Construction Legal Opportunities (Paralegal to 3PQE)

About the job

A new opportunity has emerged that builds on the continued success story of our Southampton office! You will be joining a partner and an experienced associate in growing the Southampton Construction Team and will yourself be anywhere from Paralegal up to 3 PQE level.

Strength in depth

BCLP’s Real Estate department is consistently ranked number one by the legal directories across multiple disciplines. We combine key sector knowledge with unparalleled technical ability and commercial focus, to deliver clients the best possible support and guidance. Key to this success story is ongoing investment in our market-leading Construction team, which continues to expand, with growth in our Southampton office central to our strategy.

The Southampton office combines with our offices in London and Manchester to give a broad and deep capability across the sector. There is strong collaboration between teams with matters being resourced seamlessly between locations, drawing on different practices and skills. Through a mixture of new technology and innovative working methods, we are able to offer efficient, cost effective and tailored service to our clients.

Our enviable, blue chip client base creates exciting opportunities to advise on iconic buildings, essential UK-wide infrastructure and international projects.

The Role(s)

We are looking for a Construction specialist who want to be part of our stable, perennially successful team. We offer reliable and transparent prospects for career progression and pride ourselves in our commitment to your training, whatever your level.

You will be nurtured and supported in one of the biggest and best UK Construction teams, blessed with top resources and global capabilities. You will grow your legal knowledge, continue your personal development, and foster your own relationships with clients. In short, forge out a fulfilling career at a top firm!

The work

Appropriate to your skills, experience and aspirations, we will involve you in a broad portfolio of commercial construction work, managing your own matters and advising as part of our wider client teams. You will have an aptitude to learn and apply innovative, IT based solutions to legal practice including AI-based legal software and client service platforms.

Consultant appointments, building contracts and warranties will be your building blocks, with JCT, NEC or FIDIC experience key, ensuring client interests are protected and that all relevant laws are adhered to. You will draft and negotiate a range of other construction documents, such as letters of intent, assignments, novation agreements, performance bonds and guarantees. You will have the opportunity to work both on development projects and Real Estate transactions, and learn from our property, planning, corporate, finance, litigation or tax colleagues.

You will begin to develop client relationships of your own, and your professional network, acting as the main point of contact and trusted adviser.

Qualifications

As we are opening a range of roles, those with a passion for construction law should apply without delay. A minimum of 1PQE or deep paralegal experience and the potential to qualify is our base. For more experienced lawyers the opportunities are even greater and we welcome those returning to the profession or seeking to step away from a City role. In all cases, solid commercial construction experience with a knowledge of key areas of construction law would be expected, but complementary experience is also valued.

Required Skills

• Analytical and drafting skills

• Ability to provide clear, concise, practical advice

• Flexibility and adaptability with an ability to manage your time effectively

• Great soft skills and eagerness to deliver premium client service

Preferred Skills

This role is ‘location agnostic’ but an affinity to the South Coast would be a plus. We value in-house experience at least as highly as experience in private practice.

Equal Opportunity Statement

At Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner we understand the value of a diverse workforce and we believe people perform at their best when they can truly be themselves at work. We aim to create an inclusive environment where all our employees are valued, motivated and able to be themselves. In order to provide the best possible service to our diverse client base, we are committed to recruiting, retaining, rewarding and developing our people with regard to their abilities and contributions and without reference to their background, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, age, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, political belief, disability or any other protected characteristic.