Solicitor

The firm

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.

Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 5th best law firm to work at in 2024.

With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 40% of our partnership.

The department

The Corporate Team consists of more than 20 partners and 50 lawyers, working across the firm's seven offices, on a wide range of corporate transactions, advising entrepreneurs, private equity and venture capital funds, financial institutions, owner-managed and privately owned businesses, as well as international investors and public companies, on the full range of transactions from trade sales/purchases, private equity buy outs and disposals, venture capital investments, management buyouts and employee ownership trust sales, to financial distress transactions.

As well as UK deals, our Corporate Team is experienced in dealing with international transactions, including acquisitions and disposals of UK companies by and to international buyers, and assisting UK buyers with their acquisitions of overseas companies.

Purpose of job

We are looking to recruit two Solicitors into the Corporate Team, with between 1 and 3 years of PQE, who have the drive and commitment to assist Birketts' in the continued growth and development of our firmwide corporate practice and to become an essential member of the Corporate Team.

The roles are available in our Cambridge and Ipswich offices, but the successful candidates will have the opportunity to support the Partners and senior fee earners across the entire Corporate Team in their advising clients on complex corporate transactions, including investment transactions, acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, and corporate restructurings.

This is an excellent opportunity for motivated and ambitious individuals to join a successful and friendly Corporate Team, in a growing firm which enjoys an excellent reputation, and with excellent career progression opportunities.

Accountabilities

Qualified solicitors in England & Wales with 1 - 3 years PQE in corporate mergers and acquisitions.

We expect the candidates to have demonstrable experience of supporting more senior fee earners with a wide range of corporate matters, including disclosure and due diligence exercises; management of deal datarooms; supporting reviews of transaction documents (SPA's, APA's, Investment Agreements etc); drafting and reviewing ancillary transactional documents; attending to execution of documents (including via DocuSign); and preparation of transaction bibles.

Candidates will be expected to have the interpersonal skills for significant levels of client contact, to be abreast of recent changes in corporate law, and to have experience of using knowhow sources (such as Practical Law, FromCounsel etc) to carry out discrete research projects.

Experience in any of the sectors in which the firm operates (available at ) or specialist practice areas such as private equity, venture capital, capital markets and reorganisations, would be beneficial, but not a requirement.

Equal opportunities

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Alongside a flexible and inclusive work environment, we offer the following core benefits:

• 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
• Long Service holiday award - 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
• Dress for your Day Policy

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.