Director

About Gowling WLG

We have more than 1,400 legal professionals working around the world. Our offices span across 19 cities in Canada, the UK, Continental Europe, Asia and the Middle East. There's strength in our global presence – we embrace our differing cultures and work together as one team. We also understand the importance of investing in relationships that build knowledge and trust, while we provide legal advice that's tailored to our clients' world.

'Our people and distinct culture are what makes us different. We know this through client and employee feedback and this drives everything we do'' Chris Oglethorpe, HR Director.

There are great opportunities for all our people to flourish. Through training and personal development they can grow in their role. Our people are the cornerstone of our success, across legal, business support and early talent. We care about their happiness and believe in the power of teamwork. We want them to feel empowered and recognise that by supporting, respecting and embracing everyone's different contributions we achieve more.

Working flexibly, working fairly

Agile working offers people more freedom and flexibility in where, when, and how they work. As technology advances and our workforce becomes more diverse – and with clients often working to a 24/7 rhythm – having extra flexibility is key to helping us balance work and other commitments sensibly and productively.

By supporting people to choose where and when they get their work done, we help them to make a full and fair contribution to their team – while maintaining that all important work-life balance.

Where possible and depending on business needs, we will consider all flexible working options such as part-time working, job sharing, working from home and staggered hours. If in considering a role with Gowling WLG you favour flexibility in your working arrangements, please discuss this with the recruitment team in the early stages of the application process.

About the Team

Housing Development and Regeneration team, one of the top teams in the country, sits within the Real Estate Group, the third largest Real Estate practice in the UK.

The team comprises 7 partners and 34 lawyers, supported by a team of paralegals, advising on all aspects of residential development and housing led regeneration.  We act for house builders, mixed use developers, affordable housing providers, landowners (public and private) and investors in the residential sector.  The housing sector continues to be a key area of investment for the government, supported by opposition parties, and demographic demand requires a continuing increase in supply.  Our large, experienced team and excellent client base has a proven track record of resilience in the downturn and has enabled us to capitalise on housing sector growth.

Expertise:

The team’s areas of residential development expertise includes:

• acquisitions, disposals and exchanges of land and property, including serviced  parcels;

• overage arrangements, and security;

• strategic work – option agreements, promotion agreements and hybrids;

• collaboration, consortium and joint venture arrangements, with related site assembly;

• planning and infrastructure agreements;

• building licences and development agreements;

• development management agreements;

• mixed use schemes, with related structuring advice;

• private rented sector;

• institutional investment in the residential sector;

• investor acquisitions and disposals of residential portfolios;

• funding agreements

We have a separate team of paralegals dealing with plot sales and part exchange transactions.   However, this role does not include any element of domestic conveyancing,

Clients include: Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon, Bloor, Miller, Crest Nicholson, Bellway, Keepmoat, Bovis and Avant. 

Main Purpose of the Job

The purpose of the role is to provide cutting edge specialist advice on all aspects of residential development.  

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Predominantly the role will be involve advising sophisticated clients on:

• Site acquisition and disposal, mainly by way of conditional contracts, including overage

• Strategic land acquisition– option, promotion and hybrid agreements

• Collaborations/joint ventures

• Planning and infrastructure agreements

The candidate will also have the opportunity to experience all of the other areas of expertise within the team (referred to above) in order to provide a well-rounded and balanced training.   The work is some of the most technically challenging and rewarding development work in the real estate sector.  The exposure to complexity will vary depending on the candidate's current experience and aptitude.  

The role will also include any other reasonable duties delegated by any Partner, Senior Manager of the firm or Practice Operations Manager.

Key skills and experience

• The team prides itself on clear and practical advice with sound commercial judgment and swift and accurate implementation of instructions.

• Development experience is essential, but not necessarily residential development.

Equal Opportunities

Gowling WLG is committed both to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to Equal Opportunities in employment.  The firm believes in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re-assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity.  This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment.

At Gowling WLG we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding