Associate / Senior Associate - Real Estate

Job role: Associate / Senior Associate

Hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00 - 17:30 (37.5 hours per week)

Hill Dickinson are proud to be named as a Top Ten Employer for Working Families 2025 for the second year running and so, we are happy to consider flexible working opportunities to help you balance your work and home life.

Team: Real Estate

Location: London

Benefits: At Hill Dickinson we understand that incentives go far beyond a good salary, so we have created a comprehensive benefits package tailored around our people.

Here Are Some Examples Of What We Offer

• Annual leave starting at 25 days
• Annual bonus scheme
• Birthday privilege day and Christmas shutdown
• Holiday buy, sell and carryover scheme
• 2 charity volunteering or pro bono days
• Optional private medical insurance via BUPA
• Annual fitness allowance
• Flexible pension scheme
• ISA saving scheme and independent financial advice
• Electric or hybrid vehicle lease scheme
• Medicash
• EAP with access to counselling
• Enhanced family leave policies
• Access to confidential, expert support via Fertifa in relation to reproductive health and wellbeing
• Access to 10 days fully subsidised emergency or back-up care per year via Bright Horizons
• Life assurance
• Group income protection
• Annual travel season ticket loan
• Hybrid working and dress for your day policy
• Bespoke training and development opportunities

Role Overview

Introduction to the role:

The successful candidate will join our established Real Estate practice in London and have the opportunity to develop their own profile, practice and skills with the full support of the team.

Introduction to the team

The London Real Estate team, headed up by Keith Barnett, is comprised of a further three Partners, two Legal Directors, three Consultants, two Senior Associates, trainee solicitor and a team of paralegals. The fee earning team is also supported by three dedicated PAs.

Our team is part of a national property group with further teams based in Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester. Within this group are specialist teams dealing with Commercial Real Estate, Real Estate Finance, Planning, Real Estate Litigation, Construction and Residential Property.

The London core Real Estate team is ranked in the legal directories and has a diverse range of clients including national operators in the retail sectors; property developers and investors; and many more.

Key Responsibilities

Advising a broad range of clients, including occupiers, property developers, investors and lenders, on matters including: -

• Acquisitions and disposals of investment property - including sale and lease-back transactions.
• Negotiation of leases and associated landlord and tenant documents (acting for both landlords and tenants)
• Acquisition of sites for development and investment, negotiating development agreements, dealing with disposals of development sites to investors.
• Supervising junior colleagues on property portfolio management including licences, consents and granting of leases
• Reviewing, reporting and advising on title matters
• Advising on heads of terms
• Coordinating other teams within the firm on real estate transactions such as Corporate, Insolvency and Restructuring, Banking and Construction

Important Criteria

What are we looking for:

• Qualified solicitor
• Significant experience in Commercial Property
• Significant Landlord and Tenant experience
• Demonstrable experience in some (but not necessarily all) of the other areas listed in the job description
• Willingness and aptitude to build on already strong knowledge and skills in all areas outlined in the job description.
• Demonstrates an understanding of clients, colleagues and others
• Excellent communication skills
• Able to prioritise tasks and to work under pressure
• Adherence to guidelines and procedures
• The ability to work as part of a team and independently
• Enthusiasm to promote Hill Dickinson and the Real Estate department through networking and business development activities
• Financially aware

If you don't meet all of the criteria above but feel that you could add real value to Hill Dickinson, we encourage you to apply and if successful, we can help you develop along the way.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Hill Dickinson is committed to providing fairness and equal opportunity for all regardless of age, gender, gender identity, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital or transgender status, nationality, religion or belief.

We understand that our power as a firm comes from empowering our people and that it is only by encouraging and enabling individuals to be themselves at work that we can truly benefit from their rich and varied strengths.

Hill Dickinson is an equal opportunities employer. All applications received by the firm will be considered based on their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background and from all routes to qualification, with both the SRA and CILEx.

Disability Support

We are a Disability Confident employer, which means if there is anything that we can do to make your visit easier, so you are able to perform at your best, please let us know. You can contact the HR team at [email protected] should you require any adjustments to the application or interview process.

At Hill Dickinson, we welcome applications from individuals that are looking to return to the law as well as all routes to qualification, with both the SRA and CILEx.

All successful candidates will be subject to our standard pre-employment screening, including a basic criminal record check via Disclosure and Barring Service. Any offer of employment made is conditional upon completion of all checks.

Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.