Practice Development Lawyer

Department/Division: Real Estate 
Duration: 12 Month Maternity Cover 
Location: UK
Reports to: Managing Practice Development Lawyer
Direct Reports: None
Type of Role: Remote 

Reference no: 6638

The Department

We are the largest real estate practice in the world with a solid, market leading reputation across a broad spectrum of industries and sectors. Real Estate is a core and expanding part of our business and a key element across the Firm and its different geographies. 

Our London office offers a complete range of real estate services to clients, from development, joint ventures, structured investments, acquisitions and disposals, landlord and tenant, retail and real estate finance to planning and property litigation. It works seamlessly with our Milton Keynes, Scottish and virtual Real Estate practices across many of these areas which enables us to offer cost effective solutions to our clients. 

The Role

We now have an opportunity for a PDL to join us to work within the heart of our Real Estate team. The focus of the role will be on updating and maintaining our precedent bank and working on innovation projects, such as document automation, to ensure the department remains at forefront of legal services. In addition, you will be working closely with our existing Managing PDL to support and deliver a broad spectrum of know how related services. 

This is an exciting opportunity to join a market leading Real Estate team where you will be offered a high level of responsibility across the breadth of the practice and the opportunity to have significant interaction with our fee earners. 

The role will involve: 

• Revising, updating and maintaining the English/Welsh real estate precedent bank.
• Creating new precedents.
• Drafting practice notes to support the use of the precedent bank.
• Liaising closely with fee earners to understand and respond to their requirements for precedent support.
• Working closely with fee earners to gather market feedback and to maintain a good understanding of the "market norm". 
• Participating in and contributing to innovation projects to enhance the use and delivery of legal documentation.
• Participating in and coordinating the automation of key precedents for their better and more efficient use by internal fee earning teams. 
• Where required, providing assistance and support to the Managing PDL with the following: 
  • Legal research;
  • Producing dynamic and up to date client briefings and legal updates;
  • Identifying, developing, coordinating and delivering legal training for clients and internal fee earning teams; 
  • Creating and contributing to legal know-how material; 
  • Sourcing and sharing relevant and up to date knowledge with clients and our internal team and encouraging others to do the same. 

Required experience, skills, and attributes

The role would be ideal for an experienced English qualified Real Estate lawyer or PDL, who has been an active creator and contributor of and to legal know-how materials and client service. The ideal candidate will have: 

• Substantial knowledge of the Real Estate sector and market. 
• Comprehensive drafting skills and experience of creating and maintaining precedents.
• Experience of document automation, particularly using Contract Express. 
• Understands the likely practical implications of legal changes. 
• Maintains up to date industry and legal knowledge.
• Is pro-active in proposing solutions to internal and external clients. 
• Excellent intellectual and analytical skills. 
• Outgoing in approach and ability to communicate clearly. 
• Key research abilities. 
• Ability to work with minimal supervision. 

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.

Equal Opportunities

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, neurodiversity, disability, or with parental or caring responsibilities. We also offer flexible working hours.

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.