Partner / Legal Director

PQE: Not applicable
Term: Permanent
Working hours: Full-time (Monday to Friday - 35 HRS p/w)
Department: Corporate Tax
Location: Bristol
The firm

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 Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich, Sevenoaks and soon to be Bristol. Birketts has operated a ‘hub’ in Bristol since January 2021, which has acted as a collaborative space for the Southwest-based Partners and lawyers. In line with the firm’s growth strategy and reflecting the dynamic Southwest economy, the firm will establish a full-service presence in Bristol in autumn 2024, providing business and private client services across the region, as well as in the UK and internationally.

We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: property, corporate services, litigation and private client advisory. 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 department

The Corporate Tax team currently comprises five specialist qualified corporate tax solicitors, led by Partner, Karl Pocock, but Birketts now has ambitious plans to recruit into our new Bristol office as part of our growth strategy. The team works closely with other tax specialists across the firm, notably in the Private Client and Employee Incentive teams, with an aim to provide joined-up, holistic advice, to our wide variety of clients.

We provide a wide range of advice to businesses, real estate investors, local authorities and not-for-profit organisations to name but a few. This can include mergers and acquisitions, reorganisations, banking, tax efficient investments and charity taxation. We also regularly work alongside colleagues in our Public Sector Team in relation to property investment and financing to boost affordable home provision.

Ranked Tier 1 in Legal 500, you will join a highly successful, leading Corporate Tax Team, which works collegiately across multiple offices. This is a great opportunity to be a key member of a growing team, taking a leading role to help develop the Corporate Tax offering in the Bristol office and beyond.

The candidate

Our Corporate Tax team has become increasingly busy in recent years and with high profile tender wins that growth is set to continue in line with the overall growth of the firm. We are now looking to expand by recruiting a solicitor to play a leading role in our Tax team and to complement our wider market leading Real Estate and Corporate teams.

We are seeking a specialist tax solicitor who ideally has gained experience within a regional, national or city firm. You will ideally either have a following or have expertise that both compliments and enhances the existing practice. The ideal candidate will offer experience in a specific sector or area of tax law, and the desire to lead the development of this area at Birketts with suitable support and encouragement. We have no fixed expectations and are open-minded to all reasonable proposals that allow the candidate to develop their practice and career at Birketts. In addition to any niche specialisms, you will have a strong background advising on the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganisations, and restructuring, as well as SDLT, VAT and employment taxes.

You will ideally have management experience to supervise a team, with the technical ability to run and manage your own full caseload of files and be active in marketing and business development to expand this area of work and gain new clients.

Equal opportunities

One of the best things about joining Birketts is our rewards package. At Birketts we are appreciative of the people who work for us, and our rewards package is reviewed regularly to reflect that. A competitive salary and benefits package is given but you can also expect a great team and supportive colleagues, a strong focus on diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities, a programme of wellbeing and mental health support and structured career development and study support.

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

Highlighting:

  • 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
  • Agile Working Policy
  • Dress for your Day Policy

Partner benefits discussed at interview stage.

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.