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
Birketts is now recruiting for an ambitious, driven and forward thinking Paralegal to come and join our growing Corporate Team on a full time permanent basis in our Sevenoaks office with a view to qualifying as a solicitor into the Corporate Team via the legal apprentice route, subject to performance and on completion of probationary period. Our office is in the heart of the town centre and a 15 minute walk from the train station.
You will join a highly successful, leading Corporate Team who are seeing substantial growth, resulting in the need for extra resource to take forward ambitious plans for the future.
You will form part of a nationally recognised and highly regarded Corporate Team, comprising approximately 50 fee earners and 20 partners, many of whom are recommended in the latest Legal 500 rankings, often in the Hall of Fame category. Our team’s size and expertise mean we advise clients at different stages of the business life cycle from start-ups to large corporates, on matters such as mergers and acquisitions, buy-outs and buy-ins, development capital fundraisings, to refinancings and exits.
We also have extensive experience in international corporate deals, collaborating with a range of overseas law firms on cross-border transactions.
The Corporate Team includes specialist private equity, venture capital and incentives/EOT sub teams, and also benefits from working closely with other service lines in the Corporate division, such as Banking & Finance, Corporate Tax, Company Secretarial and Competition.
Purpose of job
If you are seeking a new, challenging role with a modern, forward-thinking firm, then this could be the role for you! We are looking for a Paralegal to cover a broad range of work across the Corporate Team contributing in their own right and providing assistance to the entire team and its growth.
Work includes assisting the team to advise clients on acquisitions and disposals of companies and businesses, transactions for investors (including private equity) and international transactions. You will be assisting with the drafting of the necessary legal documents, preparing corporate ancillary documents, liaising with HMRC, and working with team members to co-ordinate the signing of documents. You will work proactively with fee earners to ensure relevant documentation is produced to meet client expectations and deadlines, file management, digital documentation downloads/uploads, and working with DocuSign.
You will be given training and support and the chance to get involved in exciting and complex transactions and, subject to performance, have the opportunity to become a qualified lawyer in this team via the legal apprenticeship route.
Accountabilities
- Drafting, negotiating and agreeing documentation for corporate transactions
- Providing support to the fee-earners and partners in the team and assisting in the work of the team
- Running files
- Interacting directly with clients and managing their expectations
- Providing an efficient and friendly service to clients
The candidate
While this can be helpful, candidates do not need to have had previous legal experience.
You will have a strong desire to learn new skills, to become an integral and valued part of the Corporate Team, and to build a career as a corporate lawyer in a leading firm.
You will need to have strong attention to detail skills to produce work/documentation which is consistently of a high standard. You will be reliable and trustworthy, with a flexible approach to work to ensure client deadlines are always met and clients are communicated with on a consistent and regular basis.
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
https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/
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.
