Purpose of job
You will join a highly successful, leading Agriculture and Estates team who are seeing substantial growth, resulting in the need for extra resource to take forward ambitious plans for the future.
The Agriculture and Estates team in Chelmsford is led by Annabelle Rout, and overall Team Leader is Chris Coupland who along with other team members will guide and support you throughout your career at Birketts LLP. The team's expertise covers a variety of different types of rural issues including:
1. Sales and acquisitions of agricultural property and land (including options, overages and pre-emption agreements);
2. Agricultural tenancies;
3. Sporting and fishing rights;
4. Banking and re-financing agricultural properties;
5. Residential conveyancing and tenancy advice for farming and estate clients;
6. Business structures and joint venture/collaborative agreements;
7. Diversification issues;
8. Succession planning;
9. Working with the wider Private Client and tax teams advising on:
10. Wills, trust planning and probate matters
11. Tax Advice in relation to IHT, SDLT, BADR, CGT and VAT
12. Renewable Energy and Natural Capital Schemes
13. Basic payment scheme, agri-environment and ELMS scheme issues.
Your work would include:
14. Drafting, negotiating and agreeing documentation for property sales and purchases, deeds of easement and other property-related documents;
15. Managing your own smaller transactions and liaising with other team members on larger transactions
16. Attending meetings with clients and other law firms
17. Attending business development events
The candidate
We are seeking an ambitious, driven and forward thinking NQ / Solicitor, with 0-3 years PQE, with a passion for rural matters and an interest in Agricultural law to come and join our growing team on a full time permanent basis.
You will need to demonstrate strong attention to detail in order to produce work/ documentation which is consistently of a high standard. You will have a flexible approach to work to ensure client deadlines are always met and clients are communicated with on a consistent and regular basis and an interest in and aptitude for business development.
Prior experience of Agricultural law is not essential, but candidates must be able to demonstrate a genuine interest in becoming a specialist within this area. Candidates with good quality experience of either Private Client or Property who have a desire to specialise in Agriculture and Estates would be highly suited.
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:
18. 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays, rising to 30 days with service
19. Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
20. Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
21. Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
22. Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
23. Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
24. Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
25. Paid CSR Day
26. Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
27. Subsidised gym membership
28. Electric car scheme
29. Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
30. 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.