Senior Associate / Legal Director / Partner – Any office

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 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 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.

Our leasehold enfranchisement practice comprises fee-earners from both the Residential Real Estate team and the Real Estate Disputes team.

The Residential Real Estate team comprises 70 members operating out of 6 of our 7 offices. The Real Estate Disputes team comprises of over 40 members operating out of all offices. Our leasehold enfranchisement practice operates on a national basis regardless of the location of the practice members

We have a vacancy within the leasehold enfranchisement practice for a Senior Associate or Legal Director who can work across both enfranchisement and leasehold residential real estate matters.

The leasehold enfranchisement practice is currently made up of two Partners, five fee earners and one assistant, working alongside a secretarial pool. Together the team advise on all aspects of leasehold enfranchisement, both non-contentious and contentious.

Beyond the core practice, there are supporting, specialist fee-earners in our corporate and tax teams, which ensure our clients receive a seamless end-to-end enfranchisement service.

To work within the specialist area of enfranchisement and to provide a supporting role to the residential property team on more complex transactional areas such as the disposal of blocks of flats outside the right of first refusal, reviewing the grant of new leases, assisting in the sale or purchase of property with the benefit of a range of enfranchisement claims and to actively grow the enfranchisement sector.

Applicants that have experience of the contentious side of leasehold enfranchisement are also encouraged to apply for this role.

We are seeking a Senior Associate or Legal Director with at least seven years’ PQE gained at a strong regional or City firm who focuses primarily on leasehold enfranchisement with a proven ability to meet the demands of all areas of enfranchisement matters, including the cross-over between enfranchisement and residential real estate. Experience in the continuous aspects of enfranchisement is also welcomed.

You should also have experience of training and managing junior team members and be willing and able to undertake line-management responsibilities.

Your role will have a focus on the development of the practice, and you will therefore provide support to the Co-Heads of Enfranchisement with managing, growing and increasing the visibility of the practice on a national basis. You will have a proven track record of active marketing within this specialist sector and growing new relationships.

Ideally, you will have connections (referrers and/or clients) that you can bring to the firm.

• Responsible for day-to-day management of a caseload including 1993 Act collective enfranchisement and lease extensions, 1967 Act enfranchisement and lease extensions, 1987 Act rights of first refusal
• Acting for a client base comprising landlords and tenants
• Providing strategic advice on structuring the grant of leases to avoid the application of the 1987 Act
• Acting on voluntary lease extension matters both on volume lease extension matters and individual lease extensions
• Drafting, advising on and implementing participation agreements and deeds of adherence for collective enfranchisement and 1987 Act acquisitions
• Reviewing and advising on existing leases and the grant of new leases as part of the Residential Property Team’s conveyancing practice
• Acting on the voluntary disposal or acquisition of blocks of flats
• Assisting the Residential Real Estate Team with deeds of variation and licences to assign
• Assisting the Residential Real Estate Team and advising clients independently on licences for alterations
• Dealing with claim in the First Tier Tribunal and/or Court (desirable but not essential)
• Actively marketing the sector including regular business development meetings with the sector members, writing articles, commenting on upcoming legislation, etc
• Attending leasehold enfranchisement training and social events e.g. through ALEP
• Working alongside and developing relationships with enfranchisement valuers
• Assisting with the development of processes and precedents within the enfranchisement sector
• Providing guidance and support to junior practice-members on a cross-office basis including formal training of paralegals

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:

• 30 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays 
• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme 
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance – 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
• Dress for your Day Policy

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

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.