Senior Associate – Construction – Exeter – 5+ Years PQE

Overview

In Exeter, you will join a forward-thinking construction team within a leading law firm’s real estate practice, handling high-value non-contentious construction work for public and private sector clients. You’ll draft and negotiate contracts, support major development projects, and collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver practical, commercial solutions. The role offers agile hybrid working and opportunities to grow into more complex matters, including occasional contentious work. You will help shape project outcomes across energy, infrastructure, health, education and commercial sectors.

Pay / Benefits

• flexible, friendly and inclusive environment
• agile working arrangements for work-life balance
• Michelmores Academy development framework
• opportunities to work on high-profile national projects
• collaborative culture with creativity and commercial thinking
• career progression support

Responsibilities

• Advice and negotiation of construction contracts, appointments and related documents
• Reviewing contract terms for employer and client-side organisations
• Drafting suite contracts including JCT, NEC, FIDIC, IChemE, EPCs, O&Ms, bespoke agreements and collateral documents
• Support for high-value regional and national development projects across multiple sectors
• Collaborate with clients, consultants and project teams, both in person and via Teams
• Manage a varied, fast-paced caseload with support from Partners and Managing Associates

Key requirements

• At least 5 years’ PQE in Construction and Engineering
• Strong experience in non-contentious construction matters (contentious experience beneficial)
• Extensive drafting and negotiation across major contract families
• Experience acting for funders, employers, contractors and consultants
• Strong commercial awareness and proactive, solutions-focused approach
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work collaboratively in a busy team
• Motivation and initiative with interest in business development

• strong communication
• interpersonal skills
• collaboration
• drafting and negotiating construction contracts (JCT, NEC, FIDIC, IChemE, EPCs, O&Ms)
• contract review and terms analysis
• multi-party project collaboration

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