Associate Director (full-time) / Director (part-time) in Ipswich, Suffolk

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 and over 600 staff 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. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 6th best law firm to work at in 2026. 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 45% of our partnership. This is an exciting opportunity to join one of the UK's leading Private Wealth Disputes teams. Birketts' Private Wealth Disputes practice is recognised as a market leader, with Band 1 ranking in the Chambers High Net Worth 2025 guide for Private Wealth Disputes in East Anglia and individual team members recognised among the leading practitioners in the field. The team is also ranked in Tier 1 for Contentious Trusts and Probate by Legal 500, reflecting its work in handling complex, high-value, and often precedent-setting disputes involving trusts, estates, inheritance claims, professional negligence, and Court of Protection matters dealing with matters in the UK and internationally. With one of the largest dedicated Private Wealth Disputes teams outside London, the team acts on some of the most challenging and sophisticated cases in the market, combining technical excellence with a collaborative and supportive culture that provides outstanding opportunities for ambitious lawyers to develop their practice. The role holder will be responsible for maintaining and growing client relationships, ensuring the delivery of high-quality legal services and contributing to the strategic direction and success of the firm. Contribute to thought leadership and sector-focused marketing initiatives Participating in networking events, conferences and other business development activities to promote the firm’s services Birketts has designed a 'Talent Management Framework' which provides a career structure that will help us develop, retain and reward talented people. Brings specialist legal expertise, aligns advice with clients’ commercial objectives, directs research effectively, and drafts clear, accurate complex documentation Demonstrates strategic business development, winning new clients, driving high-profile pitches, building a strong regional profile, and identifying cross-selling opportunities across the firm Builds credibility and trust through strong relationships, continuous professional development, and championing positive change Proactively manages risk and compliance tasks, follows best practice, maintains practical Lexcel knowledge, and seeks feedback to drive continuous improvement Professional integrity and a commitment to providing excellent client service Hybrid Working Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. This role attracts a split of 60% office days and 40% working from home days per week. 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. 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 ~ Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave ~ Subsidised gym membership ~ Electric car scheme ~ Dress for your Day Policy You can find out more on our website: 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. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignme