Senior Property Lawyer

Join a busy and well-established property team in Leatherhead, as a Senior Property Lawyer. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced solicitor or chartered legal executive to manage a varied caseload of residential and mixed-use property matters, provide expert legal advice, and oversee complex transactions from instruction through to post-completion.

Salary - £65,000+

Key responsibilities:

• Act as lead fee earner on a broad range of residential property transactions including freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, remortgages, transfers of equity, new build developments, repossessions and shared ownership matters; manage matters from initial instruction to post‑completion registration and file closure in accordance with firm procedures.

• Provide clear, pragmatic and commercially aware legal advice to clients, lenders and other third parties; draft, review and negotiate contracts, transfer deeds, leases, mortgages and bespoke documentation using firm precedents and bespoke drafting where required.

• Conduct, interpret and advise on pre‑contract enquiries, searches, title reports, leases and leasehold management packs; resolve complex title, leasehold, restrictive covenant and title indemnity issues and escalate or instruct counsel where appropriate.

• Oversee and prepare completion packs, client and accountant completion statements; manage client funds and attend to completion monies in accordance with accounts procedures and regulatory requirements.

• Ensure accurate preparation and submission of Land Registry applications and SDLT returns, liaise with HMRC and the Land Registry as necessary and manage post‑completion registration, indemnities and remedial actions.

• Maintain compliance with regulatory obligations including anti‑money laundering checks, client identification, conflict checks, file audits and data protection requirements; complete and document required file reviews.

• Provide technical guidance, mentoring and supervision to junior fee earners and support staff; review and approve work, assist with training and contribute to continuous improvement of templates, precedents and team processes.

• Build and maintain strong client relationships, identify opportunities for additional services and support fee growth in line with practice objectives.

Key skills and experience:

• Qualified solicitor or chartered legal executive with substantial post‑qualification experience in residential property/conveyancing; typically 4–6 years’ PQE depending on level of role.

• Proven experience managing a varied caseload independently and handling complex or high‑value transactions, including leasehold and mixed‑use issues.

• Excellent drafting and negotiation skills with meticulous attention to detail when preparing contracts, completion statements and client correspondence.

• Strong working knowledge of Land Registry processes, SDLT, leasehold legislation and common title issues; confident in dealing with indemnities and title rectification where necessary.

• Confident user of Microsoft Office and experience of case management and document management systems; able to adopt new technology and contribute to system improvement.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with a professional manner when liaising with clients, lenders, estate agents, managing agents and other stakeholders.

• Organised, commercially aware and able to prioritise competing demands to meet deadlines; strong problem‑solving skills and a collaborative team player who can also work independently.

• Committed to maintaining professional and regulatory standards, including confidentiality, anti‑money laundering and data protection requirements.