Associate (Private Client)

Winckworth Sherwood is growing, and our private client department is a key strategic part of this growth for the firm. The team welcomed two new Partners at the beginning of this year, hired an additional Paralegal and are looking forward to welcoming an internal trainee as an NQ later this year.

To help support the senior members of the team, we are now looking for an Associate level private client lawyer to join the London based team, as they continue to grow and help successful families and entrepreneurs, both in the UK and abroad, structure their assets in a way that will preserve their wealth now and for future generations.

The role will see you advising on a full spectrum of tax, trust and succession planning for high-net-worth individuals and trustees, family offices, landed estates, business owners and entrepreneurs. Your work will predominantly be domestic in focus, with some international aspects, advising on both lifetime estate planning and estate administration.

Some of your day-to-day tasks and responsibilities will include:

• Provide tax and estate planning advice to individuals, families and trustees.
• Advise individuals and business owners on succession and wealth planning.
• Draft trust and estate planning documents, making effective use of precedents.
• Advise executors, trustees and beneficiaries on probate and the administration of estates, including the preparation and review of estate accounts.
• Manage a busy and varied caseload efficiently.
• Delegate work appropriately and supervise and support less experienced members of the team.
• Identify business development opportunities and build and maintain client relationships.
• Contribute to the firm's precedent and technical know-how sessions.

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for an ambitious and enthusiastic Associate to join our London office and be part of a friendly, busy and highly motivated team. You will be able to demonstrate experience across both the pre and post death private client lifecycle, value and understand the need to provide an exceptional client service and be confident with dealing directly with clients and intermediaries.

In return, you will join a loyal and entrepreneurial private client team who enjoy a varied and stimulating range of work.

YOUR APPLICATION JOURNEY

Application review

Your profile will be screened by a member of the WS recruitment team. If you CV is shortlisted, you will invited to have a short call with our Recruitment Manager, Ash Evans, to discuss your interest in the vacancy. No AI is used in our application screening process!

Every candidate who applies to this role will be told if they have been successful or not in moving to the next stage.

1st interview (in person at our London office)

This will be with the Head of the Department and another Partner, who will discuss your interest in the role, what you are looking for professionally, and ask some competency/behavioural questions that relate to the key skills/behaviours needed for this position.

Every candidate who reaches this stage will be offered the chance to have a feedback call with our Recruitment Manager to understand why they weren't progressed to the next interview stage, so that you can use this feedback to help with other job applications.

2nd interview (in person at our London office)

At this stage, you will get the opportunity to showcase your technical skills by reviewing a scenario to then discuss with two Partners. You will also get the opportunity to meet one of the Legal Directors in the team.

This is also a good opportunity to ask any final role/firm specific questions.

Every candidate who reaches this stage will be offered the chance to have a feedback call with our Recruitment Manager to understand why they weren't offered the position, so that you can use this feedback to help with other job applications.

Offer of employment

If you are successful and accept our offer of employment, we will submit your details to our background screening company (Giant), who will conduct a series of background checks. Once these have been completed and we have separately validated your proof of right to work in the UK, a start date can be agreed, and your onboarding schedule can be planned.