Job Description

We are looking to recruit a residential development lawyer with ideally 3 years + PQE, to act for our exciting, expanding client base of housebuilding and strategic land clients.

Our Housebuilding & Strategic Land (HSL) team is one of the largest residential development teams in the UK and is supported by large planning, plot sales, construction, environmental, agricultural, litigation and tax teams – with 80+ lawyers within the related HSL sector group.

We act for the majority of the top 10 and top 20 housebuilders, local and national developers, housing associations, landowners (from individuals to major Plc regeneration companies), local authorities, investors and promoters in the residential development and strategic land sectors. We have been extremely successful with recent national housebuilder panel wins (both new appointments and re-appointments).

Our vision is to be the best firm in the UK for residential development and to grow whilst maintaining our unique culture, where ‘doing the right thing’ and looking after our people remains at the heart of what we do.

We are looking for a Real Estate lawyer that can be based in Bristol and, together with Partner Ben Pariser and the rest of the HSL team, work with clients including Taylor Wimpey, Bellway, Vistry, Barratt Redrow and Keepmoat, advising them on both immediate and strategic land acquisitions across the South / South West, as well as nationally. They will help to run transactions day to day and will play a significant role in managing and deepening client relationships and helping to develop new business.

The candidate should have:

• A proven track-record in acting for housebuilders, promoters and developers (and possibly also landowners, housing associations and local authorities)
• Excellent technical ability and commercial awareness
• Good and growing client relationships
• Contacts within the regional development industry, including residential development land agents
• Proficiency with transactions such as conditional and unconditional contracts, options, golden-brick and other affordable housing transactions, back-to-back sales, partnership schemes, deeds of easement, infrastructure agreements, overages, site-assembly, and service charge/ management agreements
• experience of more complex transactions such as strategic land/ promotion agreements/ hybrid agreements, collaboration agreements, land pooling, building licences, mixed use schemes, PRS, institutional investment, portfolio charging and/or portfolio acquisitions
• A good understanding of VAT and SDLT issues

The successful candidate will be provided with further exposure to these areas as well as an extensive training scheme to support future career development. The most important criteria for us is someone who is ambitious, client-focussed, a team player and highly competent.

No agencies direct applications only. For further information or a confidential chat please contact the recruitment team on !RecruitmentFreeths@freeths.co.uk.

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Do we sound like a match? If you’re someone who cares deeply, communicates openly and collaborates effectively, then we’d love to have you join our diverse, inclusive team.