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Planning Solicitor/Associate (1-8+ PQE)- Bristol, London, Leeds, Manchester or Newcastle

Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.

Job Introduction

Our highly-regarded, national Planning and Environmental team are recruiting for up to three new additions to join the team. 

As part of our team, you will provide legal advice to a range of UK and overseas property companies and institutions, retailers, corporate occupiers, contractors, NHS, land owners and companies whose property assets are at the heart of their business as well as local authorities and UK Government bodies. We also act for house building clients such as Taylor Wimpey, Vistry, Crest Nicholson and Barratt David Wilson.

We encourage all our lawyers to get involved in those businesses so the work is very varied. The team advises on all aspects of planning and environmental issues including:-

  • Residential, commercial, healthcare, educational and mixed use developments
  • Section 106 agreements
  • Infrastructure and highway agreements
  • Rights of way
  • Due diligence in support of property and commercial transactions
  • CIL
  • Appeals and judicial review
  • Enforcement
  • CPOs
  • Contaminated land liabilities
  • Waste management regulation and environmental permitting
  • Statutory nuisance
  • Floodplain issues
  • Environmental impact assessments/Habitats Regulations
  • Biodiversity Net Gain
  • Net-Zero Carbon

So, why should you be excited about a career with us?  Our team are empowered to develop their own client contacts and relationships from the start of their careers; you will see how your contribution directly impacts on your clients and understand how the service you provide helps them.  We are very proud of our client base, who provide us with top-quality instructions.  We have the backing of a truly international firm with over 2,500 colleagues across 9 countries and with international associations further bolstering our capabilities.

We aim to encourage diversity by offering the opportunity to bring your whole self to work, underpinned by our employer brand of A Life That Works.  Our team are very busy and work hard, but we offer genuine flexibility to allow you to meet your personal and work commitments – and that flexibility won’t disappear post-Covid.  All across our team, from our emerging talent to our senior leadership, you won’t find a closed door, real or virtual. 

Role Responsibility

The role will include:

  • Acting as first and primary contact for clients on a day to day basis providing them with commercially focused legal advice.
  • Adhering closely to client protocol and process.
  • Providing support to senior fee earners where appropriate.
  • Making an appropriate contribution to non fee-earning activities e.g. marketing and business development, client relationship management, knowledge sharing, training, client seminars.
  • Complying with the required standards for internal procedures e.g. financial management of files, billing regimes etc as well as the specific requirements of individual clients.
  • Writing articles for publication both for in-house and external publications.
  • Handling confidential information in line with the firm's data security protocols.
  • The more senior role will also provide supervision and coaching to junior fee earners.

 

The Ideal Candidate

  • A Solicitor or Barrister with a passion for Planning & Environmental law.
  • The ideal candidates will be between 1-8 years PQE with experience in Planning & Environmental Law, including Residential Development.
  • Able to work independently and at a high level.
  • Ability to deliver against client protocols and KPIs.
  • Strong technical skills and an ability to understand and work through complex issues.
  • A highly client focused and demonstrable ability to adopt a practical and commercial perspective rather than an ‘academic’ approach to legal issues.
  • Ability to operate with a high level of self-sufficiency, combined with an awareness of the boundaries of own competence/authority.
  • Team oriented and collegiate with experience of and a willingness to mentor, coach and supervise less experienced members of the team.
  • Exposure to (and success within) business development activities.
  • Confident communicator with an ability to develop relationships, undertake client marketing and influence at all levels. Ability to deal confidently and professionally with clients on day to day issues, building up strong relationships.
  • Strong organisational skills to ensure a pragmatic and methodical approach to handling a variety of Planning and Environmental matters simultaneously.
  • A positive, flexible approach towards the implementation of new initiatives.
  • Able to handle a complex and constantly changing workload and to work well under pressure.
  • Detail conscious, with a concern for quality.

About the Company

If you are planning on applying to DAC Beachcroft, we want you to understand why we are here and how we work together: these things are expressed in our purpose and vision, underpinned by our cultural principles, strategy and brand.

Our purpose is to help our clients and our colleagues succeed, creating sustainable value.

Our vision is to be leading business advisers recognised for our insight and our outstanding commitment to clients, and for being the place where talented people want to work.

We strive to create a Life that Works for our colleagues under our employer brand, reflecting our long history as an employer of choice offering both opportunity and flexibility.  We are a diverse organisation and we continue to strive to be more so, through extensive colleague networks such as Spectrum, our LGBTQ+ network, and Access, our BAME network.  We also partner with external organisations such as The Social Mobility Foundation and Working Families, amongst others, to provide an objective eye to our progress.

Our culture and inclusivity underpins an impressive legal pedigree with our market-leading presence in Insurance, Health and Real Estate. This is complemented by a fast-growing Business Advisory offering.  We represent a wide range of clients, ranging from household names to government departments and NHS bodies and enjoy over 150 Chambers rankings at practice area and individual lawyer level.

Our international reach is extensive with 9 offices across Europe, Asia and the Americas, with further associations and alliances and, as a founding member of Legalign, we thrive in a cooperative international legal network.  We are constantly developing our international pedigree, whilst maintaining a strong domestic focus, allowing us to service all our clients to the highest possible standard.

We are proud of our recent catalogue of awards in a variety of areas.  Three of these many awards included ‘Out Sourced Partner of the Year’ at the British Insurance Awards for our market-leading suite of innovative digital tools; ‘Crisis Management Team of the Year’ at the British Legal Awards which highlighted the excellence of legal teams in supporting their clients through significant crises; and ‘Best CSR Award’ for our Helpforce volunteering programme with our major client, the NHS.

We hope that you will decide to make an application to join us and look forward to discussing how DAC Beachcroft can help you on your career path and how you can help us to continue making our firm a success.

Application Details

 

At DAC Beachcroft, we don’t just accept your differences we celebrate them.  From bespoke solutions for our clients, to treating you like an individual.  Our strength comes from your diverse ideas and bringing the whole you to work. So if you’re good at what you do, come as you are.  We welcome direct applications and are happy to talk about flexible working from a range of locations.

We also want you to be at your very best.  Please feel free to let us know of any changes we can make at any point in the recruitment process that will help support your application.  If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV.  Your application will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence.

DAC Beachcroft

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