Overview:
A leading London-based law firm is seeking an ambitious and technically strong Associate to join its highly regarded Commercial Real Estate team. This is an exceptional opportunity to work on complex, high-value transactions for prestigious clients while taking a visible role in client relationships and business development.

The Role:

• Acting for two senior partners who collaborate closely on major mandates, often within the same sectors and for shared clients.
• Taking a lead role on day-to-day client matters, including managing transactions and coordinating multi-disciplinary teams (construction, planning, litigation).
• Supervising junior colleagues and sharing responsibility for team development.
• Supporting active business development initiatives, particularly within the Central London estates sector.

Key Clients & Work:

• Blue-chip UK asset managers (funds c. £2bn): full spectrum of asset management, acquisitions/disposals, financing, and complex agreements for lease across retail, industrial, office, and hospitality sectors.

What We’re Looking For:

• Ideally 3–4 years’ PQE in commercial real estate, though strong candidates at 5–6 years’ PQE will be considered.
• Proven experience in high-value transactions and client-facing roles.
• Strong technical skills combined with commercial awareness and a collaborative mindset.
• Interest in building long-term client relationships and contributing to sector-focused business development.

Why Join?

• Work with market-leading partners on complex, high-profile matters.
• Opportunity to take ownership of client relationships and play a strategic role in growth initiatives.
• Collegiate team environment with clear progression prospects.
  
  For more information about this position or to discuss other similar opportunities please contact Jon Kennedy
  Jon.Kennedy@ardentrecruit.com 
  07376 288 737

The Firm advises on significant infrastructure projects, redevelopment and regeneration schemes, and acquisition and disposal projects for clients from a diverse range of sectors. In recent years, they have advised clients from industry sectors including energy, waste management, water and utilities, and hotels and leisure. 

The Firm is committed to being at the cutting edge of legal practice, investing heavily in AI and its own internal tech systems as part of initiatives designed to increase efficiency and collaboration amongst its lawyers. This investment has formed a key pillar of the Firm's ongoing growth strategy. 

The role would suit an established partner, ideally with some previous experience in a managerial role within a recognised Construction offering. A clear track record of winning and maintaining client relationships and origination of new business is also something that the Firm would be keen to see evidence of. The Firm are prepared to support and invest in an incoming partner and to collaborate on a sensible and sustainable growth strategy for the department to ensure that it remains competitive as they strive towards their goal of making the Construction offering one of the leading lights of the London market.

If you would like a confidential chat about this role and to understand more about the opportunity, please contact Jonathan Smyth. Jonathan will be able to provide you with further information about this position and an overview of active and more discreet opportunities available in the market.

Jonathan has over 15 years' experience in legal recruitment and has been dealing almost exclusively with partner-level individuals since 2019. Jonathan operates across a number of sectors, but with a particular focus on Real Estate, Construction, and Litigation/Arbitration. 

Jonathan.Smyth@ardentrecruit.com

This role will be based in the firm’s Manchester office but you will work with colleagues across the UK and globally.   It would suit candidates looking to relocate from London to Manchester as well as those already based in Manchester.  

Working closely with the Partners you’ll be advising on complex global M&A and private equity and corporate transactions.  You will play a key role in supporting a growing practice at a particularly exciting stage of its development. 

The work is broad, strategic and often cross-border including:  

• Private equity transactions and buyouts 

• Domestic and international M&A 

• Management equity and incentive arrangements 

• Corporate restructurings and financings 

• Real estate transactions 

• Venture capital and fund-related matters 

The team advises an impressive client base including multinational corporates, private equity houses, investment funds, financial institutions and major investors across a wide range of sectors. 

The ideal candidate will have: 

• 5+ years' PQE gained from a recognised tax team at a UK firm  

• Strong experience in transactional tax -  particularly M&A and/or private equity 

• The confidence to work directly with partners and clients on complex matters 

This is an outstanding opportunity for a senior level associate looking to step into a more prominent role within a growing practice, or for an experienced lawyer seeking a strong progression pathway.  For further information or to arrange a confidential conversation please get in touch. 

If you would like a confidential chat about this opportunity and to understand more about the team, please contact Jane Gaunt who will be able to provide you with further information about this position and an overview of active and more discreet opportunities available within the market at your level.

Before moving into recruitment, Jane worked as a solicitor and now specialises in legal recruitment. She has over a decade of experience of moving solicitors at all levels nationally and will be able to support you with your next move.

Jane.gaunt@ardentrecruit.com

07393 198 443

This role offers high-quality, varied work, early responsibility and the chance to work closely with an experienced and supportive leadership team in a genuinely collegiate environment.

The Opportunity

You’ll join a specialist real estate disputes practice handling a broad mix of contentious property matters for developers, investors, landlords, tenants and public sector organisations.  The work is intellectually stimulating, commercially focused and practical, with a strong emphasis on achieving positive outcomes for clients.

This is a role that offers meaningful exposure: managing your own matters with appropriate, limited supervision; supporting on more complex disputes; including hearings, mediations and client management.

The Work

Your caseload will include a wide range of property dispute resolution matters, such as:

• Commercial landlord and tenant disputes (lease renewals, dilapidations, forfeiture and break options)
• Development-related disputes, including rights of light, restrictive covenants, boundary issues and easements
• Possession claims and trespass actions
• Property insolvency and enforcement work

You will also contribute to team training, mentoring and business development initiatives.

The Team

The real estate dispute resolution team is a recognised specialist group within a broader national property practice. It is known for its technical strength and collaborative way of working. You’ll be working closely with senior lawyers who are hands-on, approachable and invested in developing junior team members.

The culture is professional but down-to-earth, with an emphasis on teamwork, knowledge-sharing and giving people the space to grow.

Next Steps

If you’re a real estate disputes lawyer looking for interesting work, genuine responsibility and a healthier balance without compromising on quality, this is a role well worth exploring.

For a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please get in touch:

📞 07376 288 737
✉️ jon.kennedy@ardentrecruit.com

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

This is a growth hire, driven by increasing demand across infrastructure, energy and regeneration projects nationwide.

The role offers the chance to work on some of the most complex and high-profile planning matters in the UK, within a collaborative, progressive environment that genuinely values both quality of work and quality of life.

The Team

The planning team operates at the pinnacle of the legal market, advising both public and private sector clients across the full lifecycle of major development and infrastructure projects.

The group works on a fully integrated, cross-office basis and is widely recognised for its strategic input on nationally significant and politically sensitive schemes.

Lawyers in the team are known for combining deep technical expertise with a pragmatic, solutions-focused approach.

The Work

You will be involved in a broad mix of advisory and contentious planning work, which may include:

• Town and country planning and development consenting
• Compulsory purchase matters
• Nationally significant infrastructure projects
• Environmental impact assessment and related regulations
• Inquiries, judicial review and related public law challenges

The practice is particularly active across energy, transport, utilities and the built environment, including major infrastructure, regeneration and net-zero related projects.

Backgrounds Considered

The team is open-minded on background and welcomes applications from lawyers currently in private practice, local government, in-house roles and from leading planning teams in relevant overseas jurisdictions.

What They’re Looking For

• 3+ years’ PQE in planning law or closely related public law work
• Experience managing complex, high-value matters
• Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative mindset
• Intellectual curiosity and a desire to work on nationally important projects

Why This Role?

• Exposure to nationally significant, often precedent-setting projects
• Clear, transparent progression framework
• Hybrid and flexible working as standard
• A professional but genuinely supportive culture where people stay long-term

For a confidential discussion about this role, and/or the market in general, in Bristol or elsewhere in the UK:
07376 288 737
jon.kennedy@ardentrecruit.com

This role can be based in Leeds or Manchester, with close collaboration across the firm’s offices nationally.

The Team

The planning team sits within a large Real Estate platform and operates nationally across multiple UK locations. The team is made up of a strong mix of partners, senior lawyers, associates and trainees, and is recognised for the quality, scale and complexity of its work.

A key focus of the practice is advising on nationally significant infrastructure projects, particularly within the energy, transport and utilities sectors. The team is closely involved in major UK infrastructure programmes and is frequently engaged at the earliest stages of project development.

The Work

You will advise on a wide range of complex and strategically important infrastructure matters, including:

• Development Consent Orders across the energy, transport and water sectors, acting for both promoters and objectors
• Transport and Works Act Orders for rail and light rail schemes
• Harbour orders, marine licensing and related approvals
• Strategic consenting advice, including optioneering and route selection
• Statutory and non-statutory consultation processes
• Reviewing and advising on environmental statements and application documents
• Drafting secondary legislation and supporting hybrid Bills
• Advising at examinations, inquiries and hearings
• Public law and administrative law issues arising from infrastructure delivery
• Land assembly strategies, compulsory purchase and compensation matters

You will work closely with partners and senior colleagues and can expect a high degree of responsibility, visibility and client contact.

Sector Focus

The team has a particularly strong reputation in transport and energy, advising on projects involving electricity transmission, renewable energy, carbon capture, battery storage, gas distribution, ports, airports and rail. It is also actively involved in policy-shaping work linked to decarbonisation, alternative fuels and future transport systems.

About You

You are likely to:

• Be a qualified solicitor with 3+ years’ relevant experience in planning and/or infrastructure consenting
• Have hands-on experience advising on major infrastructure or energy projects
• Understand the political and regulatory context surrounding infrastructure delivery
• Be confident engaging with clients, consultants, public bodies and other stakeholders
• Draft clearly, accurately and commercially under time pressure
• Enjoy working in fast-moving, high-profile environments
• Take a proactive, consultative approach to client service and relationship development

Why This Role Stands Out

• High-profile, nationally significant infrastructure work
• A genuinely national team with deep sector expertise
• Strong emphasis on people development, with structured support from HR, learning and delivery teams
• Clear progression opportunities within a growing practice
• A collaborative, inclusive and forward-looking culture
• The chance to work at the forefront of the UK’s energy transition and transport transformation

Apply Now

If you are an infrastructure-focused planning lawyer looking to step into a role with real responsibility, visibility and long-term career prospects, we would be pleased to discuss this opportunity in confidence. Please contact Jon Kennedy on 07376 288 737 or via jon.kennedy@ardentrecruit.com

This the perfect opportunity to work on vital UK energy and infrastructure projects at a pivotal moment in the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy system.

The team is nationally recognised for its work across renewables, decarbonisation and similarly complex public-sector energy & infrastructure initiatives, combining deep sector knowledge with a practical, delivery-focused approach.

The Team

You will join a well-established team led by a deep bench of partners dedicated to the sector, each recognised in the legal directories for their expertise in energy, infrastructure and high-profile projects.

Each of these working locations offers a compelling opportunity, either to work closely alongside several colleagues or to be a key lawyer in one of the offices with fewer specialists at present.

The Work

This role offers exceptional breadth and responsibility, advising on the procurement, development and delivery of a wide range of innovative energy and infrastructure projects, including:

• Energy-from-waste and resource management projects
• District heating and local decarbonisation programmes
• Solar PV and battery storage developments
• Electric vehicle and smart energy infrastructure
• Hydrogen and carbon capture projects
• Onshore and offshore wind
• Grid connection and upgrade projects

You will work closely with clients across both the public and private sectors, including local authorities, developers, utilities and investors.

Why This Role Stands Out

• Hands-on responsibility and client exposure
• A practice recognised for its work in renewables and sustainability
• High-quality, varied mandates without the intensity of many larger international teams
• A genuinely supportive and collegiate culture
• Transparent progression and structured development support
• Hybrid working and a strong focus on wellbeing and flexibility

For a confidential discussion about this opportunity, or the energy, infrastructure & projects market more generally, please get in touch:

📞 07376 288 737
✉️ jon.kennedy@ardentrecruit.com

The Opportunity

An excellent opportunity has arisen for a Housing Management Solicitor / Associate to join the highly regarded and growing Housing team at one of the UK’s leading public sector and commercial law firms, in Birmingham, Leeds or Bristol.

Housing is a core area for the firm, and the team is recognised nationally for its depth of expertise and quality of work.

This role offers exposure to a wide range of registered providers and public sector clients, alongside genuine career progression and flexible working.

The Team

You will join one of the largest Housing Management teams in the UK, operating as a national team across multiple offices. The team advises many of the country’s largest housing associations, as well as local authorities, care providers, NHS bodies, universities and charities.

The Role

You will advise social landlords and other clients on a broad range of housing management matters, including:

• Possession proceedings
• Breach of tenancy
• Injunctions (including access for gas and electrical safety)
• Disrepair claims
• Equality Act and Mental Capacity Act issues
• Leasehold management advice
• Service charge disputes

About You

You are likely to be:

• A qualified solicitor or associate with experience in housing management
• Confident managing your own caseload and working directly with clients
• Organised, with attention to detail
• A strong communicator with excellent drafting and analytical skills
• Collaborative, commercially minded and committed to the housing sector

Candidates from local authority or in-house housing backgrounds who are keen to move into private practice are also encouraged to apply.

Why Apply?

• Join a top-tier, nationally recognised housing practice
• Hybrid working with genuine flexibility
• Clear progression framework and strong learning & development support
• Supportive, values-led culture with a real emphasis on wellbeing

For more information, please get in touch via 07376 288 737 or jon.kennedy@ardentrecruit.com

The role offers the opportunity to advise on complex public-private partnerships, outsourcing agreements, infrastructure and other high value projects and commercial arrangements for high-profile clients in the public and private sectors.

The Team & What You’ll Work On

You will work closely with leading partners known for their expertise in structuring and delivering public-private partnerships (PFI / PPP) and other projects across sectors such as health, local government, waste, emergency services, highways, regeneration, education, leisure and other public services.

Your Role & Responsibilities

As part of the team, you will:

• Advise on all stages of projects — from inception and procurement / structuring, through negotiation and contract documentation, to close-out and post-close management
• Draft, negotiate and manage complex contracts (outsourcing, service provision, PPP/PFI agreements, facilities management, energy and infrastructure)
• Support public and private sector clients: local authorities, health bodies, private companies, consortia, special purpose vehicles and funders
• Assist in contract variations, renegotiations and ongoing operational or service-delivery legal support
• Engage with multi-disciplinary teams (finance, real estate, regulatory, construction, corporate) depending on project requirements

Apply Now

If you are interested in joining a market-leading projects and infrastructure practice, working on impactful and complex matters with respected partners, please contact Jon Kennedy on 07376 288 737 or via jon.kennedy@ardentrecruit.com

This is a high-profile role, advising on matters that sit at the intersection of public law, economic regulation and major public investment.  The role is open to candidates based in Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds or London, with flexible and hybrid working fully embedded.

The Opportunity

You will join a well-established and growing specialist team advising public bodies and delivery partners on the lawful design, funding and procurement of major projects. The work is rarely siloed — instead, it is multi-disciplinary, strategic and often politically sensitive, requiring close collaboration with colleagues across energy, construction, infrastructure, regeneration and commercial practices.

A significant and expanding part of the workload relates to energy and net-zero projects, where the team plays a key advisory role on subsidy structures, funding mechanisms and procurement strategy.

The Work

Your role will include advising on:

• Subsidy control and legacy State aid issues for public bodies and project sponsors
• Public procurement law, including strategy, compliance and challenge risk
• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating grant funding agreements
• Structuring projects to align with regulatory, commercial and policy objectives
• Multi-disciplinary advisory work supporting complex regeneration, infrastructure and energy schemes

Sector exposure includes:

• Energy and decarbonisation projects (e.g. waste-to-energy, heat networks, EV infrastructure, solar and battery storage)
• Regeneration and housing
• Infrastructure and outsourcing
• Education, research and healthcare

There is also scope to become involved in broader competition law related work, depending on interest.

About You

You are likely to be:

• A UK-qualified solicitor with 5+ years’ PQE
• Experienced in subsidy control / State aid, public procurement and grant funding
• Comfortable advising public sector clients and navigating complex regulatory frameworks
• Commercially minded, pragmatic and solutions-focused
• Interested in policy-driven, high-impact work with real societal outcomes

Experience across energy, infrastructure or regeneration projects would be attractive.

Why This Role Stands Out

• Market-leading expertise in subsidy control and procurement
• Work that is front-page relevant, advising on major public investment and policy-driven projects
• A genuinely collaborative and collegiate culture
• Strong commitment to flexible and hybrid working
• Clear investment in learning, development and progression
• A values-led firm with a serious commitment to wellbeing, inclusion and sustainability

Next Steps

For a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Jon Kennedy on 07376 288 737 or via jon.kennedy@ardentrecruit.com

This role is ideally suited to an ambitious associate looking for high-quality, big-ticket work, genuine responsibility, and the chance to develop within a high-performing yet collegiate environment.

The Opportunity

You will join a large, nationally recognised construction practice with a strong brand domestically and abroad, working alongside leading partners and specialists across the UK and overseas.

The team advises across the full lifecycle of complex construction and engineering projects, spanning both the private and public sectors.  The work is varied, sophisticated and commercially focused, with regular exposure to flagship developments, infrastructure projects and major real estate-led schemes, typically involving several stakeholders and multiple jurisdictions.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Advising on a broad range of non-contentious construction matters, supporting clients across diverse sectors, including commercial and residential development, living accommodation, energy, infrastructure, transport and utilities
• Advising developers, funders, sponsors, employers, contractors, consultants and professional teams on procurement strategies, various construction contracts, risk allocation and dispute avoidance
• Working closely with clients to build trusted relationships and deliver pragmatic, commercially astute advice
• Collaborating with colleagues in Real Estate, Banking, Projects and Energy on complex, multi-disciplinary mandates

Why Consider This Role?

• Exposure to market-leading, high-profile construction work typically associated with top-tier City of London practices, while being based in the North West or Yorkshire
• A strong reputation for training, development and progression, with real investment in mid and senior-level lawyers
• A culture consistently described as supportive, down-to-earth and non-hierarchical
• Access to excellent internal support, legal tech and knowledge resources
• A genuinely sustainable platform offering high-quality work without sacrificing work-life balance

For a confidential discussion

About this opportunity, or the wider market, please get in touch:

07376 288 737

jon.kennedy@ardentrecruit.com

The Opportunity

You will join a market-leading private wealth team consistently recognised for its technical strength, quality of advice and long-standing client relationships. The practice advises a sophisticated client base of UHNW and HNW individuals, families, entrepreneurs and trustees, and is known for delivering clear, practical and technically robust advice.

The team operates within a calm, collegiate environment, with excellent partner access and a strong emphasis on sustainable working practices.

The Work

The role will focus primarily on onshore private wealth matters, including:

• UK tax and estate planning for UHNW and HNW individuals and families
• Drafting complex wills and advising on succession planning
• Trust creation, administration and restructuring
• Advising trustees and beneficiaries
• High-value and complex estate administrations
• Long-term family wealth and asset-protection planning
• Working collaboratively with property, family, litigation and corporate colleagues where client needs overlap

You will have direct client exposure from an early stage, with responsibility increasing in line with experience.

Why This Role Stands Out

This opportunity offers a genuinely rare combination of benefits in the London private wealth market:

• A single-office, highly collaborative culture, where decision-makers work closely together and lawyers enjoy real visibility
• A full-service commercial platform, with private wealth remaining a core strategic focus
• A consistently top-ranked private client practice, particularly for UHNW work
• More manageable hours than most peer firms, with an annual target of around 1300
• Hybrid working, typically around a 60/40 office-to-home split
• Highly competitive remuneration, offering a true “best of both worlds” proposition

The firm is widely viewed as an attractive destination for lawyers seeking top-quality work without sacrificing balance, culture or long-term sustainability.

About You

You are likely to be:

• A qualified England & Wales solicitor with experience in private client work gained with a highly regarded team
• Comfortable advising on UK tax, trusts, estates and succession planning
• Interested in developing or continuing a career focused on onshore private wealth
• Technically strong, thoughtful and client-focused
• Someone who values collaboration, quality and a supportive working environment

Apply Now

If you are a private wealth solicitor looking to advise sophisticated clients on complex UK-focused matters within a genuinely high-quality and people-focused practice, this is an excellent opportunity. For a confidential discussion, please contact Jon Kennedy on 07376 288 737 or via jon.kennedy@ardentrecruit.com

In addition to Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol and London are also working location options for this role.  Hybrid working is also very welcome.

The team advises developers, contractors, funders and public bodies on complex, high-value non-contentious construction projects, combining technical excellence with a pragmatic, commercial approach. The work is varied, impactful and genuinely interesting — with a strong focus on infrastructure and development that delivers social value.

The Role

Due to sustained growth, the team is looking to appoint an Associate or Senior Associate with a strong background in transactional, non-contentious construction.

You’ll work on major UK projects, supported by experienced, highly respected partners, while being trusted with real responsibility and direct client contact. The environment is collaborative rather than hierarchical, with a clear emphasis on developing lawyers who want to grow their practice and profile.

Your work will include:

• Drafting, negotiating and advising on a wide range of construction and project documents, including JCT and NEC forms, professional appointments and bespoke agreements
• Advising on risk, and project-specific commercial solutions, liaising with clients, funders, consultants and other stakeholders
• Contributing to know-how, training initiatives and client briefings as part of a high-performing national team

About You

You’ll be a confident non-contentious construction lawyer who enjoys problem-solving and working closely with clients.

The ideal profile includes:

• 5+ years’ PQE in transactional construction work
• The ability to manage matters autonomously while collaborating effectively with colleagues
• Confidence dealing directly with clients and counterparties
• A genuine interest in infrastructure, development and projects that make a difference locally and nationally

Why This Role?

• High-quality work without City-style burnout
• A flex-friendly, hybrid working culture built on trust
• Clear progression prospects within a growing national practice
• A supportive, approachable team where people genuinely make time for one another

Next Steps

For a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please get in touch:

📞 07376 288 737
✉️ jon.kennedy@ardentrecruit.com