Job Description
Our market- leading UK transactional real estate business is growing and We are now looking for a property development lawyer with 4-8 YEARS’ PQE to join our team (applicants will be considered for Manchester, Birmingham or Leeds)
If you would like to be part of our successful team, then read on…
Did you know?
- We employ over 400 specialist real estate lawyers in the UK
- Our market leading practice is consistently recognised in the top tiers by both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners
- We have a dedicated team of lawyers who specialise in the delivery of public sector led development and regeneration projects across our UK network
- We are well connected to help make introductions, our clients include regional, national and global organisations in the public and private sectors, including investors, developers, banks and central and local government
- Law Firm of the Year at the Legal Business Awards 2021
“Full-service real estate practice acting for an impressive roster of blue-chip clients. Noted for its adept handling of investment, asset management and development matters, with expertise across a broad range of sectors, including commercial, automotive and retail. Regularly handles large residential development schemes and also enjoys a fine reputation for its real estate work in the energy and infrastructure spaces.”
Chambers and Partners 2022
Putting the role in context
Our team – you will be in good company!
You will be joining our Property Development & Investment Team which comprises our transactional real estate team which is one of the leading and most well-established teams in the city. We advise clients across the whole spectrum of real estate acquisition, development, funding, investment and asset management requirements. The role will be focussed on public sector-led property work, which will include advising either the public or the private sector on large scale city centre regeneration schemes, residential developments and the delivery of new garden communities, delivery of infrastructure such as highways and bridges and commercial developments where the public sector is playing a key role (either as our client or opposite our client).
- You will be working within an experienced team led by partner Anne Bowden, as well as legal director Louise Wager and Senior Associate Rebecca Rowley and a strong associate and solicitor team. Our UK public sector development team is described by the Legal500 as ‘professional and proactive’ with leading expertise in the housing regeneration space. Because of our reputation we work for numerous local authorities across the UK, combined authorities, central government bodies, Homes England and development corporations like Ebbsfleet Development Corporation.
- You will have frequent opportunities to work with colleagues in our planning and CPO, construction, banking, procurement, subsidy and projects teams who regularly work together on long term property-based projects and to develop your skills in dealing with individual components as well as working on large scale projects from start to finish.
- You’ll have a mix of work ranging from acquisitions and disposals, public sector grant funding agreements, strategic property advice to help clients decide the best way to deliver infrastructure, developer procurements and property input on joint ventures between public and private sector partners and everything in between.
- Our team thrive on lots of client contact from the most junior grades upwards, attending meetings and gaining experience from working with more senior colleagues from Day One. You’ll be fully integrated into projects and gain a broad and rich understanding of how to put together complex regeneration and development schemes, making the role rewarding and stimulating: every day is different.
Our clients
We have a strong forward book of business in this practice, supported by significant and long-standing client relationships, including:
- Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council & Hampshire County Council
- Bracknell Forest Borough Council
- Cardiff Capital Region
- Coventry City Council
- Crawley Borough Council
- Ebbsfleet Development Corporation
- Homes England
- Kent County Council
- Kier Property
- Leeds City Council
- Lendlease
- Liverpool City Council
- Lovell Partnerships
- Many London Boroughs including Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth, Hackney, Islington, Harrow, Redbridge and Waltham Forest
- Ministry of Defence
- Oxford City Council
- Rotherham Borough Council
- Sandwell Borough Council
- Urban & Civic
- Watford Borough Council
- Westminster City Council
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority
What our clients say about us:
“”Anne Bowden
“She is very knowledgeable, collaborative and good to deal with.” “She is extremely diligent and thorough but also personable and able to demystify complex issues.”
“Anne Bowden provides clear and concise legal advice which is centred on providing a commercial solution.” Legal500
Work highlights include:
- Advising the NEC Group on the property and commercial contracts with the NHS to enable the set up and use of the NEC site in Birmingham as a Nightingale Hospital.
- Acting for the Urban Growth Company a development company created by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in connection with the £300m upgrade of Birmingham International railway station.
- Advising Homes England and numerous local authorities on the payment of, and receipt of, grant funding pursuant to the Housing Infrastructure Fund (forward fund) for the strategically important unlocking of significant housing sites for delivery through the payment of significant funding for delivery of (otherwise unviable) infrastructure.
- Advising the London Borough of Waltham Forest on its procurement of a development partner (through the GLA’s London Development Panel 2 framework) to deliver the Waltham Forest Town Hall Campus development.
- Advising Cardiff Council and nine other regional local authorities on the establishment and implementation of the £1.2bn City Deal, acquiring a huge strategic site for future development in the region and running a housing viability funding programme for them.
- Advising several councils (including Coventry City Council, Solihull Metropolitan Council and Rugby Council) on the joint procurement of a new state of the art waste materials recycling facility which will be owned and financed by the councils via a corporate joint venture vehicle.
- Advising Bracknell Forest Borough Council on the procurement of a private sector partner, Countryside, to establish a corporate joint venture for the development of a number of council owned sites in the borough.
Our vacancy
We are now looking to appoint a lawyer to join our team who:
- is a real estate lawyer with 4+ years’ PQE
- has gained experience in a large commercial firm or in-house legal team dealing with local authorities, government bodies or private sector clients who work with the public sector. Ideally we would be interested in someone with development-related work including involvement in residential developments, mixed use developments and/or regeneration projects whether for the public or private sector
- is a proven team player, able to forge strong working relationships with colleagues in an agile environment
- has excellent academics, is technically accomplished, with sound commercial judgment
- has the interpersonal skills necessary for developing on-going relationships with an existing client base as well as helping to win and grow new opportunities
What will we offer you?
- The opportunity to play a key role in our local government practice, working closely with, and becoming an integral part of, the well-established national local government team across the PM offices.
- The chance to be involved in a wide variety of complex and intellectually challenging transactions for major clients that will enable you to develop your legal and practical skills and experience and take your career to the next level
- The investment we make in you through our first-class training and career development programme – we will help you to develop as an all-round development lawyer, with exposure to valuable sector-focused experience and the opportunity to deliver "best in class" services.
- The opportunity to take responsibility for your matters and grow a strong network of client and colleague relationships, both within the Midlands and via our UK and international network
- Competitive salary and benefits package including a generous bonus scheme
To apply for this role
Should you require further details, please contact our in-house Lateral Recruitment Advisor Anwen Wallington who can discuss the role and requirements.
Contact details:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwen-wallington-36177ba1/
At Pinsent Masons we value diversity and inclusion. We are committed to creating a better workplace where all our talent can succeed and feel like they belong. We want to attract, retain and develop people at all levels and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates whatever your ethnicity, religion, age, physical or mental disability/ long term condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristics protected by local law in the jurisdictions in which we operate.
Our purpose informs everything we do. In combination with our code and values it gives us a clear direction for how we can make business work better for people for you, our colleagues, our clients and the wider community.
We are a truly agile firm and believe work is something we do and not somewhere we go. Agile workers may work from any location – including but not necessarily from home. They may also break up their working day to enable them to take time out for caring, family or other interests and responsibilities, before completing their work outside traditional, 'core' office hours.
In 2021 we introduced a Carers Policy to help support individuals in the business with significant caring responsibilities, allowing up to five days paid carers leave per year on top of the standard holiday allowance.
- Agile working policy
- Carers Leave policy
- At senior support level, you are entitled to private healthcare for you and your immediate family
- Employee Assistance Programme provides lots of useful information on looking after your health and wellbeing of you and your family
- Access to a savings platform to get discounts and offers from some of the UK's most popular retailers and attractions.
- Family Matters support network
- Maternity/ Paternity leave
- Global Family Leave (new in 2022) offering new parents – whether expecting or adopting – 16 weeks of paid leave up
to the child’s first birthday, for parents of any gender, regardless of where you are based.
