Conveyancer/Licenced Conveyancer/CILEx

Job Purpose

We are looking for someone who has strong analytical skills, excellent attention to detail and with experience in managing their own caseload. The role will specialise in a number of key areas from undertaking sales and purchases land and social housing to the management and transfer of open spaces. There will also be opportunities to be involved in other work within the real estate team from time to time, including stock transfers of portfolios of hundreds of units.

An important part of the role is to provide direct support and assistance to a senior solicitor in the team, whilst also contributing more widely to the team and its growth.

The role will require flexibility and the ability to successfully prioritise competing demands.

The Team

Real Estate (and particularly real estate development) is at the heart of Devonshires’ business. Within the Team, there are 17 dedicated partners working on a wide variety of property transactions with a broad range of clients from registered providers of social housing and care homes, through to pension funds, build to rent operators and private developers, acting on sites and developments from a handful of units to thousands. Due to the size and nature of the transactions Devonshires are involved in, deals are often reported in both the industry and national press with some of our transactions nominated for awards.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist solicitors and other fee earners in the day to day running of files;
• Drafting and preparing ancillary documentation such as Deeds of Covenant, Land Registry certificates and Transfers;
• Drafting transaction document summaries / reports (including but not limited to Land Agreements, Development Agreements, transfers and sectional agreements);
• Producing / inputting reports on title as part of development site acquisitions and/or other land transactions;
• Reviewing and reporting on due diligence searches as part of reports on title;
• Assisting with land transfers covering both pre and post completion formalities including preparing statements, submitting priority searches and liaising with clients directly;
• Undertaking Land Registry applications and dealing with requisitions;
• Meet targets that may be set from time to time by Line Mangers;
• Follow department procedures, the Solicitors Accounts Rules and the Firm’s policies and procedures as detailed in the Office Manual.

The successful candidate will gain excellent exposure to a broad range of property work.

Person Specification

Attributes and Skills Required

• Minimum 2:2 degree or equivalent in Law (or appropriate conversion);
• An established Conveyancer/Licenced Conveyancer/CILEx Lawyer with experience in property transactions and the conveyancing process;
• CILEx Lawyers must have Conveyancing Practice Rights;
• Possess solid drafting skills;
• Excellent administration and organisation skills, including diary management and the ability to deal with more than one task at a time;
• Must have a methodical approach, with a high attention to detail and produce work / documentation which is consistently of a high standard;
• Competent in all MS applications including Word, Excel and Outlook;
• Must be client focussed and have an approachable manner with excellent communication skills both written and verbal;
• Able to work with limited supervision with the ability to prioritise workload to increase efficiency;
• Commercially aware, proactive, and able to convey clear and concise information to clients and external organisations, which will not compromise the practice or the firm;
• To have a flexible approach to work to ensure client deadlines are always met and clients are communicated with on a consistent and regular basis.

Desirable skills

• Some experience in a similar role;
• Knowledge of DMS (Document Management System); • Knowledge of Partners for Windows (time recording system)