Construction and Projects Associate

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We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout. You would join an ambitious firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can gain early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business. Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, The Deal, between the firm and its employees.

YOU CAN EXPECT

• A competitive salary and a host of family friendly policies.
• Life assurance, private health and dental care for you and your family
• A range of flexible benefits including gym discount and retail vouchers.
• Tech, cycle and electric car schemes.
• We support the causes you care about, by giving you one day per year off to volunteer with any charity that you are involved with outside of work.
• A wellbeing strategy that focuses on preventative measures to maintain overall health, and tools and support for when our people experience physical or mental difficulties. The strategy focuses on four pillars: physical, emotional, financial and social aspects.
• Most of our roles are hybrid, meaning that colleagues benefit from working in our office and remotely. We are happy to discuss this and other flexible working arrangements with you as part of the application and interview process.
• We are an equal opportunity organisation, committed to having a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, culture, or any other protected characteristics. We aim to create a culture where everyone can be themselves and is valued for their strengths and unique perspectives.

Stephenson Harwood’s projects, energy and infrastructure team provides a unique offering of both transactional projects and non-contentious construction expertise. We are seeking a mid-level candidate with non-contentious construction experience and ideally projects experience, but this is not essential. The role is intended to span construction and projects, as and when required. We believe the mixed nature of this role offers a relatively unique opportunity in the market for an ambitious construction lawyer keen to develop a breadth of experience.

The projects side of the team has a strong focus on energy transition and is advising on nuclear, hydrogen and carbon capture projects as well as energy from waste, district heating, battery storage, solar, onshore wind projects, LNG projects and mining matters both in the UK and internationally. You can expect to advise clients throughout the lifespan of a project. This includes feasibility, procurement and bidding, variations and on-site project support, refinancings and secondary market acquisitions and disposals.

The non-contentious construction side of our practice involves providing specialist advice on construction and engineering projects across a range of sectors. You can expect to advise on a broad range of commercial real estate developments in several sectors including mixed-use commercial, industrial, hotel & leisure and retail, PBSA, BTR, and high end residential.

In addition to acting in the UK domestic market, the team has an international offering and frequently works alongside colleagues in the Middle East and Asia as well as our other European offices, on developments in those jurisdictions.
The team acts for a diverse client base comprising institutional investors, project sponsors, private developers, owner/occupiers, government bodies and public authorities, funders, contractors, consultants, and other stakeholders involved in high value construction and engineering work.

You will work closely with and be supervised and mentored by 8 partners.

Your main responsibilities would include:

• leading matter management on smaller/less complex matters with minimal supervision of a partner;
• working alongside partners and managing associates on more complex matters;
• clear, concise and unambiguous preparation and drafting of relevant documentation;
• conducting legal research using internal and external knowledge management resources;
• liaising with clients under the supervision of a partner or managing associate;
•  assisting partners with matter management and financial hygiene of matters
• supervising more junior associates and trainees/solicitor apprentices;
• developing own internal and external network of contacts;
• building excellent working relationships with clients and peers within the firm; and
• attending business development and profile-raising events (client seminars, industry and trade body networking, graduate recruitment activities).

• UK-qualified lawyer with demonstrable mid-level experience gained with a strong private practice law firm in the UK is likely to be the best fit for the current needs of the team. However, foreign qualified candidates with equivalent and/or comparable experience in similar markets (for example, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand) market will be considered. The candidate will have a strong academic record.
• The candidate should be a proactive and collaborative self-starter. A keenness to develop expertise across both projects and construction is essential, noting that as our lawyers become more senior, they tend to take a projects or a construction path.
• Strong technical knowledge and excellent attention to detail is essential. Construction experience across at least some of the below is required (with projects experience as set out below being desirable, but not essential):
  - Construction: general commercial real estate development, including a working knowledge of the JCT, NEC, FIDIC, MF/1, IChemE forms of contract (note: a candidate is not necessarily expected to have experience with all of these forms, but experience with JCT contracts is required). Experience with bespoke consultancy appointments is essential. Any other experience of bespoke contractual arrangements, such as construction management agreements and DMAs is highly desirable. The successful candidate will also be familiar with the non-contentious construction elements of real estate and funding documents such as agreements for lease, sale and purchase agreements, development funding and forward funding agreements, development finance and the refinancing of real estate assets.
  - Projects: experience in projects including PFI and PPP projects - experience of greenfield projects, asset management (including variations), sale and acquisition of operational projects and construction and facilities management work.
• Experience and expertise at independently managing non-complex transactional construction files with little supervision.
• Delivering commercial pragmatic advice to clients and colleagues which places the construction risks in the context of the wider transaction.
• A strong interest in legal technology and AI, with a keenness to embrace the use of software such as Harvey and the firm’s own AI programme, SharperAI, in order to provide a more efficient client service, without compromising on legal excellence and own personal knowledge.
• Ability to acquire, consolidate and apply fundamental and up-to-date knowledge of the law. The team does not currently include a PSL, so fee earners are expected to take responsibility for keeping up-to-date with legal and commercial developments.
• Organised and able to work to strict deadlines with the ability to prioritise realistically including flagging any conflicting urgent deadlines to partners in a contemporaneous fashion.
• Good housekeeping/file management practices.
• Manages and records time daily and accurately.
• Resilient with the ability to handle setbacks and pressure.
• Exhibits an understanding of the firm’s position in the market and how it distinguishes its services from its competitors.

This job description is indicative only and does not represent an exhaustive list of responsibilities. The firm reserves the right to alter or change the responsibilities at any time, in line with the firm’s strategy and business needs.

Stephenson Harwood is an international law firm, and we're committed to creating 'positive partnerships' with our clients. We represent listed and private companies, institutions and individuals, building lasting relationships to help them succeed in a complex and ever-changing world.

Our focus is on five core sectors: Energy Transition, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Private Capital and Funds, Technology, and Transportation and Trade.

With more than 1,500 people, including 220+ partners, across ten offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we combine deep legal capabilities and broad commercial expertise. We have also forged close ties with high quality law firms around the world, blending local knowledge with global savvy for clients in over 100 countries.

We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

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