Legal Secretary - Agriculture in Norwich

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 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.

The Birketts Private Client Division is recognised as one of the leading teams for advising individuals, families, and trustees. We provide bespoke advice on protecting wealth, planning for the future, and managing complex personal and family matters, often in conjunction with corporate structures and business interests. Our expertise spans everything from succession and tax planning to trusts, family law, Court of Protection, agricultural estates, ecclesiastical issues, and dispute resolution. We pride ourselves on delivering technically excellent, practical solutions with a personal approach that clients can trust.

Our award‑winning team of agricultural specialists is one of the best qualified and largest agricultural teams in the UK market, providing a comprehensive range of legal services to farmers, landowners and agri‑business specialists. The team advises both UK and international clients on all aspects of UK legislation affecting rural real estate investment – including farm acquisitions and disposals, renewable energy projects, planning issues, natural capital, investment in equestrian and rural estate, rights of way and environmental liabilities. The team is ranked in ‘Band 1’ in Chambers and ‘Tier 1’ in Legal 500.

You will work as part of an administration team to provide professional, proactive, high‑level administrative support to an allocated group of fee earners and to the wider fee earning team. Your responsibilities will include:

• Produce and amend documents with speed and accuracy
• Assist in maintaining compliant and accurate file management and office systems
• Format, paginate, number and present documents in Birketts LLP ‘house style’
• Process all forms including new client form, new matter form, money laundering form, training course booking forms etc.
• Ensure that all electronic filing and paper‑based filing is up to date and maintained at regular intervals
• Respond to internal and external telephone enquiries
• Manage diaries in Outlook and make all necessary travel arrangements
• Use the HMRC and HMLR portals for submitting Stamp Duty Land Tax returns and HM Land Registry applications
• Communicate with a wide variety of different people from first‑time buyers to multi‑million‑pound investor clients, buying and selling agents and mortgage brokers

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

We are seeking a highly organised and detail‑oriented Legal Secretary to provide support to the team. The ideal candidate will possess:

• Strong administration experience
• Positive, enthusiastic and professional approach
• Strong attention to detail and high‑level organisational skills
• Excellent spelling and punctuation
• Self‑motivated, ability to use initiative and provide pro‑active support to fee‑earners
• Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines
• Prior experience working in a legal environment is preferred
• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and professionalism

As a Birkett colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits:

• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance – 4 × salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Dress for your Day Policy

Inclusivity and Culture: 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. Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.