Solicitor

IBB’s Real Estate group covers a range of development and commercial property work with a number of partners ranked as leaders in their field. The group is divided into five teams and supported by an administration team: the residential development team, the New Homes Division, The commercial real estate team, a large property litigation team and a specialist construction team.

1. To provide a high quality legal service to clients on all aspects of the development of land by way of assistance with the acquisition and disposal of sites for residential led and mixed use development (whether immediate or strategic) to include advising on restrictive covenants, easements, affordable housing, leases, planning and highways agreements and agreements for supply of services.

2. Where required, assist the team in its marketing objectives, to include activities such as attending client events, writing text / articles for the website and other publications and assisting the partners in organising client events.

3. Develop own technical knowledge and skills including:

• Analysing information to reach sound decisions;
• Recognising commercial drivers behind a deal and reacting accordingly;
• Recognising issues and problems arising during the course of a transaction and reacting quickly and effectively;
• Research appropriate case law and technical and legal precedents to progress matters;
• Comprehending and following instructions;
• Communicating succinctly verbally and in writing using plain English.

4. Personally meet the firm’s quality standards including:

• Ensuring that all chargeable work is properly recorded on client matters;
• Ensuring personal time recording and billing targets are achieved;
• Adhering to the Law Society’s client care directive and to the firm’s own policies as set out in the Office Manual;
• Maintaining good file management as set out in the Office Manual;
• Understanding the obligations relating to client accounts and ensures preparation and delivery of bills in accordance with the Solicitors Accounts Rules.

5.  Ensure the firm’s client care standards are consistently met, including setting and meeting client expectations and clearly communicating progress to clients and partners and where appropriate billing matters in accordance with partner approval.

6.  Develop own self-organisational and interpersonal skills so that:

• Work is prioritised and progressed;
• You demonstrate a balance of working on your own initiative and seeking advice or guidance;
• Partners are aware of your workload and specific issues which arise on your matters;
• You maintain a flexible and proactive approach to work.

7.  Establish and maintain contact with relevant third parties and ensure good working   relationships with referrers and other external contacts.

8.  Participate actively in group meetings.

9.  Ensure you remain professionally and technically up to date by attending and recording CPD, as well as developing knowledge of the market place and client base.

You will work closely with all members of the residential development team and where required, other members of the commercial property group and wider firm.  The role is part assisting, part running your own caseload. It will involve dealing with demanding client schedules and working as part of a team with both the client and with IBB’s property and commercial lawyers.

Skills and Experience

Confident with all aspects of residential led development and ideally with experience of mixed use schemes and compliance with the UK Finance Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook.

• Experience working as a trainee or qualified solicitor within a firm known for its residential development
• IT literate including proficient with Microsoft applications and self-sufficient in using document management systems and the internet as business tools.
• Analytical ability: able to get to identify and deal with the core elements of a problem.
• Communication: able to express oneself clearly orally and in writing, and to do so in a manner that is concise and assertive, but courteous.
• Quality: produces work which is consistently accurate, produces drafts which are thought through and completed as far as possible.
• Planning and organising: thinks ahead to plan work so that tasks are not affected when additional tasks arise; is able to track and monitor progress of own work and alert supervisor if schedule may not be met.

Qualifications

• Strong academics: educated to degree level (with at least a 2:1) and a strong LPC pass (or equivalent) and hold a clean practising certificate from the SRA