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Solicitor - Residential Development

Employer
Trowers & Hamlins
Location
Exeter, Devon
Salary
Competitive
Closing date
16 Apr 2019

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Vacancy Type
Solicitors – Private Practice
Contract Type
Permanent
Practice Area
Real Estate, Residential Property
Experience Level
0-2yrs PQE, 2-5yrs PQE, 5+ yrs PQE
Role Classification
Lawyer

Job Details

Trowers & Hamlins is a City-led, international and national law firm with over 130 partners and 830 staff. With offices across the UK, Middle East and Far East, we provide a full-service integrated offering.

Our clients operate in diverse industry sectors such as construction, transport and infrastructure, banking and financial services, distribution and logistics, education and health, hotels and leisure, defence, engineering and surveying, charities, retail and energy and natural resources. We also act for many high net worth individuals.

We are different and we believe it is our people that make us unique. We expect and respect that you and your talents are too. The truth is we don't prescribe who you are or how you ought to be. It's what you can do that interests us most.

While the work on offer is rewarding and often complex, the qualities we look for are simple. The ability to get on with people from all walks of life, for example. To talk and to listen. To develop the sorts of relationships that mean you win the friendship and loyalty of clients and colleagues alike. In short, to connect. These are the characteristics our people all have in common. They are vital, as is the drive and imagination to use your unique talents to the full. We will help you in this. In fact, we will support you in every way we can.

Job Summary

The Firm/Department:

Trowers & Hamlins is a top 40 UK law firm with turnover of in excess of £100m.  Real Estate is a key focus of our business.  From major development and regeneration schemes to investment and management of existing assets, approximately 60% of our lawyers practice in the sector across a wide range of disciplines including development, planning, construction, finance, investment, environmental, asset management and dispute resolution.  We are ranked by The Lawyer as having one of the UK's Top 15 Real Estate practices. 

The Office/Team:

Based in the firm's second biggest UK office, the Exeter Housing & Regeneration Team currently includes 23 lawyers.  The team undertake a very wide range of property projects; with particular focus on residential development for clients including residential developers; landowners, Registered Providers of Social Housing and Local Authorities.  We provide our clients with fresh thinking and commercial driven solutions, working alongside colleagues in our planning and construction departments. 

We have recently welcomed Partner, Nicholas Burt to further develop our private residential development sector practice.  As a result of this growth we now have an exciting opportunity for a solicitor to join in supporting Nick and working closely with others in the team. 

The Role:

Work will include a wide spectrum of property projects and advice with a particular focus on residential development for a range of clients including large regional residential developers and landowners.  In particular this role will provide an opportunity for the successful candidate to broaden their knowledge in areas of law which link heavily with residential development projects including planning CIL, construction, rights to occupy, funding/banking and tax.  Additionally we are seeking to attract an individual who is interested in building their own profile and that of the firm, in the South West property market through supporting Nick in focused business development activities. 

Depending on experience the successful candidate will be responsible for, and take a lead role in, smaller residential and commercial development files including sites for regional house builders and other private sector clients.  Engagement in schemes will run from promotion / pre planning stage, through acquisition (likely to be by way of option or conditional contract), to site build out and disposal including estate set up in anticipation of open market plot disposals (by our plot sales team) and negotiating sales to RPs and social housing providers by way of golden brick agreement and / or turn-key delivery.

There will also be opportunities to engage and assist with larger regeneration schemes and projects (with elements of mixed use / tenure including both PRS/BTR and more traditional commercial uses.

Some of the teams recent transactions include acting for a residential developer on the acquisition of eleven sites from a Local Authority on a phased basis.   Acting for a residential developer on a joint venture agreement entered into with a national house builder for the delivery of six hundred houses.

Principal responsibilities:

  • Engaging  in the acquisitions of development sites for residential and mixed use schemes for private sector developers and housing providers on a cradle to grave basis including working with specialist teams within the wider real estate team;
  • Assisting on land acquisitions and disposals including by way of promotion agreements and conditional and unconditional contracts;
  • Advising on overage arrangements;
  • Negotiating sales or acquisitions by RPs and social housing providers by way of golden brick agreement and / or turn-key delivery;
  • Acting for both lenders and borrowers on development site acquisition arrangements;
  • Assisting with a range of security papers including legal charges, deeds of postponement / priority, step in arrangements and tripartite deeds of adherence (or similar);
  • Investigating legal title and reporting on search results;
  • Drafting and negotiating a range of ancillary documents including development transfers, overage deeds, deeds of grant easements, deeds of release / surrender of easements and statutory agreements including S104 Agreements and S38 / S278 Agreements;
  • Setting up the legal pack for sales of shared ownership properties and open market plot sales for developers;
  • Delivering training sessions and seminars to clients;
  • Legal research;
  • Running own files and ensuring compliance with Lexcel procedures;
  • Active participation in client and business development activities;
  • Building and maintaining effective client relationships;
  • Promote, engage in, and helping to deliver training sessions and seminars to clients;
  • Comply with core competencies as appropriate to level of qualification; and
  • Attend and participate in firm-wide and departmental training sessions.

Person specification:

The firm operates a Career Development Framework, a merit based and clearly defined career structure which sets out the competencies we expect of those at the solicitor grade, and beyond.  In particular, for this role we require:

  • Proven ability to take on responsibility and manage files, independently where appropriate;
  • Strong client focus and a commitment to service delivery;
  • Drive and enthusiasm;
  • Flexibility; and
  • A "can do" attitude.

Experience and qualifications required:

  • Excellent academic record;
  • The role would suit a recently qualified solicitor with property experience gained during a training contract or equally we would consider applications from those who could contribute more experience to the team;
  • Prior experience in real estate work in private practice, ideally with experience of development matters, is beneficial;
  • Strong team player.  

Additional Information

As part of our firm recruitment policy our candidates are subject to employment screening background checks. These checks include personal details, education and employment history, professional qualifications and credit and criminal checks as appropriate.

Trowers & Hamlins is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from every sector of the community. All applications will only be considered on merit and the applicant's suitability to meet the requirements of the role.

Company

Trowers & Hamlins is a City-led, international and national law firm with over 130 partners and 830 staff located across the UK, Middle East and Far East, we provide a full-service integrated offering.

Our clients operate in diverse industry sectors such as construction, transport and infrastructure, banking and financial services, distribution and logistics, education and health, hotels and leisure, defence, engineering and surveying, charities, retail and energy and natural resources. We also act for many high net worth individuals.

We are different and we believe it is our people that make us unique. We expect and respect that you and your talents are too. The truth is we don't prescribe who you are or how you ought to be. It's what you can do that interests us most.

While the work on offer is rewarding and often complex, the qualities we look for are simple. The ability to get on with people from all walks of life, for example. To talk and to listen. To develop the sorts of relationships that mean you win the friendship and loyalty of clients and colleagues alike. In short, to connect. These are the characteristics our people all have in common. They are vital, as is the drive and imagination to use your unique talents to the full. We will help you in this. In fact, we will support you in every way we can.

Company info
Website
Telephone
+44 (0)20 7423 8000
Location
3 Bunhill Row
London
EC1Y 8YZ
GB

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