Job Description

Lester Aldridge has an exciting opportunity for an ambitious Associate / Senior Associate to join our Construction & Engineering team.

The Firm

At Lester Aldridge, we foster a culture of collaboration, excellence, and innovation, providing practical and commercially sound legal solutions tailored to clients' needs. We are dedicated to empowering our people, nurturing talent, and supporting professional growth, making us a dynamic workplace where you can thrive!

Lester Aldridge is a full-service law firm with offices in Bournemouth, Southampton, and London. We offer legal advice to businesses and individuals on a local, national, and international scale. Our practice areas include:

• Real Estate Development, including Planning & Environment, Construction & Engineering, and Restructuring & Insolvency;
• High-end Residential Property;
• Marine & Shipping;
• Corporate & Commercial;
• Employment;
• Litigation & Recoveries;
• Tax;
• Court of Protection;
• Family.

The Team

Our Construction & Engineering team is part of the wider Real Estate & Development team. Based mainly in Southampton, we collaborate closely with colleagues across Bournemouth and London.

We provide both contentious and non-contentious legal advice to clients such as national developers, funders, landlords, management companies, contractors, consultants, and high-net-worth individuals on various construction projects. Our experience spans commercial and residential developments, public sector works, mixed-use, office, industrial, hotel, retail, leisure developments, care and retirement living projects, offshore wind farms, and marina and port developments.

We guide clients through all development stages, from planning and procurement to practical completion and dispute avoidance, including drafting and negotiating building contracts, consultants’ appointments, collateral warranties, third-party rights, bonds, and ongoing project advice.

Our team benefits from support from a knowledge lawyer, paralegals, and access to valuable online resources. Our Construction and wider Real Estate Development team are recognized in the Legal 500, with many partners ranked in legal directories.

The Role

We seek a 4+ years PQE construction solicitor to join our friendly team.

While ideally suited for candidates with a mix of contentious and non-contentious construction experience, we welcome applications from those with primarily contentious or non-contentious backgrounds.

You will:

• Be a strong team player with excellent interpersonal skills
• Have strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Be confident in your expertise, capable of problem-solving, decision-making, and progressing work efficiently
• Have experience in matter management and business development activities
• Build strong client relationships and expand your professional network

Our benefits include:

• Private Medical Insurance: Comprehensive coverage for your health and wellbeing.
• Generous Leave: 25 days holiday plus an additional celebration day.
• Perks & Benefits: Access to Perkbox and a contributory pension scheme.
• Work-life balance: Hybrid and flexible working arrangements from our Southampton or Bournemouth offices, with the beautiful south coast nearby.
• Career Progression: Competitive salary and benefits, with performance-based opportunities for advancement.
• Autonomy and support: Manage and develop your own caseload independently, with team and firm support.
• Hands-on experience: Client-facing role working closely with interesting clients and colleagues.
• A welcoming environment: Friendly, supportive team focused on skill development and firm integration.
• A real opportunity: Carve a niche in this dynamic, exciting field within a respected Real Estate team.