Paralegal or Associate

About the role

The role

The successful candidate will be assisting the national team with a variety of tasks including infrastructure managing their own caseload of infrastructure agreements and residential development site disposals (such as transfer of public open space) as well as tasks including but are not limited to: -

• Communicating with clients and external solicitors (both in writing and telephone);

• Ad hoc research in relation to legal matters;

• Providing regular updates to key client contacts by way of meeting or documentation (client driven)

• Reporting to clients highlight terms and changes to standard documentation

• Working as part of a team to develop processes and precedents to achieve and maintain excellence in client service

• Attending marketing and networking events with clients and intermediaries

The Team

Our Real Estate group is one of the largest real estate teams in the UK, advising an impressive range of clients including commercial and residential developers, investors, major corporate occupiers, and banks/funders. Offering exceptional market knowledge, the team holds an outstanding reputation with clients and the market generally. “Clients are full of admiration for this team, noting it combines outstanding technical expertise with a “very” responsive service” (Chambers).

Our team provides clients with rapid, concise and efficient legal and commercial advice. We advise on all general commercial real estate matters. Our exceptional list of clients speaks volumes as it is spread across a multitude of sectors including; commercial and residential developers, investors, retail and leisure operators, social housing bodies, major corporate occupiers, banks and other funders and a range of public sector bodies.

To find out more about the team, please click here.

The Firm

Shoosmiths is the law firm clients choose for excellent service, incisive thinking and above all for our ability to focus on what matters. From offices across the UK and Brussels, we support some of the world’s most exciting and ambitious businesses; amazing clients making an impact. We empower our people to be their authentic selves and deliver together in supportive teams committed to excellence and innovation. The first top 50 law firm to achieve ‘Platinum Standard’ Investors in People, our values and culture are not just words on our website but are the heartbeat of the firm.

We have an outstanding benefits package to complement our competitive remuneration system. In addition to the competitive salaries, great working environment and high-quality work, we believe that all staff should be rewarded for their commitment to the continued success of the firm through a comprehensive and flexible range of benefits.

To discover more about our benefits, please visit: Benefits Package

Skills & Qualifications

• Degree and ideally LPC or ILEX qualified

• Ideally 12 months' previous paralegal experience within a similar role, or previous paralegal experience within a professional environment

• Excellent client care skills, with an ability to deliver a quality service to both internal and external clients

• Ability to work in a high-pressure environment with short deadlines

• Enthusiastic with a positive, can do attitude

• Good working knowledge of various applications – word, excel, outlook

• Excellent presentation skills

• A methodical approach with keen attention paid to every detail

• Good organisational skills to ensure that the tasks are effectively scheduled within working time available, and that urgent work is completed and returned within the specified timescales

• Able to integrate within a team as well as working on one’s own initiative

• A willingness to take part in business development, including the attendance at networking and other marketing events

• Remaining calm under pressure

• Excellent presentation skills

• Ability to prioritise and complete work effectively to ensure all deadlines are met

• Ability to integrate and work within a team as well as taking responsibility for your own matters

The firm

Shoosmiths is the law firm clients choose for excellent service, incisive thinking and above all for our ability to focus on what matters. From offices across the UK and Brussels, we support some of the world’s most exciting and ambitious businesses; amazing clients making an impact. We empower our people to be their authentic selves and deliver together in supportive teams committed to excellence and innovation. The first top 50 law firm to achieve ‘Platinum Standard’ Investors in People, our values and culture are not just words on our website but are the heartbeat of the firm.

We have an outstanding benefits package to complement our competitive remuneration system. In addition to the competitive salaries, great working environment and high-quality work, we believe that all staff should be rewarded for their commitment to the continued success of the firm through a comprehensive and flexible range of benefits.

To discover more about our benefits, please visit: Benefits Package

Shoosmiths is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. Disability Confident is a government scheme designed to encourage employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term conditions. The Disability Confident scheme replaced the Two Ticks Positive about Disabled People scheme. We had been accredited as a two tick employer for many years - Disability Confident broadens and develops that original commitment, and demonstrates we have adopted a proactive approach to employing disabled people and developing their abilities.

As part of our accreditation, we commit to interviewing any applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for each vacancy. In some circumstances we may only be able to interview those that best meet the essential criteria due to the volume of applications received.

Further information on the Disability Confident scheme is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to and usable by everyone. If you have a disability or long-term condition and would like to receive information in a different way, or need us to make any adjustments, changes or do anything differently during the recruitment process, please get in touch with the Talent Acquisition team on Experienced.Hire@shoosmiths.com. We can consider your needs and requirements, and how we can assist you to apply for our roles. For example we can provide a copy of our application via email so that you can complete it using your own accessibility software. Equal opportunities Our approach to our people is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well-being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues.

This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.

If you’d like to learn more about this opportunity or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Nina Marshall at nina.marshall@shoosmiths.com.

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