Solicitor

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 500 lawyers and legal professionals based in 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: 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.

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 Social Housing Team consists of around 25 fee earning and support staff, which sits within the Firm’s Property Department and acts for a broad range of national and regional Registered Providers and local authorities on a wide range of issues affecting the sector.

We are a multi-disciplinary team, used to working together on major projects. The breadth of our expertise means that we provide our clients with a fully comprehensive service which covers all the legal needs of RPs and other bodies within the affordable housing sector.

Ranked 1 tier in Chambers and Legal 500 this is an opportunity to join a highly regarded and expert team which has experienced significant growth in recent years and with high profile tender wins that growth is set to continue.

To support members of the Social Housing Team to progress a caseload defending disrepair claims brought against our clients, assisting with county court possession claims and injunction applications, including where tenants have engaged in anti-social behaviour.

The role may also include supporting members of the Social Housing Team to advise our Housing Association and Local Authority clients in all aspects of Leasehold Management disputes in the First Tier Tribunal and providing professional, proactive, high-level legal support to the wider fee earning team.

The role is within a team that acts for major Housing Associations and a number of Local Authorities.

• Helping to manage a caseload of Disrepair cases on behalf of our Housing Association and Local Authority clients.
• Helping to manage a caseload of county court possession claims and injunction applications on grounds of anti-social behaviour, tenancy breaches, access, succession and tenancy fraud. 
• To be expert in a variety of software packages such as Microsoft Word and Excel to produce correspondence and documents, spreadsheets and presentations and ensure relevant documentation is produced to a high standard to meet clients’ and fee earners’ expectations and deadlines;
• To format, paginate, number and present pleadings in Birketts LLP house style or client standard form;
• To proof read all work, checking for spelling and grammar.

Administrative skills:

• Maintain compliant and accurate file management and office systems and develop and maintain a good level of understanding of firm policy and process.

Professional Skills:

• To immediately clarify instructions from the client should they be unclear or if deadlines are not made explicit;
• To respond to internal and external telephone enquiries politely and professionally;
• To provide full support to other fee earners in the team and to carry out any other duties as reasonably requested.

General Approach:

• Show initiative when responding to queries and actively try to seek solutions to problems;
• To effectively liaise with staff from other departments and external contacts as required.

We are seeking a candidate who has previous litigation experience as well as:

• Any experience working with Housing Associations or Local Authority’s welcome but not essential; 
• Excellent computer/technical skills in particular working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite of software including Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint;
• Strong written and oral communication skills. Ability to communicate with colleagues at all levels of seniority and liaise effectively with other internal departments and external contacts;
• Ability to use discretion;
• Positive and enthusiastic approach to team work;
• A flexible, highly motivated, proactive and ‘can do’ working style;
• Self-motivated, ability to use initiative and provide pro-active support to the Social Housing team;
• Ability to pay attention to detail and check own work;
• Good organisational skills, able to prioritise, make decisions and work effectively within a sometimes pressurised environment;
• Commitment to ongoing learning and development.

We are committed to recruiting individuals on merits of suitability for each role, on the basis of qualifications and experience. All applications are treated fairly and equally regardless of sexual orientation, race, disability, religious beliefs and any other protected characteristic, ensuring that there are equal opportunities at all stages of the recruitment process.

Core Benefits

• 25 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
• Eye Care Voucher
• Agile Working Policy
• Dress for your Day Policy