Associate / Senior Associate - Planning & Environmental (ref 1091)

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 based in 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: property, corporate services, litigation and private client advisory.

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 5th best law firm to work at in 2024.

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 40% of our partnership.

The department

Birketts is recruiting for an ambitious, driven and forward thinking lawyer to come and join our growing Planning and Environmental Team on a permanent basis.

'Legal Team of the Year 2019' by the Estates Gazettes Awards - We have one of the best regarded and largest dedicated property teams within the country, numbering over 200 specialists.

Our Planning and Environmental Team sits within the Property Division and is 23 people strong and growing. We are recognised in both Chambers and Legal 500 as being Top Tier and have been for many years.

Our lawyers come from a range of backgrounds, including major City practices, other major national and regional firms, industry and local government and include individuals with planning, rights of way, environmental and highways expertise. The depth and range of expertise means the team can work together in major and complex transactions on cost effective terms, providing our clients with true value for money and unrivalled expertise.

The team deals with a wide range of high quality planning and environmental work, much of which is complex, high value and high profile. Led by two Partners and supported by a diverse group of lawyers the team deals with six predominant practice areas, namely; Local Government, Housebuilder, Environmental, Strategic Land, Highways and Rights of Way and Compulsory Purchase and Development Consent Orders.

Purpose of job

If you are seeking a new, challenging role with a modern, forward-thinking firm, then this could be the role for you! You will be given significant responsibilities, with the opportunity to manage your own caseload as well as play a significant part in growing the practice.

You will provide professional, proactive, high level legal support to an allocated group of fee earners and to the wider fee earning team. The role is within a team that manages a diverse caseload of all types of planning and environmental work. In the main, the role will focus on delivering high quality planning advice to our local planning authority, housebuilder and development clients.

Experience of Planning, Environmental, Highways, CPO and Public Access law is very much preferred, but it is acknowledged that these areas are both broad, wide-ranging but also complex and detailed such that many candidates may only have limited experience in a number of these areas, if at all. Willingness to learn about those area where there is no experience is essential.

Accountabilities

Reporting to the Head of Team the role includes delivering high quality legal services to clients, performance and risk management and business development activities. The role requires management and control of varied caseload, workload, and risk management in relation to the role. It includes helping to develop relationships across departments and offices, as well as interaction with other law firms and professionals.

The role also involves working with the leadership team from time to time, assisting in the design, delivery and implementation of system changes, workflow and process improvements, as well as being involved in business development activities to promote the office and the business as a whole.

The candidate

We are see seeking an Associate / Senior Associate with a minimum of 5+ years PQE who ideally has gained experience within a regional, national or City firm with a well-developed knowledge in a range of Planning, Environmental and Compulsory Purchase.

You will be active in marketing and business development in order to expand this area of work and gain new clients, building good relationships with referrers in the local area.

The understanding to have a flexible approach to work to ensure client deadlines are always met and clients are communicated with on a consistent and regular basis.

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.

Equal opportunities

We are committed to recruiting individuals on merits of suitability for each role, on the basis of qualifications and experience. All applications are treated fairly and equally regardless of sexual orientation, race, disability, religious beliefs and any other protected characteristic, ensuring that there are equal opportunities at all stages of the recruitment process.

Benefits

One of the best things about joining Birketts is our rewards package. At Birketts we are appreciative of the people who work for us and our rewards package is reviewed regularly to reflect that. A competitive salary and benefits package is given but you can also expect a great team and supportive colleagues, a strong focus on diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities, a programme of wellbeing and mental health support and structured career development and study support.

https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/

• 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays (rising with service up to a maximum of 30 days). (Senior Associate starts on 30 days FTE)
• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare - BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share / Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Season Ticket Loan
• Gym Flex membership
• Electric car scheme
• Dress for your Day Policy
• Agile / hybrid working Policy
• 35 hour working week

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.