Paralegal (Real Estate) Leeds 2023

Addleshaw Goddard is a premium international commercial law firm with an exceptional breadth of services; we are known for the quality of our advice, the imagination we bring and the impact we make. We are a Firm which has innovation built into its DNA – no matter the challenge, we deliver bespoke advice for our clients, providing them with smart, usable solutions that are customised, collaborative and integrate into their businesses. Our knowledge of our chosen sectors and markets, and our investment in our client relationships set us apart. We are a natural choice for FTSE 100 companies and we not only provide technical excellence and experience to them but crucially, we demonstrate real insight into their business and what really matters to them.

The Team

Launched in 2010, our well-established, high performing and busy Transaction Services Team (TST) help Addleshaw Goddard deliver a world class service to its clients. We were the first team of its kind in the UK, and continue to innovate by delivering work in the most efficient way, saving our clients time and money. We are now one of the Firm's biggest divisions, with our team being made up of apprentices, paralegals, managers and solicitors.

Our team members focus on tasks that are found in a wide variety of legal assignments but which do not necessarily need to be done by qualified lawyers, including process elements of transactional, advisory and contentious work. We are supported by the use of technology and play a key role in enabling Addleshaw Goddard to respond to client demand for more innovative and better value services.

Aside from a competitive salary and flexible benefits package, you'll get fantastic opportunities to support some of the UK's largest businesses, as well as the potential for exciting internal and client secondments. With our focus on continuous development and progression, we created a career development framework and training programme specifically for the TST. As part of that framework you'll have the opportunity to have a career conversation every 4 months to ensure we're supporting you to meet your development goals and to discuss your progression. In addition, you'll have access to our internal training contract application process, legal qualification sponsorship and management or technical development programmes.

The Role

The work that comes into the team is varied. Each member of our team is assigned to one of the divisionally aligned subteams. Whilst predominantly carrying out work for your subteam, you can expect to work on a variety of assignments from across all of the Firm's divisions, which gives you a good insight into the workings of a commercial law firm. The specific Real Estate assignments you will be working on can include the following:

• Data entry for client specific databases such as Horizon
• Running your own files under supervision - drafting and negotiating licences to assign, underlet and alter through to completion, as well as drafting rent review memoranda
• Creating and managing electronic data sites for property transactions, uploading and ordering documentation, and liaising with third parties
• being the first point of call for the client to check property title information and reviewing titles to confirm land ownership and lease terms
• direct contact with client as well as supporting the more senior team members with drafting, reporting and working on property transactions
• providing regular updates to the client (internal and external) on matter progress
• all other areas of post completion work, such as scheduling and archiving deeds, and updating records
• providing ad hoc transactional support on Real Estate projects
• checking legal documents for quality, consistency and content
• drafting and producing legal documentation and standard forms
• any additional tasks as required by the business

Liaising with our central TST team to project manage submission of all Land Registry applications including registration of transfers, charges, unilateral notices, deeds of variation and first registrations submission of SDLT returns for complex transactions involving renewal leases, linked transactions, properties sold subject to multiple leases and exempt transaction

What We Are Looking For

Due to the dynamic nature of the work we do and the clients we seek to serve, the role is not an ordinary "9-5" job. For the right person, this role provides an exciting opportunity to contribute to our proven success by utilising a wide set of skills essential to a career in the TST. Successful candidates will have:

• a high level of attention to detail/ability to get to grips with client management systems quickly and efficiently
• effective personal, organisational and time management skills, and the ability to juggle multiple demands from internal and external clients
• strong written and verbal communication skills, demonstrating an ability to communicate with colleagues and clients at all levels
• a positive, enthusiastic and proactive approach to work with an ability to fit into and thrive within an established team of circa 30 fee earners and 8 existing paralegals.
• a strong work ethic and a desire to develop and succeed
• the ability to work to tight timescales with a sense of urgency and juggle the demands of what can sometimes be a challenging role
• common sense, commerciality and the ability to exercise sound judgment
• an interest in, or experience of, using technology to deliver work
• Willingness to be flexible with working hours to meet the demands of the business (overtime is available at the firms discretion)

Previous Real Estate or paralegal experience is of relevance, but not essential

Benefits

As a firm, we aim to provide a positive experience to everyone who works here and our focus on financial, lifestyle and wellbeing benefits ensures that this experience goes beyond the nine-to-five. As part of this mission, some of the benefits employees of AG can expect are;

• Life Assurance & Income Protection
• Competitive employer matched pension contribution rate
• Health and wellbeing subsidiary, up to £180 per year
• One day per year to volunteer (as part of our CSR initiative)
• Buy/Sell holidays (up to 5 days each year)
• Mental health and wellbeing initiatives such as The Mindful Business Charter, Mental Health Champions and 1:1 sessions with an in-house professional
• Talent referral bonus incentives
• AG Excellence awards for the recognition of exceptional effort
• Opt in private medical and private dental insurance
• Opt in annual health screening
• Voluntary critical illness cover
• Annual discretionary bonus plan