Senior Associate – Private Client
Location: Reading / London (Hybrid)
Salary: Competitive DOE
Benefits: 28 days’ annual leave, enhanced pension (6% employer contribution), private medical insurance, life assurance (5x salary), hybrid working, birthday leave, weekly wellbeing hour, charity leave, cycle to work scheme, season ticket loan, option to purchase additional annual leave, dog-friendly office and regular social events.
About the Company
A highly regarded, Legal 500 and Chambers-ranked law firm is looking to appoint a Senior Associate to join its growing Private Wealth team. Recognised for delivering exceptional advice to high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurial families and business owners, the firm has built an outstanding reputation for technical excellence, client service and complex private wealth planning.
With ambitious growth plans and a collaborative culture, the firm offers the opportunity to work on sophisticated, high-value matters alongside recognised experts in the field. Lawyers benefit from genuine autonomy, high-quality work and a clear pathway for long-term career progression within a supportive and forward-thinking environment.
Role Summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Private Client Solicitor to join a thriving Private Wealth team undertaking technically challenging work across estate planning, trusts and tax advisory matters.
Working across the firm’s Reading and London offices, you’ll advise high-net-worth individuals, family business owners and internationally connected clients on complex wealth planning strategies while supporting the continued growth of a market-leading practice. Alongside managing your own caseload, you’ll supervise junior lawyers, contribute to business development and work collaboratively with colleagues across multiple disciplines.
Key Responsibilities
- Advise high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurial families and internationally mobile clients on complex estate and succession planning matters.
- Develop sophisticated inheritance tax and wealth preservation strategies, including multi-jurisdictional estate planning.
- Draft wills, lasting powers of attorney, trust documentation and other private client instruments.
- Structure, establish and administer trusts, including those with international and cross-border elements.
- Advise family business owners on succession planning, governance and tax-efficient transfers of business assets.
- Provide specialist advice on Business Property Relief, Capital Gains Tax planning and wider tax mitigation strategies.
- Work closely with Corporate and Commercial teams on business restructures, shareholder arrangements and exit planning.
- Manage complex probate and estate administration matters where required.
- Supervise and mentor junior members of the team, supporting their technical development.
- Build long-term client relationships while actively contributing to networking, business development and profile-raising initiatives.
Requirements
- Qualified Solicitor with 5+ years PQE in Private Client.
- Strong experience advising on wills, trusts, estate administration and complex tax planning.
- Significant experience acting for high-net-worth individuals, business owners and internationally connected clients.
- Excellent technical knowledge of inheritance tax, Capital Gains Tax, Business Property Relief and succession planning.
- Experience advising on trusts and cross-border estate planning.
- STEP and/or CTA qualification preferred.
- Excellent drafting, analytical and communication skills.
- Experience supervising or mentoring junior lawyers.
- Commercially aware with a proactive approach to business development and client relationship management.
- Highly organised with exceptional attention to detail and file management skills.
Why Apply?
This is an outstanding opportunity to join one of the region’s leading Private Wealth teams, handling sophisticated and intellectually stimulating work for high-net-worth individuals, business owners and multi-generational families.
The firm offers genuine autonomy, excellent quality work and a collaborative culture where lawyers are encouraged to develop their expertise and build lasting client relationships. With flexible hybrid working, outstanding benefits and clear opportunities for progression, this role is ideal for an ambitious Private Client Solicitor looking to take the next step in their career within a growing and highly respected practice.
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