Construction (Energy) Legal Director

Construction (Energy) Legal Director (7+ PQE) | City of London | Leading Legal 500 ranked

Are you an experienced Construction senior solicitor with a focus on the energy, looking for a role that offers exposure to high-profile matters, early client responsibility, and a clear pathway for progression?

This is a rare opportunity to join a highly ranked national firm, known for its commitment to excellence, innovation, and a forward-thinking approach, as part of its ambitious 2030 growth strategy.

The Firm:

This Legal 500 and Chambers-ranked firm has built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality outcomes across a broad range of sectors, including Corporate, Commercial, Real Estate, and Private Wealth, with a notable strength in technology. With a well-established international footprint and rankings in over 16 practice areas, the firm continues to go from strength to strength.

A key driver of this success is its clearly defined 2030 growth strategy, which includes significant investment across all practice areas and a genuine commitment to developing talent at every level.

Despite its scale, the firm retains a collegiate and supportive culture, with a strong emphasis on professional development, flexibility, and wellbeing. Lawyers benefit from access to high-quality work within an environment that is both ambitious and down-to-earth.

The Team:

The Construction and Engineering team advises regional, national, and international clients across the full project lifecycle, delivering pragmatic, solutions-driven advice from project inception through to completion and beyond. The team is particularly active across energy and infrastructure, as well as health, education, commercial, and consumer sectors.

On the transactional side, the team works closely with the firm's Commercial Development and Projects groups, advising on complex, high-value, multi-stakeholder procurement matters for developers and public sector clients.

Led by three award-winning partners, the team is known for its collaborative and supportive approach. This is an excellent environment to learn from market-leading lawyers, deepen your technical expertise, and progress your career alongside high-calibre colleagues.

The Role:

This is a standout opportunity for a 7+ PQE solicitor to join a team at the heart of the firm's strategic growth plans. You will take a leading role on high-value matters, work with a prestigious client base, and benefit from a clearly defined progression pathway.

Your work will span the full spectrum of non-contentious construction matters, including drafting and negotiating contracts, appointments, and ancillary documentation, as well as advising on complex contractual issues. You will work closely with clients and their advisers, both in person and virtually.

With a particular focus on energy, you will advise on a wide range of contract forms, including JCT, NEC, FIDIC, and IChemE, as well as EPC and O&M agreements, alongside bespoke contracts and ancillary documents such as collateral warranties, bonds, and guarantees.

Whilst you will be primarily focusing on non-contentious work, you will equally have exposure to contentious claims, such as; acting for both the employer and contractor-side cases, whether in adjudication, Pre-Action Protocol, TCC or arbitration proceedings.

At Legal Director level, you will play a key role in bringing in and developing client relationships across both the public and private sectors, working with stakeholders across the construction supply chain, including developers, contractors, consultants, funders, and government bodies.

You will also support and mentor junior lawyers, working directly with partners and the wider team while contributing to the continued growth and success of the team.

Requirements

• Qualified solicitor with 7+ years' PQE (England & Wales), with previous experience in Construction and Engineering
  • Primarily non-contentious experience, with some exposure to contentious.
• Experience of advising and acting on a range of construction matters that align with the client and work types describe above.
• Extensive drafting and negotiating experience across a range of contract families including JCT, NEC, FIDIC, IChemE, Energy contracts including EPCs, O&Ms, Bespoke appointments and contracts and Ancillary documents (collateral warranties, bonds, PCGs etc)
• Strong client relationship and communication skills, with the ability to manage a busy workload, delegate effectively and stay resilient under pressure.
• A positive, pragmatic approach with good judgment and confident decision-making.
• Team-oriented approach with the flexibility to thrive in the firm's hybrid working environment.

This is a rare and career-shaping opportunity to join a highly regarded firm as a Construction Legal Director offering exposure to high-profile matters, clients and an incredible progression for your future.

Apply now for confidential consideration or contact JMC Legal Recruitment to learn more about this excellent opportunity