Paralegal

About us

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals and over 600 staff based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.

Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 6th best law firm to work at in 2026.

With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 45% of our partnership.

The team you will join

Our Real Estate Investment team sits within our wider Real Estate Division. The team assists clients with the whole range of portfolio asset management, high value and volume acquisition, financing and disposal transactional work and acts for key clients such as M7 Real Estate Ltd, Westbrook Partners, Blackstone/Mileway, Realty Income Corporation, Alternative Income REIT Plc, Valor Real Estate and Oxford Properties Group

The work you will be doing

• Reviewing and drafting legal documentation for clients

• Maintaining accurate time-costing procedures

• Manage a caseload of fee-earning matters under appropriate supervision

• Ensuring compliance with file management

• Acting as a point of contact for clients, ensuring clear and timely communication

• General team administration

• Working efficiently, prioritising and managing deadlines in accordance with the client matter

• To proactively support other members of the team, and to provide cover as and when necessary

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

What we are looking for

• Law degree or equivalent experience

• Demonstrable interest in and/or knowledge of relevant law and legal procedure

• Ability to undertake legal work requiring technical and procedural understanding

• Competence in accurately recording time and understanding chargeable work

• Strong legal research and investigative skills

• Advanced written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to analyse information and present findings clearly and precisely

• Strong attention to detail to produce work documentation which is consistently of a high standard

• Professional integrity and a commitment to providing excellent client service

• To be competent in using Microsoft Word, Excel, time recording software, case management, Outlook and digital dictation

Hybrid Working

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. During your 3 month probation period, there will be a requirement to be in the office full time whilst you are developing in the role. Once you have successfully passed probation, this role attracts a split of 80% office days and 20% working from home days per week.

We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.

Benefits

As a Birketts colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits:

• 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Dress for your Day Policy

You can find out more on our website: https://recognition-reward-benefits/

Inclusivity and Culture

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth.

Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.

If you require this advert in an accessible format, please visit https://company/birketts/

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