Senior Criminal Defence Solicitor - Clear Route to Legal Director

Location: Mayfair or Brighton

Salary: £65,000-£75,000 pa

Bonus: 10% terms apply

Job type: Permanent, full-time

PQE: Ideally 10+ years

The opportunity

Our client, an ambitious and growing law firm, is seeking a commercially minded Senior Criminal Defence Solicitor to help develop its privately funded criminal-defence practice.

This is a senior appointment for an experienced criminal lawyer who can manage complex cases independently, attract privately funded instructions and build a successful practice.

The successful candidate will initially join as a Senior Associate, although the precise title may be negotiable. Importantly, the role offers a genuine and clearly defined opportunity to progress to Legal Director within two years.

For an individual who makes a sustained contribution to the firm's performance, growth and leadership, there may also be the opportunity to acquire shares in the firm after approximately four to five years, subject to performance, mutual agreement and the firm's applicable ownership arrangements.

This opportunity will suit someone ready to take the next meaningful step in their career: an accomplished practitioner with genuine ambition, strong commercial instincts and evidence to support their achievements.

The role

As Senior Criminal Defence Solicitor, you will:

Manage a varied criminal caseload independently, from everyday Magistrates' Court matters to complex and serious criminal cases

Provide strategic, practical and commercially aware advice to privately funded clients

Develop and grow your own practice within the wider firm

Generate new privately funded criminal-defence instructions

Build lasting relationships with clients, referrers and professional networks

Contribute to the commercial development and profile of the criminal-defence department

Support the firm's wider growth plans and leadership ambitions

Maintain consistently high professional, ethical and client-care standards

Demonstrate the leadership capability required to progress into a Legal Director position

About you

You will ideally have:

At least 10 years' post-qualification experience in criminal defence

Substantial experience managing criminal matters independently

Strong knowledge of Magistrates' Court procedure and broader criminal litigation

Experience handling complex, serious or high-value privately funded criminal cases

A demonstrable client following, referral network or proven ability to generate privately funded work

Evidence of business development and successful practice growth

Strong advocacy, client-management and communication skills

Sound commercial judgement and an understanding of the economics of legal practice

The credibility and confidence to become a future leader within the firm

A proactive, accountable and results-focused approach

The ambition to make a long-term contribution and potentially develop an ownership stake in the firm

A strong client following is important, but our client is equally interested in how you have built relationships, generated work and converted opportunities into sustainable fee income.

Career progression and potential ownership are a key element to this role!

The successful candidate will be given a clearly defined route towards appointment as Legal Director within two years, subject to:

Beyond this, there will be opportunity to acquire shares in the firm after approximately four to five years. This is intended to create a meaningful long-term career path for someone who wants to help build the business, contribute at leadership level and potentially share in its future success.

Why consider this role?

Senior-level autonomy over your caseload and practice

The opportunity to grow a privately funded criminal-defence offering

A competitive salary of up to £75,000

A transparent performance-related bonus

Choice of a Mayfair or Brighton office base

A genuine and defined route into the firm's senior leadership team

The opportunity to progress to Legal Director within two years

The potential to acquire shares in the firm after approximately four to five years

Apply

If you are an experienced Criminal Defence Solicitor with a proven ability to attract privately funded work-and the ambition to build a significant practice, move into senior leadership and potentially become a future shareholder-we would be pleased to hear from you.

Please apply with your CV and a brief summary of your current practice, including your experience of generating privately funded criminal work. All applications and initial conversations will be treated in strict confidence