Planning Lawyer (Associate / Managing Associate)

This is a key strategic hire within a market-leading Planning & Infrastructure Consenting team, advising on some of the UK's most significant infrastructure projects. The role offers exposure to high-profile clients across the development, energy, transport, utility, and public sectors, and has been created in response to sustained growth in client demand.

Joining either our Leeds or Manchester office, you will strengthen the team's capabilities and help deliver high-quality, scalable support during a period of growth. This is an opportunity to take on significant responsibility, deepen client relationships, and develop into a senior role within the practice.

The Team

The Planning & Infrastructure Consenting team advises on a wide range of planning, infrastructure, and parliamentary and public law matters, with particular strength in energy, transport, utilities, regeneration, and major development. The team supports clients on strategically important projects, including development consent orders, Transport and Works Act orders, hybrid Bills, compulsory purchase, highways agreements, harbour and other infrastructure consenting regimes, and the public law framework underpinning them.

The team works closely with colleagues across real estate, construction, environment, procurement, finance, and corporate practices to provide joined-up advice across the full project lifecycle—essential for managing consenting, land assembly, environmental assessment, implementation, operation, and challenge risk together.

Working nationally across offices, the team is distinguished by the quality and breadth of its work, the opportunity to advise on projects of national importance, and a combination of technical planning expertise with real infrastructure sector understanding.

What to Expect in This Role

• Lead key workstreams and projects, supervising junior team members, and play a prominent role in client development and building your external market profile.
• Advise on planning, infrastructure, and highways law in relation to major development, energy, transport, and utilities projects.
• Support and, where appropriate, lead workstreams on DCOs for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and other strategic consenting regimes.
• Advise on compulsory purchase, land assembly, statutory powers, and related implementation matters.
• Manage day-to-day client relationships, taking ownership of deliverables, transaction management, and the progression of matters.
• Work directly with leading partners on nationally significant and market-shaping mandates.
• Develop expertise across both front-end advisory work and contentious or challenge-related matters, while building sector-specific specialisms.

Areas of Knowledge and Expertise

• Between 4 and 8 years' PQE in Planning & Infrastructure Consenting law, with significant experience in infrastructure, energy, utilities, and/or major development projects.
• Experience advising on one or more of: Development Consent Orders (DCOs), Transport and Works Act Orders (TWAOs) and other major infrastructure consenting regimes, as well as strength in town and country planning, highways law, and infrastructure agreements.
• Ability to manage substantial drafting and advisory responsibilities on complex matters with an appropriate level of independence.
• Experience advising on protective provisions, asset protection agreements, access arrangements, operational matters, and regulatory interfaces affecting infrastructure operators.
• Strong understanding of local government law, statutory powers, and public authority decision-making processes.
• Proven ability to manage complex transactions and projects, delivering high-quality work within agreed deadlines.

About the Firm

Our story of international growth is built on a performance mindset, innovation, and true collaboration. We believe results follow relationships, so we work closely with each other and develop deep client connections to deliver. Our award-winning culture balances high standards and hard work with genuine care—looking out for each other and supporting professional development in a down-to-earth, inclusive environment. We do the right things in the right ways, combining commercial excellence with teamwork to deliver stand-out solutions and career-defining opportunities.

• Between 4 and 8 years' PQE in Planning & Infrastructure Consenting law, with significant experience in infrastructure, energy, utilities, and/or major development projects.
• Experience advising on one or more of: Development Consent Orders (DCOs), Transport and Works Act Orders (TWAOs) and other major infrastructure consenting regimes, as well as strength in town and country planning, highways law, and infrastructure agreements.
• Ability to manage substantial drafting and advisory responsibilities on complex matters with an appropriate level of independence.
• Experience advising on protective provisions, asset protection agreements, access arrangements, operational matters, and regulatory interfaces affecting infrastructure operators.
• Strong understanding of local government law, statutory powers, and public authority decision-making processes.
• Proven ability to manage complex transactions and projects, delivering high-quality work within agreed deadlines.