We are instructed on a standout opportunity for a Senior Associate (or Associate) to join one of the UK’s largest and most highly regarded residential development teams, based in Nottingham.
This is a genuinely strategic role for a real estate development lawyer who wants to work at scale, advising many of the UK’s best-known housebuilders alongside experienced, highly respected partners, with a clear pathway for long-term progression.
The Opportunity
This is a broad, high-quality residential development and land acquisition role, offering exposure to complex, high-value projects across England and Wales. You will advise both national and niche developers on the full lifecycle of residential schemes, from strategic land acquisition through to disposal and regeneration.
The team operates as a dedicated residential development unit, working exclusively with housebuilders and supported by specialist planning, construction and litigation colleagues. Importantly, plot sales are handled by a separate, large specialist team — allowing you to focus on land, strategy and development work, rather than volume transactions.
The Work
You can expect to be involved in:
- Large-scale land acquisitions for nationally recognised housebuilders
- Strategic land projects, including options, conditional contracts and promotion agreements
- Collaboration and joint venture agreements between developers
- Urban regeneration and mixed-use development schemes
- Funding arrangements linked to site acquisition and development
- Disposals of serviced parcels to housing associations and third-party developers
Projects frequently involve significant site sizes and long-term development horizons, including schemes delivering hundreds or thousands of new homes.
The Team
You’ll be joining a market-leading residential development group with national reach and exceptional depth. The wider team comprises hundreds of specialists across the UK and acts for the vast majority of the UK’s top housebuilders, promoters and institutional landowners.
The Nottingham practice is well established and led by a highly regarded residential development specialist known for handling complex, large-scale and strategically sensitive schemes.
About You
This role would suit a lawyer who:
- Is an England & Wales qualified solicitor with 5+ years’ PQE
- Has experience in commercial or residential development, land acquisition or strategic land work
- Is comfortable running matters independently while collaborating within large project teams
- Enjoys working closely with clients and taking a solutions-focused, commercial approach
- Is ambitious and interested in long-term career progression within a growing national platform
Direct housebuilder experience is advantageous, but strong commercial development lawyers looking to specialise further in residential work are very welcome.
Why This Role Stands Out
- One of the largest and strongest residential development practices in the UK
- Exposure to household-name developers and complex, high-value schemes
- Clear evidence of career progression — associates regularly progress to partnership
- Significant investment in training, leadership and professional development
- A genuinely supportive culture with an excellent reputation for work-life balance
Next Steps
For a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Jon Kennedy on 07376 288 737 or jon.kennedy@ardentrecruit.com