Corporate/Commercial - Professional Support Lawyer
ByrneWallace LLP is hiring an experienced practising Corporate Lawyer seeking a change in direction OR a current Knowledge Lawyer/PSL with experience of working in a Corporate focused role in a large Irish or international law firm. This is an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated and technically excellent Corporate PSL to join the highly regarded Corporate and Commercial Group at a leading Irish law firm. The Group advises on a broad range of corporate and commercial transactional and advisory work, including acting on private and public M&A, private equity and corporate finance transactions, corporate advisory work and commercial contractual arrangements.
We aim to provide consistently excellent advice and to develop and maintain strong long-standing client relationships. This involves not only technical expertise and experience but also commercial acumen and up-to-date market and sectoral insight. To enable us to provide a consistently excellent level of service to our clients as efficiently and effectively as possible and to assist us in successfully delivering the Group’s (and Firm’s) strategy, we place a very high value on the importance of managing and developing the Group’s (and the Firm’s) knowledge capital. Corporate PSLs perform an integral and highly valued role as part of the Group and of our firm-wide knowledge function.
The role will include a range of PSL responsibilities as further outlined below and will require comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of the relevant practice area and legal market. Excellent legal drafting and communication skills, interest and enthusiasm for use of technology and innovation in knowledge management and a strong academic background are required. In return, this leading firm can offer high quality work, a competitive salary and benefits package, a flexible working policy (including consideration of a part-time / hybrid working arrangement for the right candidate) and a friendly, collaborative and supportive environment.
Key experience and skills required
- Minimum 7-8 years recent relevant experience as corporate/M&A practitioner or Corporate PSL in large Irish or international corporate law firm with demonstrably strong knowledge of relevant practice area
- Strong academic background
- Excellent legal drafting and writing skills and experience in drafting legal agreements
- Excellent legal research and analysis skills and attention to detail
- Generally a high degree of technical knowledge and competency in relevant practice area and a practical and client-centric focus
- Ability to identify and focus on key issues and exercise a high degree of commercial as well as technical judgment.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication / presentation skills
- Demonstrated interest in L&D and design and delivery skills
- Demonstrated interest and literacy in knowledge management ICT tools, including legal KM software systems, and familiarity with technological innovations in the legal sector
- Pro-active with ability to work on own initiative
- Highly motivated with strong organisational and project management skills
- Keen understanding of the commercial market in which the Group and Firm operates and familiarity with recent market trends
- Ability to develop and maintain excellent working relationships with colleagues at all levels
- Willingness/ability to work as part of a highly-motivated, efficient team
- Strong ability to develop and manage relationships at all levels
- High level of honesty, integrity and openness
- Driven to consistently provide a highly professional service which aligns with needs of Group
Other key areas of responsibility
- Responsibility for developing/improving best practice processes for creating, capturing, curating and disseminating knowledge and supporting the Group.
- Review, creation and updating of Group precedents (including precedent legal agreements) in line with market practice and legal/regulatory developments and development / maintenance of the Group’s precedent bank
- Review, creation and updating of the Group’s know-how in line with market practice and legal/regulatory developments and development / maintenance of the Group’s know-how database
- Review, creation and updating of Group position papers and practice notes on various relevant corporate and commercial law issues in line with market practice and legal/regulatory developments
- Co-ordinate and organise the Group's internal CPD Programme, including knowledge projects (and involvement in external CPD events for alumni or clients)
- Promote legal awareness via the design and delivery of legal briefings to fee-earners with regard to relevant legal and market developments (including as part of Group or Firm CPD Programme)
- Ensure timely dissemination of relevant knowledge materials and legal updates within the Group
- Generate timely and insightful articles, briefings, newsletters, e-zines, client e-bulletins or other materials for circulation to clients or wider publication (including online and print media publication) for knowledge, marketing or BD purposes and co-ordinate / support generation of such content by fee-earners
- Act in an advisory capacity in supporting fee-earners and clients with complex legal research queries, particularly with regard to new or emerging topics, issues or areas of law
- Identifying and delivering innovative approaches to managing and sharing knowledge for the benefit of fee-earners and clients, including working with wider knowledge and ICT teams for this purpose
- Identify and promote approaches to resolution of practice issues / improvement of processes in order to improve quality of legal services and minimise risk
- Maintain awareness of role in managing professional risk issues and support Firm-wide risk management initiatives
- Liaise with Corporate KM Partner and HoD to develop an annual knowledge and training plan for Corporate Dept each year (including identification of priorities) and participate in periodic reviews and progress meetings
- Liaise as required with Firm’s central knowledge/library function and PSLs in other practice areas and contribute to Firm-wide knowledge and training projects
- Liaise with HOD, Tenders & Marketing teams with regard to Group related content for website and bid / pitch / legal directory / award submissions by Group to ensure competitive advantage
- To extent required, designing, delivering and managing client-facing knowledge and training initiatives
- Producing material for and, if required, attending and/or presenting, at external events for client, training or BD purposes or in order to promote profile of Firm
- Contribute to continuing development of role and actively participate in the development of the Group's goals.
Staff may be requested to carry out such reasonable tasks as may from time to time occur
If you are interested in being considered for the above position, please submit your CV in confidence to Gráinne McManus, Senior HR Generalist by email at recruitment@byrnewallace.com. For further information on ByrneWallace LLP, please see our website www.byrnewallace.com.
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