Corporate Real Estate Senior Associate

Corporate Real Estate Senior Associate | Leeds

Some of the most interesting real estate work happens when things are not going to plan. A lender needs to enforce, an insolvency practitioner has assets to realise, fast, a corporate group needs to restructure, and property sits at the centre of it. This team is the go-to for exactly those moments, and it is expanding in Leeds.

You will sit at the intersection of real estate, restructuring, and banking. The team is part of a national practice that consistently ranks at the top of UK deal volume tables, working on high-profile administrations, CVAs, receiverships, and restructuring plans. The property function within it is not an afterthought; it is dedicated, deeply integrated, and led by partners who are known for their technical ability and commercial instincts.

The work
You will advise lenders, investors, private equity houses, insolvency practitioners, and corporates on the acquisition and disposal of distressed and non-distressed property assets and portfolios. That means accelerated disposals, pre-pack sales, loan sales, security assignments, and securitisations where real estate is a significant component. It means managing short-timetable transactions with tricky title, occupational, and financing angles. It means supporting insolvency practitioners on enforcement strategies and asset realisation. And it means working on corporate restructurings where property is the single biggest value driver.

Alongside the distressed work, the team also handles mainstream real estate: acquisitions and disposals of commercial property, lease negotiations for retail, leisure, and licensed premises, and development and investment transactions across sectors including hospitality, industrial, residential, and retail. The mix keeps things interesting and broadens your technical base.

You will work closely with the lead partner in Leeds, collaborate with colleagues in Manchester and across the country, and build relationships with some of the most active players in the restructuring and special situations market. Clients are household names, the work is high-stakes, and the team enjoys working together.

About you
You are a real estate lawyer with solid experience drafting and negotiating leases, options, and sale contracts. You understand how property transactions fit into wider corporate and finance structures. Ideally, you have some exposure to corporate acquisitions and business sales, enough to be comfortable on multi-disciplinary deals, but it is not a requirement. What matters is a commercial mindset, an appetite for fast-paced work, and the ability to stay calm when deadlines are brutal.

You are probably a Senior Associate looking for a platform where you can take on real responsibility, work directly with clients, and build a profile in a specialist area that is only going to grow. You want to be somewhere that invests in people, not just pays lip service to it.

What you'll get
A top 50 UK law firm with a genuine commitment to culture, the first in its peer group to achieve Platinum Investors in People. An award-winning national restructuring, banking, and real estate practice. A competitive salary and benefits package, hybrid working, and a clear path to advance. And the chance to specialise in a niche that sits at the sharp end of the market, with a team that is as supportive as it is ambitious.

Apply now for a confidential conversation.