Conveyancer

Shoosmiths - UK Law Firm of the Year Winner at the Legal Week British Legal Awards 2015.

A leading UK law firm with a network of offices from the South Coast to Scotland, working together as one national team. An innovative practice and the first top 100 law firm to achieve “Gold Standard” Investors in People, our values and culture are not just words on our website but are the heartbeat of the firm. The lack of barriers between departments, a real lack of hierarchy, zero tolerance for arrogance and pomposity makes Shoosmiths a fantastic place to work.

Shoosmiths Private Client Conveyancing Team offers a highly professional conveyancing service designed to make the process of buying or selling property as efficient and stress-free for their clients.

Shoosmiths remains the largest firm of conveyancing solicitors accredited under the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme. The conveyancing service provided by our Private Client Practice maintains the same high standards corporate clients have come to expect of Shoosmiths and is consistently commended in national consumer service awards.

The main purpose of the role is to be expert with the technical elements necessary to provide a quality and comprehensive conveyancing service with a customer service focus and working in accordance with the Valued Legal Services Agreed Behaviours.  To effectively manage and develop support staff.

• Be completely familiar with the entire Conveyancing process to include post completion work and be familiar with the roles of support teams such as New Business and Accounts in the process.
• Check legal titles to all freehold transactions and be able to deal with all elements of these transactions.
• Check legal titles to leasehold transactions and deal with all elements of these transactions.
• Deal efficiently with purchase of plot transactions, sales of part and more complex matters such as the purchase of freeholds, drafting of easements, drafting of Statutory Declarations or Declarations of Trust subject to supervision where reasonably prudent.
• Be responsible and accountable for files.
• Recognise problems and refer these appropriately.
• Ensure that files are run in an orderly manner with minimum administrative and accounting errors.
• Attend any training sessions arranged by the Department at the reasonable request of a Team Manager.
• Attend external training courses to be fully up to date with changes in the law and conveyancing procedures.
• Be aware of associated areas of law such as Probate, Insolvency, Matrimonial which may affect transactions.
• Confidently and calmly deal with difficult telephone conversations with any of the key stakeholders in the process.
• Competently draft non standard correspondence of a technical nature.
• Manage workloads effectively as well as those of the support staff.
• Effectively manage support staff by leading, encouraging and supporting whilst recognising any performance issues which should be dealt with or referred appropriately.
• Become familiar with the wider aspects of the housing and conveyancing markets.
• Achieve financial targets set for billing by Team Managers.
• Attend monthly meetings as reasonably required and assist in implementing agreed departmental procedures.
• Support Team Manager and department with marketing initiatives when required and collecting management information.
• Deputise for Team Manager in their absence

Performance Standard

• Dress appropriately and deal with all contacts in a professional manner.
• Act at all times in accordance with the Valued Legal Services Agreed Behaviours which are published on the department section of Channel 9 (our intranet).
• Treat clients and suppliers with equal respect.
• To arrive punctually at the office and to cover additional hours if required.
• Deal effectively with times of commercial pressure.

We are looking for candidates who we can support to hit the ground running with minimal supervision. This is a high volume position.

You will have experience in checking legal title to all freehold and leasehold transactions and be able to deal with all elements of these transactions and will possess a proven track record for winning and servicing new introducers and clients, developing systems and support staff to grow a business.  The ability to draft more complex precedent documentation would also be beneficial.

In addition, you will have experience in drafting non-standard correspondence of a technical nature.

You will be aware of associated areas of law such as Probate, Insolvency and Matrimonial which may affect transactions and will also be familiar with the wider aspects of the housing and conveyancing markets.

You will be enthusiastic, organised and determined in order to help the residential conveyancing department continue to service its clients in a highly professional manner, using your excellent customer service skills. As part of a high volume department, you will be able to work well under pressure and will demonstrate confidence to use own professional judgement and be able to prioritise your work load. Collaboration is key here at Shoosmiths and so you will be an excellent communicator and have the ability to work as part of a team and advice and support others, including assistants and administrators. One of our four values is to show initiative and so you will also possess self-management skills and be able to work efficiently to meet exchange targets as part of your monthly objectives.

Benefits package 

Shoosmiths has an outstanding benefits package; we believe that all staff should be rewarded for their commitment to the continued success of the firm. These can include:

• A pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5.5%
• Generous life assurance cover for peace of mind, up to 8 times salary
• Up to 23 paid working days holiday per annum with the option to buy up to 8 additional days. You can choose to 'flex' twice a year - January and July
• 'Happy Birthday!' - have a free day off to celebrate and a £50 voucher to spend! (We won't take it from your annual entitlement)
• Childcare vouchers which are not subject to tax or NI
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Staff introduction bonus scheme
• Corporate discounts on a wide variety of products and services

Discounted conveyancing and legal advice, for instance for wills and family trusts

Shoosmiths is a committed Equal Opportunities employer promoting equality of opportunity. This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.