Job Description

About The Role

Job Title:

Commercial Property Partner / Legal Director

Location:

East Midlands

About Us:

We are a leading national law firm, proud to be ranked among the Top 50 firms in the country. With an established and highly respected commercial property team, we provide a full spectrum of services to a diverse client base. Our office in the East Midlands is supported by specialist teams in development, planning, Homes England, charities, agriculture & estates, corporate, and private client practices, creating an environment rich in expertise and opportunity.


Role Overview:

We are seeking a Commercial Property Partner or Director with deep experience across the full breadth of general commercial property work in the East Midlands market. This is a unique opportunity to join a thriving team of experts and play a senior role driving business growth and client development. The successful candidate will benefit from a clear and supportive pathway to partnership, with unparalleled opportunities for both personal and professional growth.


Key Responsibilities:
Lead and develop commercial property workstreams across a broad range of sectors. Drive business development initiatives, building and nurturing strong client relationships within the East Midlands region. Collaborate with wider practice groups to deliver integrated, innovative solutions tailored to client needs. Contribute to the strategic growth and success of the commercial property team and wider firm. Act as a mentor and leader within the team, supporting junior lawyers and fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture. Uphold and promote the firm's commitment to exceptional client service, community engagement, and staff development.

About You

Candidate Profile:
Proven track record in handling the full spectrum of commercial property matters, with established experience in the East Midlands market. A strong business development mindset, passionate about growing client relationships and seizing new opportunities. Entrepreneurial spirit with the ability to thrive in a dynamic environment balancing ambition with a commitment to team culture. Excellent leadership and mentoring skills, with the ability to inspire colleagues and contribute positively to firm culture. A forward-thinking professional keen to be part of a firm with a clear growth trajectory and a collaborative ethos.
Testimonial from Haydon Simmonds, Partner:
"The combination of both a superb platform and huge potential was what first attracted me. Typically, you're either building a platform (struggling to start & scale), or everything is so well developed that you are just a cog in a machine. For me, HCR represents the best of both. Excellent depth & breadth across the firm, both in terms of its clients and its expertise, but huge ambition to do more. The opportunity to be part of that growth story and contribute to its success was really appealing. What's been fantastic, is seeing that at the heart of the entrepreneurial ambition remains an absolute commitment to culture - supporting our people and contributing to our communities. I've worked in firms that have talked that talk, but none have delivered on it so wholeheartedly."



If you are a senior commercial property professional looking to join a forward-thinking firm with a clear pathway to partnership and a strong commitment to culture, we want to hear from you.

About Us

What We Offer:
A superb platform that combines established depth and breadth of expertise with exciting growth potential. A clear pathway to partnership, providing career progression with no limits to your personal and professional development. The opportunity to work alongside experts in development, planning, Homes England, and other complementary disciplines. Strong financial rewards reflecting your seniority and contribution. A firm culture that genuinely supports its people and invests in community engagement. Access to a wider office network including specialists in charities, agriculture & estates, corporate, and private client sectors.

Benefits of working with us:

Income Protection

Private Medical Insurance

Sight tests / Glasses discounts

Car Loans

Scottish Widows Pension Scheme

28 days annual leave (plus public holidays)

Bonus scheme Electric vehicle scheme

o Happy People / Perks at Work benefits portal

Cycle to Work scheme Life Assurance 1/3 gym membership contribution Flu vaccinations

Is HCR the smart move for you?

HCR suits people who love a challenge and want to work in an environment where careers thrive on the back of hard work and personal merit. Our people enjoy feeling part of something bigger than themselves, and whilst our clients drive our development, it is our people who bring their energy, enthusiasm, and entrepreneurial mindsets together to solve problems and help our clients succeed.

Why HCR people love their jobs

Our people tell us they enjoy working on good quality, interesting matters from a wide variety of our clients, because they get the experience they want to develop their careers. We will give you responsibility early, the mandate to make things happen and we'll back your good ideas. Our "Passion for People" lives and breathes every day throughout the firm as our peoples' energy and sense of fun create a warm environment in which to thrive.

What career progression will HCR offer you?

HCR's growth constantly creates opportunities for people who want to go places and make a difference, your career plan can become part of our growth plan. At HCR you can expect to work with friendly, energetic, ambitious people, who love getting stuck into a client problem, and enjoy celebrating a good outcome. Our people value the sense of community provided by the individual personality of each office and the collegiate approach across all our service and sector teams.

What does HCR believe, achieve and stand for?

As a Times Best Law firm, among the UK Top 60, we provide the full range of services that you would expect to organisations, business leaders and individuals. However, in our mission to give everyone the opportunity to experience a different kind of legal service we take an entrepreneurial approach. We're flexible and responsive to the needs of our clients, delivering the best outcomes for them. We have more than 800 lawyers and support staff, including more than 150 partners, and have been awarded the Law Society's Lexcel quality mark in recognition of our compliance and client care standards.


With ten offices in England and Wales our well-established presence stretches from west to east, ensuring clients can access a full-service legal offering no matter where they're located. We've expanded significantly in Birmingham, Cardiff and the Thames Valley, and our merger with Hewitsons resulted in a full service regional hub being established in the heart of the Waterside innovation area centre of Northampton. Our London and Cambridge continue to grow apace.


With solid connections in the communities we work in, and a track record of delivering legal advice to businesses and individuals throughout the areas we base ourselves in, our clients continue to value our approach to providing legal advice, in the way they need, when they need it.

As HCR is an equal opportunities employer, we don't just accept differences, we celebrate them. We want to attract a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and skills to create a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and which works together to achieve the best outcome for our clients. We are privileged to be an armed forces-friendly organisation.

We also want you to achieve your absolute best during the recruitment process. Please let us know of any changes we can make at any point that will help support your application. If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV.

A note for recruitment agencies - The HCR Resourcing Team is responsible for recruitment across the firm, and where possible will use direct hiring methods. We do work with a Preferred Supplier List, and where appropriate, we will release vacancies to those agencies who we deem most appropriate to support us. Only those agencies will be invited to submit candidates via our recruitment portal. Any speculative or unsolicited CVs sent to any employee or Partner of HCR will not be considered an introduction, and no fees will be applicable. Furthermore, we retain the right to pursue these candidates without query of ownership