We are looking for a 6+ year PQE solicitor to advise largely on non-contentious matters. As a team, many of us work on both contentious and non-contentious matters and we are keen to encourage people to develop a wide skill set. However, our business wins are presently trending towards challenging, high-profile work on the transactional side. You should therefore be very familiar with JCT and NEC contracts from a purely construction and property development perspective. Experience of PPP or PFI transactions would be particularly valued, and similarly exposure to FIDIC or ICHEME forms would be great.
As you will be part of our large construction team, which works with all of our offices, the location of the role is not strictly defined. We are keen to support a productive work/life balance and to enable you to develop a long-term professional profile in the region of your choice. With Cardiff, Oxford, Reading and Southampton options available, please note this role would not be based primarily out of our London office.
We support agile working, typically with flexible 3-day(+) office attendance or according to business need. We have built on the resilient response of our team's working experience during the Covid pandemic and are fully skilled and equipped for effective remote working.
You will be able to rely on support from team members across the firm. Our lawyer teams are also well supported by our Business Services, Finance, HR, IT and Risk functions.
More information about our practice can be found here.
Skills / Experience Required
We are interested in candidates with high calibre construction experience acquired at a leading national, regional or City law firm. Candidates with in-house legal experience at major contractor, consultant or public bodies will also be valued highly.
* 6+ years PQE
* Confident and personable
* Very familiar with JCT and NEC
* Wider procurement experience, such as PFI / PPP
* Strong technical competence and intellectual ability
* Commercial awareness
* Good communication skills (verbal and written)
* A team player with leadership potential
* Exceptional self-motivation
* Well regarded where you are
* An active networker
* Committed to rigour around treating all clients fairly
* Focused on attributing dedication, determination and loyalty to colleagues, clients and communities
* Able to demonstrate continuous development and diversity in thinking
* Understands and complies with Information Security responsibilities commensurate with this role including Data Protection and the duty of confidentiality
Our construction team of over 20 colleagues is based across the firm which gives us strength and depth and provides plenty of opportunities to work with clients across the construction sector. We work closely with clients on all aspects of the construction process from procurement, through the construction works, dealing with risk and dispute issues as and when they arise. As a firm we have the benefit of an in-house PM/QS team based in Cardiff, with whom we work closely, providing an all-round service to the construction industry.
Recent work highlights include; advising Transport for Wales on the procurement of the Core Valley Lines; extensive work for the NHS; advising on the PPP MIM 21st Century Schools; lead partner for the Royal Borough of Kingston and its Transform Kingston regeneration scheme; advisor to Westminster CC on the iconic Seymour Leisure Centre refurb. We have an extensive portfolio of clients related to cladding defect claims and remediation projects following the Grenfell Tower fire, including the Welsh Government. Our clients include contractors, suppliers and professionals in the construction industry as well as several high-profile developers (such as Lidl and Meadow), Housing Associations (such as Platform), education institutions (including many universities and Oxford colleges) local authorities (including Cardiff, Winchester, Reading, Folkestone & Hythe and several London Councils) and funders (including Barclays, HSBC and Deutsche Bank).
Blake Morgan is one of the UK's leading full-service law firms, with offices in London, Wales, Thames Valley and the South Coast region. We provide our clients with practical and straightforward legal advice whatever their regional, national and international requirements. Our clients are commercial businesses, not-for-profit organisations, government agencies and private individuals.
Our business groups are:
Banking and Finance
Business Support Services
Commercial and Charities
Commercial Litigation
Commercial Recoveries and Travel
Construction
Corporate
Employment, Pensions, Benefits & Immigration
Private Client
Property Services
Regulatory
Our office locations and details of how to reach them are found here.
How to Apply
Please apply on our website through our Online Portal.
Closing Date: Within two months from date of posting but please note we are continually reviewing applications so we would recommend applying sooner rather than later.
Interviews: The interview process will start as soon as suitable candidates have been identified. We will notify you in advance if you are required to carry out a drafting exercise/skills test as part of the interview process.
If you have any questions, please email Rob Brown at rob.brown@blakemorgan.co.uk or telephone on 023 8085 7441.
Your personal data will be processed in line with our applicant privacy policy which explains how we treat your data.
Please note that we are currently only accepting CVs from direct applicants. We do not accept CVs from recruitment agencies unless terms and conditions have been agreed in advance with our Resourcing Team.
Benefits
Some of the benefits of working at Blake Morgan can be found here.