Residential Development Solicitor

Our residential team is a nationally dominant sector-focused team advising leading UK housebuilders, developers and landowners on the acquisition, development and disposal of land.

The team is appointed to legal panels for PLC clients and private companies operating across the country and has over 30 years' experience handling all types of development schemes from inception to completion.

Due to continued growth, we are now seeking to further recruit into our Newcastle team. This role will incorporate a broad range of work for house builders and developers, including site acquisitions, conditional contracts, estate set up and management work, options, development and infrastructure agreements alongside handling and assisting real estate colleagues on private and public sector projects and work streams.

We are keen to hear from candidates currently employed within commercial development, property and residential teams looking to join a dynamic and ambitious team.

The post-holder will be expected to work as part of the Newcastle team and work closely with the national team, providing support to colleagues and service teams operating outside of the local office.

Core Responsibilities

Key activities are likely to include involvement in the role will include:
* Act as first and primary contact for leading UK national and regional clients on a day to day basis providing them with commercially focused legal advice and assisting with training and client relationship management programmes.
* Adhering closely to client protocol and process.
* Provide supervision and coaching to junior fee earners, where appropriate.
* Make an appropriate contribution to non fee-earning activity e.g. knowledge sharing, training, precedents, client seminars and business development.
* Comply with the required standards for internal procedures e.g. financial management of files, billing regimes etc. as well as the specific requirements of individual clients.
* Writing articles for publication both for in-house and external publications.
* Handle confidential information in line with the firm's data and client security protocols.

Key skills

* A solicitor with 5 years or more experience in Real Estate typically to have been gained experience in commercial and/or residential development work, carrying out and supervising due diligence, reviewing and reporting on title issues and negotiating contracts, acquisitions and disposals.
* Ability to deliver against client protocols and KPIs.
* Strong technical skills and an ability to understand and work through complex issues.
* A demonstrable ability to adopt a commercial perspective rather than an 'academic' approach to legal issues and to be highly client focused.
* Ability to operate with a high level of self sufficiency, combined with an awareness of the boundaries of own competence/authority.
* Team oriented and collegiate with an experience of and a willingness to mentor, coach and supervise less experienced members of teams.
* Exposure to and success within business development activities.
* Confident communicator with an ability to develop relationships undertakes client marketing and influence at all levels. Ability to deal confidently and professionally with clients on day to day issues, building up strong relationships.
* Strong organisation skills to ensure a pragmatic and methodical approach to handling a variety of Real Estate matters simultaneously through IT applications and case management systems, delegating work, as appropriate.
* Change oriented with a positive, flexible approach towards the implementation of new initiatives.
* Able to handle a complex and constantly changing workload and to work under pressure.
* Detail conscious with a concern for quality.

The team

Our Real Estate Team covers every aspect of commercial real estate work including planning and environmental, commercial and residential development, investment, asset management, funding, construction, landlord and tenant and dispute resolution. Clients include national housebuilders, property management and development companies, health trusts and government bodies (local and central), owner occupiers and institutions, both in the UK and overseas.

Teams are drawn from our offices across the country (London, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Bristol), ensuring our clients benefit from a combination of the most appropriately experienced team and local market knowledge.

Lipson Lloyd Jones Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.