Hepburn Delaney Ltd
Senior Associate Solicitor - Private Client
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This is not a conventional senior associate role.
We are a well-established firm with a strong regional reputation and a loyal, high-quality client base. We are looking for an exceptional solicitor who wants more than a senior fee-earning position — someone who is ready to grow into a leadership role and, in time, help shape the future of this firm.
If you have the technical depth, the commercial instinct, and the ambition to build something, we want to hear from you.
The Opportunity
Joining as a Senior Associate, you will take on responsibility for a broad and complex private client caseload while playing an active role in the development of the team. From day one you will be supported to develop the skills, relationships, and profile that will position you for a leadership role.
This is a firm where your contribution is visible and valued. You will work closely with the senior leadership team, have real input into how the department is run, and be given the space to build your own client relationships and professional reputation.
We have offices in Hemel Hempstead and Harpenden. There will be travel required between each office.
What we offer
- £70,000 - £80,000 salary per year depending on experience
- Hybrid working
- 28 days holiday + bank holidays
- Enhanced pension
- Cash health plan
- Bonus
What You Will Be Doing
Technical Practice
- Managing a complex caseload of wills, trusts, probate and estate administration matters with minimal supervision
- Advising high-net-worth individuals and families on estate planning, inheritance tax, and wealth protection strategies
- Advising on lasting powers of attorney
- Handling cross-border estate and international private client matters where relevant
- Providing technically rigorous, commercially aware advice that clients trust and return for
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Team & Leadership
- Contributing to the management and organisation of the department
- Supporting the development of team processes, precedents, and know-how
- In time, taking on increased responsibility for team leadership and department management
Business Development & Client Relationships
- Building and maintaining your own portfolio of client relationships
- Identifying opportunities to develop new work from existing clients
- Representing the firm at external events, seminars and networking opportunities
- Contributing to thought leadership — articles, guides, client communications
- Working collaboratively with colleagues across the firm on cross-referral opportunities
About You
We are looking for someone who is — or is clearly becoming — strong across two distinct dimensions: technical excellence and the ability to lead. The ideal candidate will bring:
Technical Expertise
- 7–8 years PQE with a strong private client focus throughout
- Deep expertise in wills, probate, estate administration, trusts, and lifetime planning
- Solid grounding in inheritance tax planning and trust structures
- STEP qualification (or working towards) preferred but not essential.
- Experience handling complex, high-value estates and sophisticated clients
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Leadership & Commercial Awareness
- Some experience of supervising or mentoring more junior colleagues
- An interest in — and aptitude for — the business of law, not just the practice of it
- Commercial awareness: an understanding of billing, profitability, and client management
- Strong communication and client care skills, with the ability to build lasting relationships
- The ambition to grow into a senior leadership position and the self-awareness to know what that requires
Your Development & The Path Forward
We are committed to investing in your development across both pillars of this role. You will have access to:
- Mentoring from managing associates with significant years of private client and business development experience
- A clear, transparent pathway to a leadership position
- Support for further professional qualifications including STEP
- Regular appraisals that assess both your technical performance and your leadership development — not just your billing
We do not promote people into leadership because they are technically excellent. We promote people who are technically excellent and who have demonstrated the appetite and ability to lead.
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