Job Description

Real Estate Associate (Dedicated Client Team)

Location: Leeds (flexible - office based or primarily home-based with travel to Leeds office at least twice per month)

PQE Level: 3 years PQE

Salary: 50000 - 70000 Bonus (dependent on experience)

Join a Tier 1 Ranked Real Estate Team in an Innovative Dedicated Client Role

Are you an experienced Real Estate Associate looking for a unique opportunity that offers genuine work-life balance innovative ways of working and the chance to develop deep client expertise Our client a leading international law firm with 250 years of heritage and a reputation for award-winning innovation is seeking two Real Estate Associates to join their Leeds Transactional Real Estate team in an exciting new dedicated client role.

This is a rare opportunity to work as part of a new and progressive delivery team model for one of the firms major institutional landlord clients. Youll be delivering legal services using the latest innovative ways of working and embracing forward-thinking approaches to drive value all while enjoying a real work-life balance with increased certainty and flexibility in hours.

The role offers a reduced chargeable hours target of 1400 hours per year and can be office based or primarily home-based with travel to the Leeds office at least twice per month (to be agreed depending on your level of experience). There will be additional attendance required initially for training with the team and occasional visits to London to meet with the client.

The Firm

Our client is a London headquartered international full-service law firm that consistently delivers high-quality outcomes for clients globally. With 250 years of heritage the firm today supports over 5000 of the worlds most respected organisations helping them in over 50 areas of business law across more than 100 countries. The firm is known for award-winning innovation and delivering impact to clients.

The firm has a strong global presence with offices across Asia (Japan Singapore) Europe (England & Wales France Germany Ireland Luxembourg Poland Scotland Spain) and the Middle East (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Oman Qatar UAE) plus regional business groups covering Africa Central & Eastern Europe India Korea Latin America Nordics North America Türkiye and Ukraine.

Recent major deals include advising on the largest UK IPO of 2025 (300m market capitalisation) the 36.55bn Sizewell C nuclear power station financing (one of Europes most significant infrastructure projects) and the 275m sale of an iconic London landmark to a luxury international hotel group.

The firm is a place where you are valued encouraged and challenged to fulfil your potential in a supportive and collegiate environment. The culture of improvement growth and collaboration delivers results drives innovation and rewards ambition. The firms success has been built by people from the widest range of backgrounds locations and perspectives.

The Team

The Real Estate Group is one of the firms largest comprising a team of nearly 300 the Leeds office the Transactional Real Estate team currently consists of 6 partners and 50 other fee earners.

The Leeds Transactional Real Estate team is Tier 1 ranked and won both the Yorkshire Property Insider Awards and the Yorkshire Lawyer Awards Real Estate Team of the Year in 2023.

The team places a high emphasis on transactional expertise and brings a commercial and business-oriented approach to a wide range of property delivering transactions the team uses the latest technology in conjunction with the firms legal tech team and the wider Innovation Group. The team encourages lawyers to think differently and to test the latest technology including advances in generative AI.

The Role

As part of a new and exciting mandate from one of the firms major clients you will act as a dedicated resource to one of the firms major institutional landlord clients within a structured delivery model.

This role will allow you to build up in-depth knowledge of the client and its business but with the benefits of the law firm support and innovation model. You will work as part of a wider team and have all the training and support necessary to ensure you can be successful in your role.

This is a unique opportunity to:

• Focus exclusively on one major client enabling you to develop deep sector expertise and build strong client relationships

• Benefit from comprehensive support training and career development opportunities

• Enjoy a real work-life balance with increased certainty and flexibility in hours

• Work with the latest innovative ways of working and forward-thinking approaches

• Have a reduced chargeable hours target of 1400 hours per year (compared to typical 1600-1800 hours)

• Choose to be office based or primarily home-based with travel to Leeds office at least twice per month

Your key responsibilities will include:

Core Transactional Work:

• Drafting and negotiating commercial leases (including new renewal and reversionary leases)

• Drafting and negotiating ancillary lettings documents such as licences to alter rent deposit deeds etc.

• Creating and maintaining letting due diligence packs including title CPSE property specific documents etc.

• Answering tenant due diligence enquiries including liaising with appropriate professional advisers of the client and/or the client

• Dealing with letting/management applications (such as licences to assign underlet deed of variation etc.) during the term of existing leases

• Dealing with completion processes such as deeds administration collection of completion monies and post completion administration and billing

Supervision and Team Leadership:

• Supervising work carried out by junior lawyers and paralegals who assist with lettings and management matters (e.g. draft CPSE replies)

• Working closely with the wider client account team to ensure consistency of approach and sharing of best practice knowledge for the client (including assisting with creating and maintaining precedents and client processes)

Client Management and Relationship Building:

• Being principally responsible for your own caseload and compliance with firm policies and processes (under appropriate supervision)

• Direct contact with client and other professionals engaged by client (including social/networking opportunities)

• Direct contact with tenant and their own professional representatives

• Building strong client relationships and developing deep sector expertise

Additional Responsibilities:

• Carrying out other appropriate legal tasks as may be required from time to time for this client or senior members of the team (including assisting with sales purchases and other transactions from time to time)

• Maintaining a worklog/status update for each matter with contemporaneous updates

• Complying with/maintaining/implementing client specific admin requirements such as Horizon inputting insertion/negotiation of client specific drafting and adopting portfolio positions on certain negotiation points

• Responsible for managing own personal financials such as WIP billing write offs

About You

Essential Requirements:

• Qualified Solicitor in England and Wales

• Ideally 3 years PQE as an Associate working within commercial property matters in England & Wales

• Strong technical knowledge of commercial property law particularly commercial leases and lettings

• Experience drafting and negotiating commercial leases (new renewal and reversionary)

• Experience with ancillary lettings documents (licences to alter rent deposit deeds etc.)

• Experience with letting/management applications (licences to assign underlet deeds of variation etc.)

• Strong understanding of landlord and tenant law

• Excellent drafting and negotiation skills

• Dedicated to the highest levels of client service with strong communication and relationship building skills

• Proactive approach to identifying risks and opportunities and developing practical commercially focused solutions

• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage own caseload

• Ability to work effectively as part of a wider team

• Commitment to following processes and utilising legal technology tools

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy

• Commercially focused with excellent problem-solving abilities

Highly Desirable:

• Experience of working for institutional landlords

• Experience managing high volume fast paced workloads in a client facing role as part of a wider team

• Experience with CPSE enquiries and due diligence processes

• Experience with completion processes and post completion administration

• Experience supervising junior lawyers and paralegals

• Experience with legal technology tools and innovative ways of working

• Experience with generative AI and legal tech

• Experience working in a dedicated client team or secondment environment

• Strong business development and networking skills

Key Attributes:

• Client-focused with commitment to exceptional service delivery

• Commercially astute and business-oriented approach

• Proactive and solutions-focused

• Strong team player who works well in a collaborative environment

• Adaptable and flexible approach to work

• Enthusiastic about innovation and new ways of working

• Self-motivated with strong work ethic

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships

• Committed to continuous learning and development

• Passionate about real estate law

Whats On Offer

Our client is committed to recognising and rewarding great work with rewards and benefits that are among the best in the business.

Benefits include:

• Competitive salary: 50000 - 70000 Bonus (dependent on experience)

• Bonus scheme

• Reduced chargeable hours target: 1400 hours per year (compared to typical 1600-1800 hours)

• Real work-life balance with increased certainty and flexibility in hours

• Flexible working: office based or primarily home-based with travel to Leeds office at least twice per month

• International full-service law firm with 250 years of heritage

• Support over 5000 of the worlds most respected organisations globally

• 50 areas of business law across 100 countries

• Award-winning innovation and reputation for delivering impact

• Leeds Transactional Real Estate team ranked Tier 1

• Yorkshire Property Insider Awards and Yorkshire Lawyer Awards Real Estate Team of the Year 2023

• Real Estate Group of nearly 300 lawyers

• Leeds team: 6 partners and 50 other fee earners

• Unique opportunity to focus exclusively on one major institutional landlord client

• Develop deep sector expertise and build strong client relationships

• Work as part of a new and progressive delivery team model

• Use the latest innovative ways of working including generative AI

• Comprehensive support training and career development opportunities

• Work with legal tech team and wider Innovation Group

• Culture of improvement growth and collaboration

• Supportive and collegiate environment

• Clear progression pathway

• Direct contact with client and networking opportunities

• Occasional visits to London to meet with the client

• Initial training with the team

• Manage own caseload with autonomy

• Supervise junior lawyers and paralegals

• Work on high-calibre matters with high-character colleagues

• Access to full-service firm resources (Corporate Finance Employment Dispute Resolution IP Tax Competition Construction and more)

• Employee networks that provide space to discuss differences and celebrate diversity

• Firm that values people from the widest range of backgrounds locations and perspectives

• Recent major deals: Largest UK IPO 2025 (300m) 36.55bn Sizewell C nuclear financing 275m London landmark sale

• Global offices across Asia Europe and Middle East

• Regional business groups covering Africa CEE India Korea Latin America Nordics North America Türkiye Ukraine

Location

This role is based in the firms Leeds office but offers flexible working arrangements. The role can be office based or primarily home-based with travel to the Leeds office at least twice per month (to be agreed depending on your level of experience). There will be additional attendance required initially for training with the team and occasional visits to London to meet with the client.

The Leeds office is located in the heart of the citys business district with excellent transport links and access to the citys amenities restaurants and cultural attractions.

How to Apply

If youre an experienced Real Estate Associate (ideally 3 years PQE) looking for a unique opportunity that offers genuine work-life balance innovative ways of working and the chance to develop deep client expertise with a major institutional landlord wed love to hear from you. Click apply now or contact or 0