Associate/ Senior Associate

We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Construction and Engineering lawyer to join our growing team, based in Guildford.  The role will suit someone who has excellent people skills, who is looking to develop their career within a friendly collegiate team that is widely recognised for its expertise in this area.

While this role would ideally suit a candidate with a mixture of both contentious and non-contentious construction experience, we are also keen to hear from candidates who may have experience working on primarily contentious or non-contentious construction matters.  This is an ideal opportunity for candidates who want a clear route for progression, with promotion opportunities for the right candidate.

The team’s client base is impressive and the successful candidate will gain exposure to quality work with the team currently working on several high value and complex disputes and projects for clients in the logistics, education and car manufacturing sectors, as well as main contractors and sub-contractors.

The Construction team is part of the Real Estate department which currently consists of 7 partners and 22 other lawyers.  It is regarded as one of the leading real estate practices in the South East outside London, and is recommended by the leading independent legal directories, ranked in band 1 in the Legal 500 for both construction and commercial property. 

Testimonials from our clients include “The S&B team are highly approachable and responsive. They make great effort to understand our business and our issues. They consult willingly and are creative in the ways that they approach solutions. They give well-balanced advice and are highly knowledgeable in all of the areas of law in which we need support. Their seminars and industry days are always on-point and informative."

There is knowledge lawyer and paralegal support within the department and access to a wide range of valuable on-line resources.

The work will involve advising on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious construction matters.

We recognise that lawyers value the ability to work flexibly - we have agile working policies to facilitate flexible working and we are happy to consider both full time and part time working.

We are looking for team players with experience on the contentious side of adjudication, arbitration and litigation in the TCC as well as the ability to give practical and commercial advice at an early stage where projects are in distress;

Typical disputes include interim and final payments disputes, professional negligence claims and issues of delay and defective works;

On the non-contentious side, candidates should have experience of leading and advising on transactions, drafting and negotiating construction contracts and ancillary agreements and providing ongoing project advice;

The team act for employers, construction professionals, contractors and sub-contractors and the successful candidate can look forward to a broad range of quality work across various sectors;

There are opportunities for career progression as the team continues to grow and all team members are encouraged to develop their own practices and contacts;

All team members are encouraged to participate in business development and the team regularly host case law updates and workshops for clients and contacts, as well as marketing generally to the industry.   The successful candidate should be interested in and have an understanding of the construction and engineering sector and in turn will be fully supported to develop their own practices and contacts as well as ensuring the continued success and growth of the team and wider firm.

Candidates should have good inter-personal skills, strong academics and high quality experience – typically with a major City or leading national/regional practice.

Stevens & Bolton – making a positive difference to your career

You’ll work with people who listen, and who actively and willingly support one another within a collaborative and engaging environment.  We genuinely care about our people and strive to build and maintain a diverse, inclusive and happy workforce.

We are recognised as a top firm in The Times Best Law Firms 2024 and shortlisted for ESG Initiative of the Year at the upcoming Women, Influence & Power in Law UK 2024 Awards. We were highly commended for both “Regional/Offshore Firm of the Year” – Legal Business Awards 2023 and “Law Firm of the Year” – SLS Legal Awards 2023, commended for “Law Firm of the Year: The Independents” – The Lawyer Awards 2023, and were shortlisted for “UK Law Firm of the Year - Small/Mid Sized Firm” – The British Legal Awards 2023 and “Workplace Fit-out of the Year” – Insider South East Property Awards 2023. Our refurbished office has been awarded a RICS SKA silver certificate and a 2 star Fitwel accreditation.

We’ve made excellence the hallmark of our firm: in the clear advice we give, in the enduring client relationships we build and in our proactive and highly responsive service.  We seek to recruit people who will help us maintain and build on this, and in return we offer excellent long-term career and development opportunities.

Diversity & Inclusion
We have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion (D&I). This drives a strategy which focuses on constant promotion of an inclusive culture that encourages everyone to realise their full potential and be themselves at work. Previously we have been shortlisted for “Best D&I Initiative” at The HR Awards and for “Best Talent and Inclusion Initiative” at The Lawyer Awards.