A Private Client Solicitor is required to join the busy Succession & Tax team in Oxford (ranked Tier 2 in the Legal 500), which serves the wider Thames Valley region. The post holder will be required to deal with Wills and Probate matters as well as other Private Client work. You will therefore have an interest in dealing with complex files and will have experience of and typically be involved in the following:
* Preparation of Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney for UK based and international clients.
* Estate planning (including lifetime and post-death planning), to cover advice on inheritance tax, capital gains tax and income tax and the creation of lifetime trusts
* Obtaining grants of probate or letters of administration and administering estate, including foreign domicile, re-sealing of grants and intestate estates
* Preparing deeds of variation, deeds of gifts and deeds of family arrangement
* Providing trust advice particularly around setting up, management and administration with reference to the firm's dedicated Trust Administration team (as required)
Skills / Experience Required
* Sound and solid background in wills and probate with experience of running independent caseloads
* Strong technical competence and intellectual ability (STEP qualification preferred or committed to obtaining it, where appropriate)
* Confident and personable approach, with excellent communication skills (verbal and written)
* A proven ability to work effectively as part of a team, providing a role model for others to follow, to supervise others and to delegate effectively depending upon your particular role in the team
* An understanding and appreciation of the value of high levels of client care
* Demonstrable experience of managing relationships with colleagues (including those in other legal disciplines) and third party introducers of work
* Flexible outlook with an ability to prioritise and work under pressure
* IT literate (you will receive training on our Practice Management System, Peppermint and Document Management System, iManage)
* 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 advertised role including Data Protection and the duty of confidentiality
Blake Morgan is committed to adopting Smart Working practices, where appropriate in the context of business needs, and empowering colleagues to maximise their performance. Whilst we strive to ensure consistency of approach across the firm, there will inevitably be some differences in working practices across our business groups and business support functions. We consider each colleague's personal preferences, working styles and development needs when deciding the best arrangements to suit our clients and colleagues. A typical approach would be a blend of working in your usual office, working from another Blake Morgan office, working from a client's office and working from home. A Guide to getting the most out of Smart Working Policy is available for our colleagues. You will be a core part of the team and able to access the technology, support, training and resources you require. 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.
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.
Private Client is a highly regarded and successful Business Group within Blake Morgan, comprising its Succession & Tax and Family Practice Groups and generating fees of over £8m per annum. We employ over 90 people and have teams working out of the firm's London, Southampton, Cardiff and Oxford offices. We are listed as one of the UK's top private client law firms by eprivateclient.
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.
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 instructed agencies and direct applicants. We do not accept CVs from recruitment agencies unless terms and conditions have been agreed in advance with our Resourcing Team.
Our Culture and Environment
We pride ourselves on our Personality, which is weaved into everything we do for our colleagues, clients and communities alike. We have created an environment underpinned by our ACTS framework that places high value on being:
Astute (commercially)
Committed
Team playing
Straightforward
It's part of the way we like to do things. If you wish to work amongst colleagues with these behaviours, then you will find yourself amongst likeminded individuals at Blake Morgan.
We work as one team and believe in supporting our colleagues to strengthen the firm. We act honestly and openly in all that we do. We care for our communities and encourage all our people to actively participate in our sports, social and charitable activities. We foster a mature and smart flexible working environment which is family friendly. We also offer opportunities to develop your skills and knowledge and to progress within the firm via our Blake Morgan Academy. We seek to be transparent in all of our dealings with applicants and ensure that you have all the information you need to understand our recruitment process to decide whether or not the role and our firm are right for you.
If you have any questions, please email Rob Brown at rob.brown@blakemorgan.co.uk.
Benefits
Some of the benefits of working at Blake Morgan include:
* 26 days' annual holiday and option to purchase 1 weeks' leave
* Birthday holiday
* My Time – one working week off for community, faith based festivals, volunteering, or wellbeing activities
* Profit Share Scheme
* Performance related bonus scheme
* Target Plus (rolling bonus scheme)
* Private medical insurance including access to a health advice helpline
* Auto-enrolment pension scheme (5% employer pension contribution when employee contributes 3%)
* Life assurance scheme
* Critical illness cover
* Cash Plan - claim for flu jab, health screening, optical and dental plus a range of wellbeing and health services
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Professional subscriptions
* Free parking or travel season ticket loan depending on your office location
* Cycle to work scheme
* Discounts at leading retailers
* Recruitment referral scheme
* Gifts at key lifestyle and career milestones