Immigration Senior Associate / Legal Director
Location
Leeds
Salary
£85000-95000 per annum
Sector
Private Practice
Type
Permanent Role
Practice Area
Immigration
Reference
JR/LO/0511T
An established national law firm is looking to appoint a Senior Associate or Legal Director to join its immigration practice, with the opportunity to be based in either Sheffield or Leeds.
This is an opportunity for an experienced immigration solicitor, ideally with a strong corporate immigration background, to take on a senior position within a growing practice.
The role offers a combination of high-quality legal work, leadership responsibility and the opportunity to help develop an established immigration offering, supported by the resources and client relationships of a national firm.
The firm and team
Our client is a well-regarded national law firm with an established immigration practice advising businesses and individuals across the UK and internationally.
Immigration is an important area of growth for the firm, with continued investment in developing its specialist offering and strengthening relationships across the wider business.
The team advises a broad client base, from SMEs and multinational organisations to private individuals and families. There is a strong emphasis on corporate immigration, alongside a wider range of personal and contentious immigration matters.
The firm is now looking to strengthen its senior team with an experienced lawyer who can provide technical expertise, support colleagues and contribute to the future development of the practice.
The role
The successful candidate will manage a varied caseload, with corporate immigration forming a significant part of the work.
This will include advising on:
- Sponsor licence applications, compliance and related investigations.
- Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility and other business immigration routes.
- Strategic immigration planning and workforce mobility.
- Immigration issues arising from corporate transactions and business restructuring.
- Settlement, nationality and complex personal immigration matters.
- Wider immigration advisory and contentious matters, depending on experience.
Alongside fee earning, there will be opportunities to take on wider responsibilities, including supervising and mentoring junior lawyers, developing client relationships and contributing to the growth of the practice.
The firm is particularly interested in someone who can combine strong technical ability with a commercial approach and an interest in helping develop the business.
An existing client following is not essential. There is an established client base and opportunities to develop work through existing relationships across the wider firm.
About you
Applications are welcomed from established Legal Directors and experienced Senior Associates looking to take the next step in their careers.
You will ideally have:
- Significant experience advising on UK immigration law, particularly corporate immigration.
- The ability to handle complex matters independently and provide commercially focused advice.
- Experience managing client relationships and delivering a high standard of service.
- An interest in supervising, mentoring and developing junior colleagues.
- Strong commercial awareness and an appetite for business development.
- The confidence to contribute to the longer-term development of a specialist practice.
Experience across private immigration, human rights or contentious immigration matters would be advantageous, although a strong corporate immigration background is the principal requirement.
The firm is open to lawyers from both national law firms and specialist immigration practices.
Salary, benefits and working arrangements
The salary will depend on experience and the level of appointment, with remuneration at Legal Director level potentially reaching the mid-£90,000s.
The firm offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous annual leave, pension arrangements, healthcare benefits and additional leave options.
Hybrid working is available, with office attendance depending on the responsibilities of the role and the needs of the team. The firm is open to discussing individual working arrangements.
Why consider this opportunity?
For an experienced immigration lawyer who enjoys the technical side of the work but would also like greater influence over how a practice develops, this is an opportunity worth exploring.
The position offers access to an established client base, support from a national firm and the chance to take on meaningful leadership and business development responsibilities.
It could suit an established Legal Director looking for a fresh challenge or a Senior Associate who feels ready for a more senior position with greater autonomy and responsibility.
An initial conversation can take place discreetly, and you don't need a CV to start.
For further information, please contact Joe Rees at Thornton Legal on 07903 222898.
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