Senior Associate - Real Estate - Contentious Construction

The role

This role is a great opportunity for an experienced lawyer to join the firm's growing construction practice group. The role will focus on contentious construction. This will relate to disputes referred to adjudication as well as those in the High Court.  

The role will focus on almost exclusively UK-based building-related work, involving both standard form and bespoke agreements. 

The wider team has an expanding engineering and infrastructure client base acting for developers, contractors and sub-contractors. The team works closely with both the Development and the Real Estate Finance teams, for commercial and residential development schemes.

Role responsibility

• Handling contentious matters and dispute advisory work up to and including ADR, expert and determination and adjudications (plus enforcement proceedings in the TCC), dealing with wide range of matters including final account and delay claims, quality of build claims, construction insolvency, bond claims, ACM cladding, professional indemnity and other insurance-related claims.
• Providing technical legal and commercial advice to clients involved in construction disputes, working with Partners and other Fee earners in the team to assess risks and provide innovative solutions to clients.
• Effectively project managing matters through to completion and delegating effectively to more junior members of the team. Providing them guidance and supporting their professional development.
• Developing and managing strong client relationships, developing an understanding of their needs in order to consistently deliver high quality legal services to them.
• Instructing and liaising with Counsel and other experts where necessary.
• Attending and running meetings with clients, Counsel and opposing parties.
• Keeping up to date with developments in contentious construction law, sharing knowledge, insight and best practice within the team and wider firm.

About you

Ideally you will be able to demonstrate;

• Proven experience working on relevant contentious and non-contentious construction work at a senior level;
• Detailed knowledge of adjudication practice and procedures;
• Strong organisation skills with the ability to manage client deadlines;
• Good communication skills, confidence in dealing with both internal and external stakeholders at all levels;
• Exceptional client facing skills and the ability to operate as a 'trusted advisor';
• The ability and drive to develop long standing client relationships;
• A broad technical grounding across real estate;
• The ability to deal with complex technical legal concepts;
• A commercial approach to problem solving, providing innovative solutions to the firm and our clients;
• Thoroughness and attention to detail;
• Confident and effective advocacy/communication style;
• Willingness to actively participate in business development and profile-raising activities; and
• The ability to supervise, mentor and develop more junior members of the team.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days annual holiday
• Permanent Health Insurance
• Life Assurance
• Interest free Season Ticket Loan
• Private Healthcare
• Pension Scheme
• Staff Introductory Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

About us

With almost 200 lawyers in one location, we ensure our clients have the right team to help them get from where they are to where they want to be. We advise major corporates and institutions as well as entrepreneurial, ambitious enterprises which are often privately or family owned, or private equity backed. As well as our significant business law capability, we are one of only a few London-based law firms with a large private wealth offering. Our clients find our straightforward approach a compelling alternative to larger, less personal firms.

Whether you are an ambitious and talented individual wanting to hit the ground running from day one, or an established professional looking for a new opportunity, Howard Kennedy is the firm where you can really make it happen.

We have earned a strong reputation for our exceptional and uniquely talented people who between them deliver outstanding results for clients. In a firm of our size, our strong team dynamic creates a thriving culture of creativity and entrepreneurialism. Howard Kennedy is a pragmatic and non-hierarchical environment where success is shared, and you are proactively encouraged to thrive at your own pace.

Our distinctive culture is built on fairness and respect. Guided by the firm’s values of talk straight, think smart and be yourself, everyone in the firm holds equal value, and everyone plays their role in supporting, encouraging and inspiring colleagues to do their best work.

At the same time, we recognise and reward individualism, celebrating the diversity of our people and supporting them to grow their practice and drive their own career advancement.

As well as client work, there is opportunity to broaden your horizons at the firm with fulfilling pro bono and charity projects. We have a regular social calendar full of wellbeing activities, charitable and social events too.