Solicitor/Associate

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.

Our Independent Healthcare Team sits within the wider nationally recognised corporate team comprising approximately 50 fee earners and 20 partners, many of whom are recommended in the latest Legal 500 rankings, often in the Hall of Fame category. Our team’s size and expertise mean we advise clients at different stages of the business life cycle from start-ups to large corporates, on matters such as mergers and acquisitions, buy-outs and buy-ins, development capital fundraisings, to refinancings and exits.

We understand the unique regulatory, commercial, and operational challenges faced by healthcare providers and offer tailored, strategic legal solutions.

We offer specialist legal support to a diverse range of clients across the independent healthcare sector, including:

• Care home operators, domiciliary care  and other specialist care providers
• Private GP practices, dentists, opticians, and pharmacists
• Physiotherapy and osteopathy practices
• Medical device manufacturers and healthcare recruitment agencies

We are seeking a Corporate Healthcare Lawyer to join our growing Independent Healthcare Team. The successful candidate will play a key role in advising clients on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters, with a particular focus on the independent healthcare sector.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Advising on mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and disposals within the healthcare sector
• Drafting and negotiating corporate documents, including acquisition documents, re-organisation and restructuring agreements, and other documents for corporate transactions
• Supporting clients with regulatory compliance, governance, and risk management
• Collaborating with colleagues across the firm in employment, real estate, and dispute resolution to deliver holistic client solutions
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships through excellent service and sector insight
• Contributing to business development initiatives and thought leadership in the healthcare space

• Qualified Solicitor with 0-4 PQE
• Strong corporate law background, ideally with experience in healthcare or regulated sectors
• Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills
• Commercially astute with a proactive, client-focused approach
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team 

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 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays (rising to 30)
• 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 and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme 
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
• Dress for your Day Policy

https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application. 

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

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.