Regulatory Solicitor (Retrain Opportunity) in Manchester

Retrain into regulatory law without sacrificing flexibility or quality of work. High-profile hearings, investigations and advocacy work from the outset. Hybrid working, strong progression and a team people rarely leave. Most litigation roles eventually start to feel quite predictable. Regulatory law tends not to. This opportunity gives you exposure to a genuinely varied mix of work - professional discipline, CQC and Ofsted enforcement, investigations, prosecutions and motoring offences — often within the same week. It’s the kind of role that keeps you thinking, develops advocacy quickly and gives you exposure to situations most junior litigators don’t see until much later in their career.

The team is growing steadily and has built a strong reputation both regionally and nationally. Importantly, they’re open-minded about background. So whether you already work in regulatory law or you’re coming from commercial litigation, criminal defence or another contentious area, there’s genuine support to help you specialise and develop here long term. You won’t be stuck in the background either. Early on, you’ll be attending hearings, meeting clients, drafting complex documents and getting involved in live matters alongside experienced senior lawyers. As your confidence grows, so will your autonomy, profile and responsibility within the team.

Culturally, it feels very different to the larger city-centre setups. The department is close-knit, collaborative and refreshingly low-ego, with a strong emphasis on trust, flexibility and keeping people for the long term. The hybrid model is properly embedded rather than reluctantly tolerated, and the team has a strong track record of developing lawyers internally rather than constantly hiring from outside. For someone who enjoys contentious work but wants something more interesting, more varied and ultimately more sustainable long term, this is a strong option.

Who we’re looking for:

• NQ–3 PQE ideally (E)
• Experience in regulatory law (D)
• Open to candidates from commercial litigation, commercial, criminal defence or broader litigation backgrounds (E)
• Strong communication and client-handling skills (E)
• Good drafting and analytical ability (E)
• Able to manage competing priorities effectively (E)
• Comfortable working autonomously whilst contributing positively to a team environment (E)
• Commercial awareness and sound judgement (E)
• Collaborative, team-oriented and intellectually curious (E)
• Interested in developing a long-term career in regulatory law (E)

What you’ll be doing:

• Managing a varied caseload across: Professional discipline, CQC enforcement, Ofsted enforcement, Regulatory defence, Criminal investigations/prosecutions, Motoring offences
• Attending hearings, client meetings, conferences with counsel and interviews under caution
• Drafting documents and progressing matters efficiently
• Managing risk, WIP, disbursements and client communication
• Contributing to practice development and internal cross-referrals
• Working collaboratively within a hybrid-working team environment

Salary & Benefits:

• £40,000–£50,000 DOE
• Hybrid/agile working (typically c.2 office days per week)
• Investors in People Gold accredited employer
• Sunday Times Best Places to Work recognised
• Strong long-term progression opportunities within the team
• Opportunity to build a specialist career in regulatory law
• Online wellbeing support covering mental, physical and financial wellbeing
• Holiday buy/sell scheme
• Retail discounts and cashback schemes
• Early monthly pay scheme
• Death in Service
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Travel and parking loans
• Employee savings schemes and referral incentives
• Supportive culture with strong retention and internal progression history

Contact Duane Cormell at duane.cormell@realmrecruit.com or 03300 245 606. Duane has extensive experience recruiting litigation lawyers across the North West and can give you a clear, honest view of how this opportunity compares to others in the market.