Associate / Senior Associate
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
About us
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: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.
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.
The team you will join
The Residential Property team is a team of 65+ members operating out of six offices but working together as one team.
Within the team there are various specialist sectors. We have a vacancy to fill in the team which will involve acting on routine residential property transactions as well as more complex and the high end matters with a focus on the Norwich marketplace.
The Norwich team currently comprises seven fee earners and three assistants working alongside team-wide support pools (file opening and completions).
The work you will be doing
You will provide fee earning support for a rapidly growing sector with a focus on technical excellence and business development.
The role will suit a candidate with a following and marketplace presence and who is able to actively and effectively grow the Norwich-based practice.
The candidate will need to be forward-thinking with an ability to embrace new technologies with a particular focus on AI
Accountabilities:
- Acting for a range of clients from from high net worth individuals to corporate entities on a diverse range of residential real estate matters
- Acting on the purchase, sale and financing of routine and complex freehold/leasehold and high value properties
- Working alongside and developing relationships with local agents including high end property finders and estate agents
- Acting on main stream residential conveyancing to support the wider practice
- Providing technical support to the local team members including overseeing and training of junior team members as the need arises
- Being actively involved with developing and implementing the Norwich team business development plan
- Instil the Birketts’ culture and brand signatures and values throughout the team
- Working with the Norwich Team Leader to explore new work types and opportunities for diversification
What we are looking for
- Solicitor, Legal Executive (with practicing rights) or Licensed Conveyancer with at least six years' PQE gained at a strong regional or City firm
- Experience of all aspects of work as outlined in this profile is required
- A proven ability to meet the demands of high value residential real estate matters
- An ability to actively market within this specialist sector and to focus on growing new relationships
- To be competent in using Microsoft Word, Excel, time recording software, Outlook and digital dictation
Inclusivity and Culture
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:
- 25 or 30 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
- Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
- Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
- Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
- Staff Profit Share / Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
- Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
- Paid ESG day (Environmental, Social and Governance)
- Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
- Subsidised gym membership
- Electric car scheme
- Eye Care Voucher
- Agile Working Policy
- Dress for your Day Policy
https://recognition-reward-benefits/
Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.
We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Highlight your residential property experience prominently as Birketts specifically seeks conveyancing expertise for their Norwich team
📊 Quantify your property transaction volumes: 'Completed 150+ residential sales annually, including £2M+ high-value properties'
🌐 Emphasise your local Norwich market knowledge and existing client relationships with estate agents
🎯 Showcase your business development achievements and ability to grow a practice organically
🤝 Demonstrate your mentoring experience as the role involves training junior team members
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Completed 180+ residential property transactions annually, including £3M+ high-value acquisitions for high net worth clients
- •Developed business relationships with 15 local estate agents, generating £400k in new fee income over 18 months
- •Mentored 4 junior solicitors through complex leasehold transactions, achieving 95% client satisfaction ratings
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Letter preview — tailored to Birketts LLP
Dear Hiring Manager,
Birketts' reputation as a Top 50 law firm with Next Level Law proposition aligns perfectly with my residential property expertise and business development focus. Your Norwich team's emphasis on technical excellence and AI adoption particularly appeals to my forward-thinking approach to conveyancing.
My background in residential property law encompasses both routine transactions and complex high-value deals, with proven experience in client relationship management and team mentoring. I have successfully developed business through estate agent partnerships and consistently delivered technical excellence across diverse property portfolios.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How do you handle complex leasehold transactions involving service charge disputes?
- ›What due diligence processes do you follow for high-value residential acquisitions?
- ›How do you manage multiple property completions on the same day?
- ›What experience do you have with Help to Buy and shared ownership schemes?
- ›How do you ensure compliance with anti-money laundering regulations in property transactions?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you successfully developed new client relationships in a competitive market
- ›Describe a situation where you had to mentor a junior colleague through a complex property matter
- ›How do you handle competing priorities when managing multiple property transactions?
- ›Tell me about a challenging property deal you completed and how you overcame obstacles
- ›Describe your approach to building relationships with local estate agents and property professionals
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you successfully developed new client relationships in a competitive market
Describe a situation where you had to mentor a junior colleague through a complex property matter