Job Description

About Awdry Law:

Established in 1750, we are an award-winning firm having been presented in the past with the Law Society's Excellence Award for Innovation and two awards for excellent customer service. From our offices in Devizes, Chippenham, Marlborough, Royal Wootton Bassett and Swindon, we serve clients in Wiltshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Bath, London, and throughout the UK. We provide a comprehensive range of first-class legal services for individuals, families, and businesses.

Our purpose is to provide excellent client service and exceed expectations by being dynamic, inspiring, and proactive; client service is at the heart of everything we do. We have a fantastic group of people who work hard, are dedicated and demonstrate great commitment so In return for aiming towards these standards we will back you, help you to improve and support you in being the best we can.

Why You'll Love Working with Us:

Join us and be part of a culture that values creativity, hard work, individuality, ambition, and fun! We offer competitive pay, fantastic employee benefits, and the opportunity to grow in a thriving, forward thinking environment. And yes, our legendary social outings are not to be missed! This is more than a job; it's a chance for you to develop new skills and be part of our success.

We have a fantastic group of people who work hard, are dedicated, and demonstrate great commitment so in return for aiming towards these standards, we will back you, help you to improve and support you in being the best we can. Our values are the platform upon which everything is built:

Everything starts with you

People matter, whether you are a client or part of our team

Always driving forwards

We always show ambition and energy to achieve results

Be Brilliant

We create positivity, excellence, and innovation in all we do

Every person, every time

We are consistent and reliable and give our best, every time.

We also want people to enjoy working here and we aim to do this by creating a positive, supportive, and forward-looking environment. Our values are the platform upon which everything is built - excellent client service and making this a great place to work.

Job Purpose:

To work within the growing Corporate Department managing a varied Corporate caseload. The successful candidate will have the provision of excellent client service at the heart of what they do and develop business for the department through networking and marketing activities.

Essential Qualifications

Be a Solicitor qualified to practice in England and Wales, with 2 to 4 years of relevant, Corporate focused, Post-Qualification Experience (

PQE

). You must have a full UK driving license and own transport, given the span of our offices, and the requirement to attend networking events as appropriate.

Your experience

The successful candidate will be a key member of our expanding Corporate Department and will enjoy a varied caseload of Corporate work. It is important to us that you have solid experience, and a keen interest, in many of the following areas:

Acquisitions and Disposals (shares/ business and assets);

Restructures;

Management Buy Outs;

Shareholders' Agreements;

Joint Venture Agreements; and

ad hoc company matters/corporate governance.

Would you thrive at Awdry Law?

Technical knowledge commensurate to your PQE, and thorough drafting skills are essential, and a given. You will be organised, and keen to get stuck in with a variety of projects and transactions. Depending upon your PQE and experience, you may lead on some transactions, and support on others, as appropriate. You will be encouraged to leave your professional comfort zone, and to embrace new challenges, all whilst fully supported. It is therefore imperative that you are flexible and adapt well to the ever-changing demands of client transactions, as well as our business more widely.

As important as it is for you to be technically competent, we value our culture enormously. Our Corporate Department is a busy and growing department. The Solicitor we hire will impact the dynamic of the team enormously, and personal and professional fit are both equally important.

A team ethos is key to our success, not only as a Corporate team, but as a firm. We collaborate across the firm on projects, across departments, and across offices. It is therefore essential that you are a people person, and that you are passionate about building and developing relationships with everyone, both internally and externally.

You are not expected to know everything, but you are expected to ask for help when you are usure, and to provide the very best service, always, to our loyal clients. Sound legal research skills, and sound judgement skills are critical. It is also important that you understand your own limitations, so that you build a reputation as a highly regarded and trusted member of our team.

Our clients range from family-owned businesses to larger corporates. Your communication must be clear and concise, and you will be expected to explain complex legal concepts in a way which all clients can understand. Your ability to adapt your tone as appropriate is key to good communication and knowing when and how to do this is your judgement to make. You are fully supported by your team in this journey, as you gather more experience and confidence.

We add value to the service we provide to our clients, by providing our advice in a commercial and pragmatic way. There may very well be several options available to a client at any given time, but they want us to advise them as to which options work best for them, their business, and their overall goal. You will enjoy getting to know the business of the shareholder or director that you are advising and always be curious as to how your advice fits with the wider plan for their business.

Corporate transactions can be a real test of perseverance, and we often have to deliver deals with challenging timeframes. You will work very well under pressure, and calmly manage various threads, to completion, on time. We are part solicitor, and part project manager, and you will enjoy this aspect of your daily work. Late nights here are infrequent, but where required, they will be as a result of commercial challenges faced by our clients. We all work together as a team, to ensure these deals get across the line on time.

We value ambition and initiative in every single interaction, whether that be with a client on an ambitious project, or internally when it comes to new ideas. You will be encouraged and supported with new ideas and suggestions and asked to contribute to the firm more widely.

You will be extremely keen to get involved with business development and enjoy attending appropriate networking events. We have important connections with professionals both locally and further afield, and you will be a key part of fostering these relationships. If you have no experience in networking but are keen and enthusiastic, we can support and encourage you to grow your network.

As a firm, we are progressive with the use of Artificial Intelligence (

AI

), and fully embrace this as help and not hindrance, adding value to the service we provide to our clients. We are therefore looking for someone who is not only proficient at the usual Microsoft applications and case management systems, but someone who embraces the appropriate use of AI.

Location: Base office location flexible

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Work Location: In person