Senior Associate / Legal Director - Any office or remote blend

PQE: 6 years +

Term Type: Permanent

Working Hours: Full or Part-time Considered

Reports to: Department: Construction & Engineering

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: property, corporate services, litigation and private client advisory.

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. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do.

RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 5th best law firm to work at in 2024. 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 40% of our partnership.

Our specialist Construction and Engineering team is one of the most established and well-regarded in the regions, as reflected by our team and individual rankings in the leading legal directories, Chambers and Legal500. Our Construction lawyers are experienced in dealing with both contentious and non-contentious construction matters, acting for a variety of both public and private sector clients, including further and higher education colleges, academies, local authorities and NHS Trusts, as well as funders, developers, contractors, sub-contractors and consultants.

Coming from a range of backgrounds, including major City practices, national and regional firms, the depth and range of expertise means the team can work together in major and complex transactions and provide a sector-based offering for all our clients. There is a strong team ethos which also means there is support and opportunity across the spectrum, ensuring pastoral support at all levels, mentoring, regular communication and a clear route for advancement. The objective is that colleagues have a clear role but the opportunity to develop and make the role “their own.”

The team’s transactional work includes advising on industry standard form contracts (such as JCT, ICE, NEC, GC/Works, ACE, RIBA, RICS, FIDIC, and PFI/PPP forms), as well as regularly preparing and advising on bespoke forms of contract. The team also has a buoyant and busy construction disputes practice, acting for a wide range of clients in relation to litigation, arbitration, adjudication and all forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution as well as a national reputation, ranking highly in the legal directories, but with an existing client base focused primarily around London, the M25 corridor, the East of England and the Southeast, added to potential future opportunities for working on arbitrations heard in London for internationally based clients.

We are seeking a specialist contentious skill set from a candidate who has ideally 8+ years PQE gained within a strong regional, national or City firm, or international equivalent, ideally with experience in some or all of the following:

• Knowledge of advising on potential disputes and disputes regarding the main industry standard form construction contracts, such as JCT, NEC etc.
• Experience of Adjudication, Litigation and/or Arbitration.
• Knowledge of methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution.

The information provided in relation to PQE is provided for guidance only and will not be determinative in the recruitment decision. Any applicant with more or less PQE than that mentioned in the vacancy details will be considered on their individual merits.

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. Alongside a flexible and inclusive work environment, we offer the following core benefits: 30 days holiday (FTE) plus