Senior Associate

Sharpe Pritchard is seeking a Senior Associate to join our friendly and ambitious law firm. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in our Real Estate, Planning & Parliamentary (REPP) team. This role will provide support to the Partners of Sharpe Pritchard ensuring you can assist with the management of client case work, dealing with queries from the clients and building strong client relationships. You will take responsibility on a range of medium complex projects and support Partners on large and complex matters, ensuring that Sharpe Pritchard’s clients receive a high quality of customer care and professional guidance at all times whilst working in line with the firm’s business and strategic objectives. You will also play a key role in the development of more junior team members.

In return you will have the opportunity to join a thriving, growing firm with a friendly, supportive and collegiate team atmosphere where work life balance is respected and encouraged.

We operate a hybrid working model, whereby employees can combine working from the office with working from home. The current policy provides an expectation of a minimum of one day a week in the office, subject to the needs of the firm, clients and colleagues.

Our office is within easy access of Kings Cross and Farringdon mainline stations and Chancery Lane tube.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Leadership & Management Responsibilities

• Deliver and oversee client case work in a professional and timely manner ensuring colleagues and junior members of staff are provided with support, guidance and training.
• Effectively delegate work to other staff members and supervise the work effectively.
• Where applicable, supervise, manage and develop junior staff members and immediate support staff.
• Provide day to day guidance to Junior Associates, Associates and Trainees with regards to their roles, duties and responsibilities.
• Acts as a source of expertise and specialist knowledge both for those more junior and as a sounding board for Partners.

Client Management

• Manage all client work allocated by the Head of Department and any other Partner and deliver the same in accordance with detailed procedures and quality standards contained in the firm's Office Procedures Manual.
• Ensure the confidentiality and security of all the firm's and client documentation and information.
• At all times, exercise high standards of client care in a professional and pleasant manner.
• Ensure that all client work is progressed expeditiously and that the client is kept regularly informed on progress and on costs.
• Where appropriate, deputise for Partners in client meetings or at client events.

Practice Development

• Promote the firm's business service offerings by proactively engaging in any relevant sales and marketing activity including holding key events, writing article, marketing, seminars, conferences, trade fairs exhibition and involvement in tenders.
• Undertaking secondments to work at clients' premises if so required.

Financial Management

• Achieve designated levels of billing and time recording for case work and client work to ensure all client activity can be invoiced and billed to each client.
• Work closely with the Finance Department to ensure effective recording and billing of all client time and to take overall responsibility for credit control on your caseload.
• Demonstrates strong financial practices (e.g. good time-recording habits, timely billing, good recovery rate, good debtor management, good levels of WIP) and leads by example in this respect to more junior fee earners.
• Demonstrates a good productivity rate and performance against personal financial key performance indicators (KPIs).

Professional Standards

• Understand, operate and ensure compliance with all policies, procedures, systems and controls to ensure the smooth, safe and effective running of the practice.
• Ensure good working relationships with external institutions and organisations.
• Supervise, support and develop more junior team members.
• Comply with the Solicitors Accounts Rules and the Rules on the Professional Conduct of Solicitors.
• Be familiar with, adhere to and promote the firm's equal opportunities policy.
• Help create a fair, transparent and inclusive working environment for all colleagues.

Continued Professional Development

• Take personal responsibility for your own and where applicable, your team's continuous personal and professional development requirements to enable personal growth.
• Comply with the relevant training requirements of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and assist with in-house training where it is required.

Required Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Qualified solicitor or recognised foreign equivalent/ILEX.
• Up to date knowledge of and experience in commercial real estate law and practice.
• Act as a subject matter expert with accountability for direction on technical issues in specialist area.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Solicitors Regulation Authority Code of Conduct and other regulatory requirements.

Desirable

• Experience in matters affecting the public sector.
• Experience in compulsory purchase.
• Experience in utilities, telecommunications and/or project infrastructure.

Required Competencies

• A professional, approachable individual who can influence others and develop good relationships.
• Acts as a mentor to colleagues.
• Highly organised with the ability to work under pressure, ensuring projects are successfully managed through to conclusion and implementation.
• Maintain conviction and resolve with faced with unexpected challenges.
• Excellent decision maker, taking timely, confident decisions and embracing innovative solutions to solve problems.
• Is adaptable, flexible and copes well with change.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrable research, analytical and drafting skills.
• Good commercial judgement and business management.
• Strong business development skills with the ability to attract work for themselves and the wider firm.
• Strong practice development skills with the ability to manage and develop a client base.
• Ability to deal confidently with senior and experienced clients and advisers.

What you will be getting in return

Our HQ is based in London and we are supportive of hybrid working. There is a requirement to be present in the office for at least one day of the week.

A generous bonus scheme is on offer alongside a competitive salary. You will gain professional development with a structured path to advancing your career. We provide a generous benefits package that includes but is not limited to:

• Generous annual leave, starting at 28 days leave per annum (two days of which must be taken at Christmas on dates decided by the firm)
• Private Pension
• Private Medical Insurance
• Life assurance
• Income protection
• Smart health (including virtual GP service)
• Health and wellbeing app
• Individual learning and development and Business development budgets

Regular team events including:

• Social committee events throughout the year
• Monthly all staff lunches

We are committed to diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community irrespective of race or racial group, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age or disability.

We make reasonable adjustments within the recruitment process and upon joining the firm, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.