Senior Associate - Real Estate (5897)

We’re a national law firm with a local reach. Our legal experts are here for you. Whether it’s personal or business, we understand that everyone’s situation is different. But we’re more than just a law firm – we’re a team of people working together to help individuals and businesses navigate life’s ups and downs. Working here you’ll feel a part of our friendly and inclusive environment. We’ll value you for who you are and what you bring. We support each other and push boundaries to achieve incredible things and make a real difference to our clients and communities.

Your Role and What You’ll Be Doing

The Southern Real Estate team advises on a wide range of commercial property matters, with particular strengths in development (mixed‑use and residential schemes), strategic land, investment, portfolio management, landlord and tenant work and real estate finance. The team operates across key Southern offices including Brighton, Gatwick, London and Chichester and forms part of one of the largest real estate teams in the UK, offering both deep national resource and strong local expertise.

Led by National head, Guy Sackett, the team is recognised for its commercially focused approach, handling complex transactional work and advising investors, developers, financial institutions, landowners and occupiers across the full property lifecycle. The Southern Real Estate team is known for being pragmatic, commercial, efficient and highly responsive, with clients consistently praising its ability to deliver clear, solutions‑focused advice on complex real estate matters and drive projects forward at pace.

As a senior member of the team, you’ll play a pivotal role in delivering strategic real estate advice and leading on complex, high‑value matters. You’ll be involved in:

• Managing and leading a varied portfolio of real estate transactions, including acquisitions, disposals, development projects, funding arrangements, landlord and tenant matters, and major commercial deals.
• Acting as the lead lawyer on client matters, ensuring high‑quality delivery, commercial insight, and strong project management across multi‑party and multi‑phase transactions.
• Driving business development activity, including nurturing existing client relationships, identifying new opportunities, and supporting wider team and firm‑wide growth initiatives.
• Supporting, supervising and developing junior members of the team, providing guidance, reviewing their work, and helping to build their technical capability and confidence.
• Collaborating with colleagues across the firm, including planning, construction, corporate, finance, private client and disputes specialists, to deliver integrated, seamless advice on complex real estate projects.

About You

We’re looking for someone who brings both technical expertise and leadership qualities:

• Ideally between 6-10 years PQE
• An aptitude for business development and a passion for growing strong client and referrer relationships.
• The ability to manage multi-matter transactions whilst maintaining attention to detail and a seamless service for clients.
• Demonstratable technical experience gained within Commercial Property, specifically across development and strategic land transactions.

You’ll be joining a collaborative and forward-thinking team that values innovation, integrity and impact. If you’re ready to take the next step in your career and contribute to a thriving practice, we’d love to hear from you.

Our Benefits - What We Can Offer You

• 25 days holidays as standard plus bank holidays - You can ‘buy’ up to 35hrs of extra holiday too.
• Generous and flexible pension schemes.
• Volunteering days – Two days of volunteering every year for a cause of your choice (fully paid).
• Westfield Health membership, offering refunds on medical services alongside our Aviva Digital GP services.
• We also offer a wide range of well-being initiatives to encourage positive mental health both in and out of the workplace and to make sure you’re fully supported.
• This includes our Flexible by Choice programme which gives our colleagues more choice over a hybrid way of working subject to role, team and client requirements.
• We have been ranked in the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing for Large Organisations for 2024!
• Our responsible business programmes are fundamental to who we are and our purpose. We’re committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace where our colleagues can flourish, and we have established a number of inclusion network groups across our business to support this aim.
• Our commitment to Social Responsibility, community investment activity and tackling climate change is a fundamental part of who we are.

Additional Information

As part of the Irwin Mitchell Group’s on-boarding process all successful applicants are required to complete the group’s employment screening process. This process helps to ensure that all new employees meet our standards in relation to honesty and integrity therefore protecting the interests of the Group, colleagues, clients, partners and other stakeholders. We carry out pre-employment screening to establish your eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record and financial checks with our trusted 3rd parties. The employment screening process will fully comply with Data Protection and other applicable laws. Irwin Mitchell LLP is an equal opportunity employer. We’re proud of our values, and we’re looking for people who share them.