Associate
Date: 17 Sept 2026
Location: Milton Keynes, GB
Company: Dentons
Department/Division: Real Estate
Duration: Permanent
Reports to: Partner
Reference number: 10668
The Team
The team's quality has been recognised with award wins and significant client growth in recent years. It specialises in interesting, complex and fast-paced real estate litigation.
The team's growing client base includes investors, developers, retailers, government departments, insurers, financiers, insolvency practitioners and high net worth clients. Opportunities exist to embed within key sectors such as retail, infrastructure, energy, data-centers, logistics, government, living, industry and hotels and leisure. Specialisms can be developed across
The team has grown considerably in recent years and has expertise across various specialisms covering asset management, development and investment.
The teams focus is on resolving disputes for clients wherever possible, but it has enjoyed significant court wins in recent years at all levels up to and including the Supreme Court. Members of the team have also assisted institutional clients with high profile regulatory investigations, as well as advising on high-value/high-profile developments.
The team's expertise and eminence has been recognised by Legal 500 (‘A first-rate team with strength and depth.') and Chambers & Partners in recent years.
The Role
We are looking for an NQ-3 PQE Associate to join the team to support and enhance their career, the team's client base and the strength of the team.
One key aspect of the role will be to develop the growing practice, which is run by two partners. Bryan Johnston is described by Legal 500 as ‘sensible and pragmatic with excellent client handling skills’ and David Payton as being 'a pleasure to work with’.
The role spans across all contentious aspects of contentious and semi-contentious and advisory property work.
The qualified candidate will join and become an integral part of an '‘outstanding’ team of lawyers that has ‘a solid knowledge base" and fields a very broad portfolio of clients.
This position offers a wide and varied workload coupled with fantastic career prospects and market-leading training and development.
Required experience, skills, and attributes
- You will take a leading role on a variety of disputes and transactions across a range of sectors.
- Build and maintain client relationships.
- Managing a complex caseload with appropriate supervision.
- Advise on day-to-day property litigation issues for a variety of clients.
- Formulate, collaborate and lead on business development initiatives.
- Contribute to thought leadership and raise the profile of the firm internally and externally.
- Strong emotional intelligence.
- Ability to critically think and ability to utilise AI appropriately to enhance rather than replace skills.
- England and Wales qualified.
Firm Profile
Across more than 80 countries, Dentons helps you grow, protect, operate and finance your organisation by providing uniquely global and deeply local legal solutions. Polycentric, purpose-driven and committed to inclusion, diversity, equity and sustainability, we focus on what matters most to you. www.dentons.com
Inclusion and Diversity
We are committed to building an inclusive culture here at Dentons where our people can thrive, regardless of their background or circumstance. As well as being the right thing to do, it makes good business sense too. A richness of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives helps us best serve our clients and the communities in which we operate. You can find out more about inclusion and diversity at Dentons here: Inclusion and Diversity
Dentons is committed to providing equal opportunities for all. We welcome applications from everyone including of any age, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, neurotype, disability, or with parental or caring responsibilities. We are also “Happy to Talk Flexible Working” and welcome conversations about flexible working arrangements.
Dentons is a Disability Confident employer. Candidates with a disability may choose to apply under the Disability Confident Scheme. We will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. Where application volumes are high, we may offer interviews to those who best meet the minimum criteria, consistent with our approach for all candidates.
During the application process, all applicants have the opportunity to tell us about any adjustments or support they require so they are able to perform at their best. Any information you share with us during the application process is treated in confidence.
If you have any questions about this or the role criteria, please email recruitment.matters@dentons.com.
NO AGENCIES PLEASE
If you are interested in applying for this position, we welcome direct applications via our careers page, but if you have any questions beforehand, please email recruitment.matters@dentons.com. Enquiries only please – applications will not be accepted via email.
Please note that we will not accept unsolicited CVs sent to the business, nor will we accept any associated terms of business.