Partner - 10+ years PQE

Job Purpose

We have an exciting opportunity for an individual with ambition and a passion for construction law to join our busy Construction, Engineering and Procurement team to develop, lead and manage a Birmingham-based construction team.

Successful applicants do not need to be a partner at their current firm but will have a minimum of 10 years’ PQE (England and Wales and gained as a construction solicitor), be self-motivated and have a demonstrable enthusiasm for building and running their own practice.

We are open to applications from all construction law practitioners whether their practice is non-contentious, contentious, or mixed.

The Team

With 39 fee earners, our Construction, Engineering and Procurement team has grown from strength-to-strength over the past decade and has seen a 400% increase in turnover.

Recognised in Legal 500 as being “genuinely-partner led”, our team is recognised for our expertise in relation to the Building Safety Act 2022 and the full range of construction procurement and disputes dealing with issues ranging from those that are typical to those that are novel and uncharted.

Our non-contentious team acts for developers, funders, investment vehicles, local authorities and registered social housing landlords across the public and private sectors. We act in relation to all forms of construction procurement, including traditional, design and build, modular, joint venture, management contracting and construction management led projects. We frequently deliver non-contentious advice on the biggest deals in the house building sector.

Our contentious team represents clients in mediation, adjudication, arbitration and in litigation. We act in relation to traditional construction and engineering claims in relation to delay, payment and quality, including some of the largest and highest profile latent defects cases in new build and refurbishment construction. We additionally act on specialist claims involving insolvency, insurance, procurement and health and safety.

Duties and Responsibilities

This is not an exhaustive list and from time to time it may be necessary to vary these to meet the department and business needs.

• Developing, leading and managing a team, specialising in construction law, based at our Birmingham office;
• Undertaking business development activities to help secure and grow the firm’s brand and presence in the Construction sector across the Midlands, including speaking at conferences, writing articles and promoting the firm via social media;
• Drafting and delivering straight-talking advice which is decisive, practical and cuts to the chase;
• Amending and advising on contracts (e.g. building contracts, development agreements and agreements for lease, consultant's appointments, plus all supplementary documentation such as security documents, warranties, novations and assignments);
• Advising on every aspect of construction contracts (e.g. procurement, amendments, payments, extensions of time, loss and expense, defects and insurance issues);
• Fighting for clients and applying strategic thinking in relation to procurement, contract negotiations and adjudication, arbitration and court proceedings;
• Interacting directly with clients, managing their expectations, always meeting deadlines and delivering on every promise;
• Being responsible for the day-to-day running of files;
• Providing support to other fee-earners in the team and sharing knowledge;
• Being actively involved in the business development and management of the wider Construction team;
• Meet financial targets by ensuring accurate time recording and timely billing/cash collection;
• Following department procedures, the Solicitors’ accounts rules and the firm’s policies and procedures as detailed in the Staff Manual, including Lexcel; and
• Undertaking such duties and tasks that are appropriate for the role of Partner, such as changes in information systems and new technology as may reasonably be required.

Person Specification

• A minimum of 10 years’ PQE (England and Wales) gained as a Construction solicitor;
• CILEx Lawyers must have Civil Litigation Practice Rights;
• A strong academic background, with at least a 2:1 at degree level;
• A thorough understanding of the Housing Grants, Construction & Regeneration Act 1996, the Scheme for Construction Contracts (England & Wales) Regulations 1998, the Building Safety Act 2022 (including all related secondary legislation) and the Civil Procedure Rules;
• Proactive and used to working independently and developing and leading a team;
• Demonstrable achievements in business development, obtaining new clients, referring them to different practice areas as well as developing own practice area and cascading down as appropriate to solicitors within the team;
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal;
• Able to identify key issues in complex cases, understand the business parameters within a case and reflect that in advice to clients;
• 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;
• Excellent attention to detail to produce work / documentation which is consistently of a high standard;
• Demonstrate a flexible approach to work to ensure client deadlines are always met and clients are communicated with on a consistent and regular basis;
• Comfortable taking a collaborative and collegiate approach to matters, recognising that one can always learn new skills as well as imparting knowledge to others;
• Experienced in using Word, Excel, Outlook and Internet applications.