Property Solicitors (Residential and Development) – In-House

WHG

-We are looking to recruit two full-time Solicitors to join whg’s Property team.

-We are open to solicitors from either an in-house or private practice.

About Our Client

We are one of the Midlands’ leading and most successful providers of high quality homes. Owning and managing around 22,000 properties, we provide affordable, good quality homes and community-based services, creating sustainable and resilient communities.

Job Description

We are looking for two Property Solicitors to join the Property and Commercial side of our Legal Services Team team here at whg.

We are looking for two different types of Property Lawyer – one to work on our residential property matters and the other to focus on development work.

We are an established, busy in-house legal team. Life in the Legal Services Team is fast-paced and rewarding. You will get lots of stakeholder engagement and you will get to truly build long-term relationships with colleagues who will value your input on legal matters.

So who would this role suit?

If you are an existing in-house Property Solicitor then we would love to hear from you. We also think this could represent a rare opportunity for a private practice lawyer who wants to make their first move in-house.

Ideally we are looking for Solicitors with at least two years’ PQE.

You will be joining a team of Solicitors, so there will be plenty of support and collaboration around you.

Our team works in a hybrid manner with time spent both in the office and from home. It is desirable that you have experience using a case management system – ours is ALB.

This is an exciting time to join our Legal Services Team.

Property Lawyer – Residential

The role:

• You will report to the Property and Commercial Law Manager.
• You will provide high quality legal advice and support to whg colleagues on all aspects of residential property, predominantly dealing with leasehold management and applications to purchase homes under various schemes.
• You are required to support and engage with different parts of the organisation, working across teams and at various levels, including Housing, Asset Management and Neighbourhood Services.
• You will maintain and develop internal working relationships to ensure that any legal matters involving whg are dealt with efficiently and effectively.
• You are also required to work with external stakeholders and organisations such as external lawyers and the First Tier Tribunal.

You will:

• Manage a diverse caseload of residential property matters from inception to completion, including but not limited to sales, purchases, leaseholds and freeholds in relation to registered and unregistered land.
• Undertake conveyancing work, drafting, reviewing and amending a variety of legal documents including contracts, transfers, agreements, licences and leases.
• Provide advice and support on leasehold property management, and progress applications for the Right to Buy and Acquire, and Shared Ownership staircasing, through to their conclusion.
• Deal with general leasehold property enquiries and queries relating to service charges, LPE1 forms and s.20 consultation requirements, Management Companies, preparation of Certificates of Compliance, Deeds of Postponement and Deeds of Covenant.
• Support with land rectification and title anomalies and associated conveyancing
• Provide advice in relation to the disposal of properties, ensuring compliance with the Charities Acts 2011 and 2022.
• Provide support and cover arrangements for other Legal Services Team colleagues, dealing with a range of property and commercial matters.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation, regulation and case law.

Property Lawyer – Development

The role:

This role will report into the Property and Commercial Law Manager

You will provide high quality legal advice and support to whg colleagues, on all aspects of property development, predominantly dealing with new build development and regeneration of small sites.

You will:

• Provide legal advice on all aspects of property development from site acquisition, planning, plot sales, conveyancing to the construction and development of residential developments.
• Deal with conditional and unconditional contracts, development agreements, options, golden-brick and other affordable housing transactions, back to back sales, deeds of easement, infrastructure agreements, overages, site-assembly and service charge or management agreements.
• Advise on the regeneration of existing land portfolio providing reports on title, reviewing title matters, land searches, boundary and access rights and associated plot sale conveyancing.
• Provide support and cover arrangements for other Legal Services Team colleagues, dealing with a range of property and commercial matters.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation, regulation and case law.

The Successful Applicant

• Qualified Solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive with two or more years PQE
• Ability to work flexibly and to manage and prioritise a complex, high profile and demanding workload within a fast-paced team environment. Discretion, good judgement and the ability to handle sensitive issues skilfully and confidentially is vital.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and negotiation skills, including the ability to produce reports and deliver presentations and training. Ability to interpret legislation, regulation and policy documents.

Residential Property Lawyer applicant:

• Experience of legal case management relating to leasehold management and Shared Ownership staircasing, the Right to Buy and Acquire.
• Experience of legal case management relating to a broader range of property and commercial matters, e.g. land and access, would be advantageous. Some property litigation knowledge of boundary disputes, encroachment, trespass will also be useful.
• Experience of using a legal case management system, Searchflow or similar platform and Land Registry Portal.

Development Lawyer applicant:

• Experience of legal case management relating to property development.
• Some experience of more complex transactions would be advantageous, such as strategic land/promotion agreements, joint venture and collaboration agreements, mixed use schemes, construction contracts and confidentiality agreements.
• Experience of legal case management relating to a broader range of property and commercial matters, e.g. conveyancing and leasehold management, would also be advantageous.
• Experience of using a legal case management system, Searchflow or similar platform and Land Registry Portal.

What’s on Offer

Our aim is to be an exceptional place to work that attracts, develops and retains talent.

We are proud to have developed a culture that allows colleagues to thrive, providing the support, opportunities and environment to perform to the best of their ability and develop their careers.

Despite the high expectation for performance and delivery, we are committed to ensuring that we recognise and reward excellence through our excellent benefits offer.

Our benefits package includes:

-27 days annual leave, plus 8 bank holiday and Christmas shut down (total leave package of 38 days leave)

-The option to join a favourable local government pension scheme (LGPS)

-Generous sick pay provisions

-Health cash plan

-Town centre location with excellent transport links and free parking

Where specific UK qualifications are required we will take into account overseas equivalents. All third party applications will be forwarded to Michael Page.

The closing date for applications is 3rd March 2024.

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