Governance Associate/Senior Associate (5+ PQE)

Job description

Make a Real Impact

Bevan Brittan is a leading commercial law firm. Alongside our recognised expertise in housing, local government, and health and social care, we are specialists in the construction, energy and resource management, higher education and financial services sectors.

Supported by our valued business services professionals, our award-winning and growing legal teams provide almost 2,000 organisations with commercial, corporate, property, finance, regulatory, employment and litigation (commercial and clinical negligence) legal and advisory services.

As a responsible business, we embrace four values: Relationships, Reputation, Responsible and Results. These give us a sense of purpose. They influence the decisions we make and how we work with each other. Importantly, they motivate us to deliver meaningful outcomes for our clients and the communities that we're part of.

Consistently recognised as one of The Times Best Law Firms and highly ranked across the legal directories, we are proud of our hard-earned reputation. Our 2025/26 financial results confirmed both revenue and profit growth for a thirteenth consecutive year, ensuring our ability to continue investing in our people.

Looking to the future, we're targeting ambitious growth and success. And we're looking for the best people to be part of it.

Join a team of experts and progressive thinkers

We are a market leading team with dedicated experts (ranked across Chambers and Legal 500) carrying out a wide range of governance work for clients across the central and local government sector including for local authority and combined (strategic) authority clients. The team works closely with colleagues across the firm, including those in our commercial, employment and pensions, procurement, corporate and property teams.

Our work includes:

• Re-organisation: Advice and support to local authorities managing LGR and Devolution.
• Powers/vires: Advising on the powers of authorities to take action including statutory interpretation and advice on powers.
• Decision-making: Advice on lawful decisioning making, powers and functions of statutory officers.
• Corporate advisory services: Advising on the governance of local authority owned corporate structures
• Member and officer conduct: Advising on probity, ethics and promoting high standards of conduct, grievance and disciplinary processes.
• Senior Officer Disciplinary: Working with employment colleagues in relation to senior officer conduct, investigations, settlements.
• Constitutions: Health-checking and drafting of constitutions including for new authorities.
• Inquiries/investigations/complaints: Advising on a range of inquiries from internal investigations to major public inquiries.
• Shared Services: Local authority shared services and public/public collaboration.
• Governance in major projects. Advising on powers /vires; options appraisals and structuring (public-public; shared services; public-private; insourcing; outsourcing)
• Finance and audit: Advice and training to finance teams including advice on section 114 reporting.

The role

We are looking for a Solicitor to join our vibrant and growing commercial and public law team within our Commercial and Infrastructure Department to focus on a wide variety of complex governance advisory work.

We have four offices across the UK in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and London. We are looking for someone who will work with colleagues across our offices on a remote basis with opportunities to attend office premises on a hybrid basis.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Assist the team on the delivery of a range of governance advisory matters to local authority and combined (strategic) authority clients.
• Be a valued member of the team, supported, trained and developed by senior members of the team in a supportive environment.
• Engage regularly with clients, attend client meetings and work closely with other legal, financial and technical advisors.
• Develop your practice and your career, have responsibility appropriate to your knowledge and expertise.
• Develop your business development skills, network with peers across the firm, and in the local government/combined authority market more broadly.
• Join in CSR activities across the firm and pro-bono work.

What we're looking for from you

You will have:

• At least 5 years PQE (ideally including experience as a Monitoring Officer or Deputy Monitoring Officer)
• Experience of advising local authority and combined authority clients
• A passion to learn, enthusiasm and the desire to excel as a lawyer
• Ability to work, or experience of working, in a team and coordinating advice with fee earners across a team
• The ability to deliver clear, precise advice
• Strong technical skills and an ability to understand and work through complex issues
• A demonstrable ability to adopt a practical and commercial approach to legal issues
• Ability to liaise effectively with clients and build relationships, particularly in a political context
• Ability to operate with a high level of self-sufficiency combined with an awareness of own abilities
• A positive and flexible approach
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage time effectively

Work with approachable people

When we ask colleagues what makes Bevan Brittan a great place to work, the most popular thing they say is "the people". The overwhelming consensus is that we make time for each other. We welcome questions and support each other. Naturally, we look for new colleagues who align with our values.

Supported to be your best

Hybrid working

We operate a hybrid working model based on the needs of our clients, teams and people. Our core business hours are 9am - 5:15pm Monday to Friday, but we're open to our people working more flexibly around those times and welcome a conversation with you if you have any questions about this. We try to offer you the flexibility to work your week in a way that suits you.

Learning, Development & Progression

We're committed to supporting your professional and personal development needs.This means that we offer a range of tailored training courses and you will have lots of opportunity to learn from those around you. We actively encourage progression and this is reflected in our annual review and promotion processes. You will be supported by your line manager to achieve your full potential.

Wellbeing

As a Bevan Brittan employee, you'll have access to a variety of services that support your wellbeing. We've pledged our commitment to The Mindful Business Charter and lots of our people contribute to our Wellbeing Responsible Business strand, which organises an annual calendar of wellbeing events and initiatives.

Benefits

• A minimum of 25 days holiday (plus the option to buy up to an additional 5 days)
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Generous pension scheme
• Private medical insurance through Vitality
• Biennial private health assessment through Nuffield Health
• Life assurance
• Access to Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to work scheme

Embracing our differences and valuing inclusion

Our shared aim is that everyone is welcome and can feel comfortable being themselves at Bevan Brittan. To support this, we actively value and promote equality, diversity and inclusion in everything that we do. You'll be empowered and supported through our employee led networks, diverse colleagues, and a broad range of firmwide initiatives.

Recognising the unique contributions that a diverse workforce can bring to our business, we encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We take great pride in being a Disability Confident Employer. If you need any adjustments throughout the recruitment process or have any questions, please get in touch with our recruitment team by emailing [email protected]

Acting responsibly, now and for the future

To us, being a responsible business is second nature; a core part of Bevan Brittan's identity. Our colleagues are heavily involved in shaping and delivering activity across the four pillars of our Responsible Business strategy : Community Engagement; Environmental Sustainability; Equality, Diversity & Inclusion; and Wellbeing.

Our people deliver pro bono legal work for charities and not-for-profit organisations. We play an active role in our local communities and donated £100,000 across our four regional office charities last year. We are also proudly carbon neutral. We've achieved the UN's Climate Neutral Now accreditation and our environmental sustainability plan focuses on achieving our net zero carbon target by 2040.

Collectively, the four pillars ensure we look after our colleagues' wellbeing; offer an environment in which everyone can progress on merit, give something back to the communities in which we work; and protect the environment.