunities to add value.Participating in marketing and networking initiatives.Ownership of personal financial performance, demonstrating accountability and a commercial mindset.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.A minimum of 3 years PQE in a professional legal environmentExperience building credibility and trust through effective relationships and business developmentStrong attention to detail to produce work documentation which is consistently of a high standardProfessional integrity with commitment to providing excellent client service and an eye for identifying and leveraging opportunitiesTo be competent in using Microsoft Word, Excel, time recording software, case management, Outlook and digital dictationBirketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. This role attracts a split of 80% office days and 20% working from home days per week.As a Birketts colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits:25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank HolidaysLong Service holiday award 1 extra week every 10 years continuous servicePrivate Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus SchemeSalary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health InsurancePaid CSR DayEnhanced Maternity/Paternity LeaveSubsidised gym membershipElectric car schemeDress for your Day PolicyYou can find out more on our website:https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/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.