Job Description
What you’ll do
We are seeking to recruit an experienced Solicitor, Associate or Legal Executive (ideally with around 3-4 years PQE), to join our busy and highly regarded Construction team. You will report directly to the Partners, together with one of our Senior Associates, and play an integral part in a variety of matters, with a focus on non-contentious construction and infrastructure work.
The department works on a wide range of international, national and regional matters for private and public sector clients across multiple sectors, including housing, retail, transport, waste, energy and renewables. Our clients range from private individuals, owner developers, start-ups and SMEs to local authorities, national contractors, funding institutions and large multinationals. We are proud to work with prestigious clients which include household names and listed companies.
Your typical workload will include construction and infrastructure related contract work across residential and commercial development, renewable energy projects, urban regeneration schemes, financing arrangements, joint ventures, operation / maintenance / service contracts and facilities management.
You will be working directly with clients from the outset and we will expect you to have a good level of experience of advising on construction transactions, including experience of risk reviews, drafting and negotiating terms. We will provide training on any specialist areas which are new to you and will generally support and enhance your development as a construction lawyer within a supportive and experienced team with its own specialist PSL.
We pride ourselves on our ability to develop our people, and as such, you will be responsible for dealing with complex, high quality, high value work and will be afforded high levels of responsibility from the outset.
Who you are
An excellent communicator with proven technical and organisational skills, you will be accustomed to providing accessible, commercially-focussed and pragmatic advice to clients and working under pressure to meet deadlines. You will already have a firm grounding in transactional non-contentious practice within a construction and/or infrastructure environment. With an eye for detail, you are meticulous and thorough in your work and are already accustomed to assisting with larger and more complex transactions in your current role, as well as advising clients directly on more routine matters. You will have gained experience in all the most commonly used forms of contract including NEC, JCT and FIDIC, as well as professional appointments and ancillary construction documentation. Additionally, experience in drafting, negotiating and/or advising on the construction aspects of land sale contracts, agreements for lease and development agreements would be beneficial.
Our relationships with our clients are paramount. You will be able to demonstrate your ability to build strong and lasting relationships with clients and show a genuine commitment to their business needs. Being self-motivated and ambitious, you will be keen to learn more about the construction and infrastructure sector and possess the drive to help us continue to grow and develop our business. In this dynamic market, clients will be looking to you to be up-to-date regarding the latest policy and legal developments affecting the construction and engineering industry and, as such, you will need to demonstrate an interest and enthusiasm for this area of the economy and its wider implications for our clients and the department's business. In return, as well as supporting your professional development through regular training, we will help you to grow your professional networks and profile and to capitalise on business development opportunities.
Why join Team Ashfords?
Ask our people, and they will tell you that they genuinely enjoy coming to work and spending time with their colleagues. We’re confident that once you discover our open and friendly culture, it won’t take long for you to feel the same.
We have a genuine team approach at Ashfords because we know that when talented people work together, we achieve more for our clients and each other. We also recognise that each of our career journeys is unique. So, we will be ambitious for you and give you the support you need to develop your career, your way.
Importantly, we will give you the space and flexibility for your life outside work too.
Our goal? To help you realise your full potential as part of a forward-thinking team and business.
That’s what sets us apart.
Our offer
We offer a range of benefits to support you at work and at home.
This includes a flexible working framework giving you the freedom to mix home and office working, extra annual leave for your birthday and the option to buy more holiday.
We have a comprehensive package to support physical and mental health including onsite yoga classes and a gym at our head office, healthcare plans, an Employee Assistance programme and free access for you and up to five friends to the ‘Calm’ Mindfulness App.
You’ll also have the chance to get involved in our responsible business programme, including taking part in fundraising initiatives and bringing your energy to our environment or diversity groups.
What next?
Interested in this vacancy but not sure you match all the requirements? At Ashfords, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We offer training and development opportunities to all of our people to help everyone reach their full potential. Even if your skills and experience aren’t a perfect match, we’d still love to hear from you. If you’re not the right candidate for this role, you could be the right candidate for other positions at Ashfords.
For an informal and confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Toby Tompkins, Talent Attraction Manager, on 01392 333 654 or via email: t.tompkins@ashfords.co.uk.
Or apply now, and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible.