Job title: Managing Associate / Director – Private Client
Job type: Permanent
Industry: Legal
Sub-Functional Expertise: Senior Associate / Solicitor
Salary type: Annual
Salary: GBP £90,000.00
Location: Leeds, UK
Job published: 2025-12-12
Job ID: 51556
Contact name: Lee Hawthorne-Finch
Contact email: lee.hawthorne-finch@h-fts.com

Job Description

Managing Associate / Director – Private Client

Salary: £70,000 – £90,000 + Bonus

Location: Leeds

Experience: 7+ years PQE, UK Practice

 

Guiding Clients Through Complex Private Wealth Matters

Our client is a leading UK law firm with a well-established reputation for guiding individuals and families through complex private wealth matters. Their Private Client team in Leeds supports a diverse range of high-net-worth clients on intricate estate planning, trusts, tax, and succession issues. The firm is known for delivering tailored solutions with a personal touch, combining technical excellence with a collaborative, client-focused approach. This is a senior opportunity to make a real impact, advising on challenging and rewarding matters within a supportive, nationally recognised team.

 

About the Role

  • Advising on complex wills, trusts, estate administration, and succession planning

  • Providing specialist advice on inheritance tax, capital gains tax, and wealth structuring

  • Managing a varied caseload for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients

  • Leading client meetings, developing new business, and enhancing client relationships

  • Supervising and mentoring junior lawyers and trainees within the team

  • Collaborating with colleagues across the firm to deliver holistic client solutions

 

About You – Essential

  • Qualified Solicitor in England & Wales with 7+ years’ PQE in private client work

  • Significant experience advising on complex estate and tax planning matters

  • Strong technical skills in trusts, probate, and wealth management

  • Proven ability to manage and develop client relationships at a senior level

  • Demonstrated leadership and team management experience

About You – Desirable

  • STEP qualification or progress towards accreditation

  • Experience with cross-border estate and tax planning

  • Established network within the private wealth sector

 

What’s On Offer

  • Competitive salary with annual bonus

  • Career progression and professional development support

  • Investors in People Gold-accredited firm, demonstrating a genuine commitment to colleague development and wellbeing

  • Clear, structured pathways for career progression and leadership, with tailored training and mentoring at every stage

  • Hybrid and flexible working model to support work-life balance

  • Comprehensive wellbeing support, prioritising mental, physical, and financial health, and a dedicated focus on inclusion and belonging

  • Collaborative, supportive culture where your ideas and contributions are truly valued

  • Opportunities to work on impactful, high-profile cases with a diverse and ambitious client base

  • Enhanced pension and private healthcare, plus a competitive annual bonus

  • Regular team and social events, community engagement, and a strong sense of purpose beyond the day job

 

About Our Client

Our client is one of the UK’s leading law firms, known for its genuine commitment to people—both clients and colleagues. With a strong national presence and deep roots in the North, the firm is recognised for delivering technical excellence alongside a personal, approachable service. Their Private Client team is trusted by a diverse range of individuals and families, including high-net-worth clients, to navigate complex wealth, succession, and tax matters with sensitivity and expertise.
 
The firm’s culture is collaborative, inclusive, and ambitious, offering colleagues the freedom to shape their careers within a supportive environment. Continual investment in professional development, innovation, and wellbeing has earned the firm national recognition and multiple industry accolades. Joining this team means becoming part of a forward-thinking, people-first practice where your expertise and ideas are truly valued.

 

Location & Working Arrangements

Based in Leeds with flexible and hybrid working options available.

 

How to Apply

For a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Lee Hawthorne-Finch at Hawthorne-Finch Talent Solutions (lee.hawthorne-finch@h-fts.com / 0333 996 2882).

Hawthorne-Finch Talent Solutions is committed to ethical recruitment and supporting candidates throughout every stage of the hiring process.