Main information
Closing date:
31/08/2026
PQE:
1-3
Term type:
Permanent
Working hours:
9.15 - 5.15
Department:
Real Estate
Location:
Brighton
The firm
DMH Stallard is an award winning South East law, Legal 100 firm with offices in London, Brighton, Gatwick, Guilford, Horsham and Hassocks. DMH Stallard has grown rapidly since it was established in 1970, and has a headcount of approx 400. Our firm provides a comprehensive range of commercial, dispute resolution and litigation, employment, cyber security and cyber-crime, corporate, intellectual property, real estate and technology, media and telecoms advice to both businesses and individuals. Our clients, our people and our professional networks are the keys to our success.
Culture really matters to us. In our most recent staff survey, 98% of our people said DMH is a great place to work, with 90% feeling they have a strong work-life balance, and 92% expressing confidence in the leadership team.
We’re committed to building a genuinely inclusive and supportive workplace. Our Women in Law group meets quarterly, and we’re actively working toward gender balance at all levels. We already exceed the industry average, with 40% of our partners being women compared to the sector average at 29%.
DMH Stallard are especially proud to achieve gold accreditation from Investors in People, which reflects our strong commitment to people development and leadership.
The department
About the Team
Brighton Real Estate is a team of (currently) 11 dynamic professionals working on a national scale in transactional real estate. Our diverse expertise covers complex leasehold enfranchisement, utilities, property development, commercial and residential property, along with retirement living. We have relationships with quality referrers and long-standing client relationships that we pride ourselves in maintaining to the highest level. Within the team our shared experience and smart use of technology allow us to deliver practical solutions across all areas of transactional real estate.
The Brighton team sits within our Real Estate department which is the largest in the firm and encompasses both commercial and residential property work, as well as planning, construction, development and property litigation. All of the real estate teams work very closely with the other practice areas in the firm including Private Client and Corporate and have an impressive client list.
We are ranked in Tier 2 in the leading legal directories, Chambers and Legal 500 for our Commercial Property and Property Litigation work, and in Tier 1 for our Planning specialism. We are also the proud winners of the Sussex Business Awards Property Law Firm of the Year 2025.
The Role
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced residential property lawyer to join our thriving Real Estate team in Brighton, specialising in the retirement living sector. You’ll assist a partner in undertaking residential conveyancing work in a fast-paced environment where time is usually of the essence. The work principally involves purchases and disposals within the retirement living market, and excellent communication and time management skills are crucial.
You’ll be a strong technical lawyer with a keen eye for detail, but it’s also really important to us that you’re someone who promotes the vision and culture of the firm, maintains a culture of speaking up about problems or mistakes, and works collaboratively to resolve issues.
Role and Responsibilities
- Operating as an effective member of the Brighton Real Estate Group, specialising in all elements of non-contentious residential property, including purchases and disposals within the retirement living sector
- Being responsible under supervision for own caseload of work and own fee targets
- Achieving the targets as defined by the Group Head / Head of Department
- Ensuring the highest standards of client care are maintained so that clients use DMH Stallard again and recommend the firm to others
- Ensuring achievement of own key financial targets, including fees, contribution and payment of debts and disbursements, and maintaining accurate data in the firm’s case management and financial management systems
- Assisting with marketing and business development initiatives such as writing for e-newsletters, attending and presenting at seminars, and other business development activities
- Maintaining full compliance with Anti-Money Laundering and FSMA Policies and Procedures, maintaining CQS accreditation, and conforming to risk management procedures as stated by the firm
- Participating and contributing to group meetings, continuously developing own technical expertise, and maintaining awareness of the legal market specifically relating to commercial and residential property
Other information
Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required
We’re looking for an experienced residential property lawyer — whether a Solicitor, Legal Executive or Licensed Conveyancer — who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is committed to delivering excellent client service. You’ll be detail-oriented, a strong communicator, and motivated by being part of a supportive and collaborative team.
Essential
- Previous residential property experience (training in the retirement living sector will be provided)
- Knowledge of property legislation, including landlord and tenant and relevant case law
- An ability effectively to manage time to achieve client and internal deadlines
- A good understanding of the importance of client care, with the ability to deal with a wide range of clients with differing objectives
- The ability to communicate effectively with clients in writing, over the telephone and in meetings — telephone skills are particularly important given the client demographic
- The ability to draft documentation with attention to detail
- Ability to work within a team and provide support to other solicitors and Partners as appropriate
- Competent IT skills, including Outlook, Word, Excel, Digital Dictation and time-recording systems
Desirable
- An ability to convey technical legal information in an effective and accessible way, especially given the client demographic of the work
- An understanding of the strategy and vision of the firm
- Experience in the retirement living or later living property sector
- Experience of scoping matters appropriately, including use of budget templates and delivering work on time and on budget
Benefits:
- 25 days holiday (of which 3.5 are taken during the Christmas period), plus Birthday holiday, plus Bank Holidays.
- Buying Holiday Scheme
- Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Pay
- Life Assurance
- Private Healthcare
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Sodexo Discounts
- Pension Scheme
- Interest free season ticket loans
- Cycle to work scheme
- Discounts on Legal work
