Solicitor / Associate in Northampton

If you’re a Planning lawyer who wants proper breadth, genuine exposure to specialists, and the chance to shape a niche (rather than just service one), this is the role. We’re a leading Top 50 UK law firm with one of the largest and most respected Real Estate teams in the country. Our Planning capability has recently been strengthened through the merger/integration of Aardvark Planning into our Planning, Highways & Environment practice, meaning we now offer a more competitive, specialist planning proposition on a larger, multi-disciplinary platform.

Our Planning, Highways & Environment team is led by Laura Greenman and has grown to five Partners, with senior expertise based in our Central England office and supporting clients across the wider firm. The addition of Sebastian Charles and Jane Burgess as Partners from specialist firm Aardvark Planning Law strengthens the bench and deepens the team’s technical depth across planning, highways and environment.

For you, that means: more variety, better mentorship, and a clearer route to building a profile, whether you want to become the “go-to” on a technical sub-specialism or broaden into a full development-lifecycle adviser.

We’re looking for an NQ–5 PQE Solicitor/Associate to join the Planning team in Northampton. You’ll work closely with our Partners on a varied caseload spanning planning, highways and environmental matters, across both contentious and non-contentious workstreams. This is a role for someone who enjoys:

• being close to the action on live development projects
• getting into the detail on planning strategy and risk
• working collaboratively with colleagues across Real Estate and the wider firm to deliver the best outcomes for clients

You’ll advise across the breadth of planning, including:

• Contentious and non-contentious planning matters, with exposure to highways and environmental issues.
• Negotiating and advising on planning/highways agreements and helping clients progress developments where legal issues may be obstructing delivery.
• Supporting on matters involving the threat of compulsory purchase and related planning considerations.
• Developing your technical knowledge and sharing it across the wider team through collaborative working and knowledge-sharing.
• Spotting opportunities for cross-referral and participating in business development activity to help grow the practice.

This is a platform role. With the combined structure and expertise of the merged team, you’ll be supported to:

• build on a varied offering (rather than being boxed into one lane)
• carve out niche expertise over time (whether technical, sector-based, or client-type focused)
• collaborate with industry and sector specialists across the firm to broaden your knowledge and accelerate your development
• grow your confidence with clients and develop your own style as a trusted adviser

And you’ll do it in a supportive, flexible and collegiate environment, with senior access and proper mentoring.

About you:

• NQ–5 years’ PQE
• Some prior exposure to planning law (seat experience welcomed)
• Strong drafting skills and a good technical foundation
• A collaborative approach and the ability to build strong internal and external relationships
• Commercial awareness and an interest in supporting BD activity
• A proactive, organised mindset with strong attention to detail

If you’re looking for a role that combines quality work, senior support, and a genuine opportunity to shape your career in planning on a stronger, expanded platform — we’d like to hear from you.

Benefits of working with us:

• Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance
• Sight tests / Glasses discounts
• Bonus scheme
• Electric vehicle scheme
• International secondments for 0-5 PQE
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme
• 28 days annual leave (plus public holidays)
• Happy People / Perks at Work benefits portal
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Life Assurance
• 1/3 gym membership contribution
• Flu vaccinations

HCR suits people who love a challenge and want to work in an environment where careers thrive on the back of hard work and personal merit. Our people enjoy feeling part of something bigger than themselves, and whilst our clients drive our development, it is our people who bring their energy, enthusiasm, and entrepreneurial mindsets together to solve problems and help our clients succeed.

Our people tell us they enjoy working on good quality, interesting matters from a wide variety of our clients, because they get the experience they want to develop their careers. We will give you responsibility early, the mandate to make things happen and we’ll back your good ideas. Our “Passion for People” lives and breathes every day throughout the firm as our peoples’ energy and sense of fun create a warm environment in which to thrive.

HCR’s growth constantly creates opportunities for people who want to go places and make a difference, your career plan can become part of our growth plan. At HCR you can expect to work with friendly, energetic, ambitious people, who love getting stuck into a client problem, and enjoy celebrating a good outcome. Our people value the sense of community provided by the individual personality of each office and the collegiate approach across all our service and sector teams.

As a Times Best Law firm, among the UK Top 50, we provide the full range of services that you would expect to organisations, business leaders and individuals. However, in our mission to give everyone the opportunity to experience a different kind of legal service we take an entrepreneurial approach. We’re flexible and responsive to the needs of our clients, delivering the best outcomes for them.

As HCR is an equal opportunities employer, we don’t just accept differences, we celebrate them. We want to attract a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and skills to create a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and which works together to achieve the best outcome for our clients.

If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV.