To drive and support knowledge and
training for the Group. Part of the role's focus will include
supporting the Corporate Finance practice within the Group, in
particular in relation to listed public company advisory work,
however the role will also include spending substantial time
supporting the practice of the Group more broadly.
Main responsibilities
To make first-class Corporate
knowledge from London easily available to lawyers, increasing the
quality, consistency and/or cost-effectiveness of the advice that
Baker McKenzie gives its clients, including:
Knowledge and Expertise
Precedents. Draft, update, develop
and (where appropriate) assist with the process of automating the
Group's precedents and other legal content
Current awareness and
commercial/industry knowhow. Keep abreast and provide regular
updates on key developments impacting the Group, including
internal alerts/talking points. Work with other Knowledge Lawyers
across PGs and IGs to provide joined up legal, commercial and
industry knowhow
Lawyer requests. Respond to ad hoc
enquiries from lawyers with on- point, thorough and timely
answers. Develop a reputation as a go-to expert
Client-facing knowledge. Provide
legal input into client-facing initiatives, including supporting
our Board Advisory Forum and Listed Companies Update Seminar, as
well as client alerts and where relevant assisting with client
training and legal content for proposals and other business
development resources
Training. Identify the Group's
training needs. Meet training needs by helping drive the planning
and delivery of training (including participating / promoting).
Leverage Firm resources and processes to produce high quality
training materials and courses efficiently
Knowhow development. Collect and
input the Group's knowhow into the Firm's global repository of
knowledge and populate global, multi- jurisdictional databases and
resources. Identify gaps in knowhow and work to fill them,
ensuring content development is progressive
Service Orientation
Relationships. Promote and identify
ways to strengthen the Group's knowledge culture. Build lasting
relationships throughout the Firm through collaboration, mutual
respect and a reputation for competence. Advocate and be a
positive spokesperson for Knowledge. Nurture relationships with
trainees and junior lawyers. Support diversity and inclusion, CSR
and pro bono activities
Work Management
Operations and innovation.
Proactively seek ways to improve your own and team's service and
efficiency and contribute to best practices. Actively participate
in Knowledge projects
Systems. Support and drive adoption
of Knowledge systems. Take ownership of delivery. Where
appropriate, schedule one-on-one meetings and presentations to
promote Knowledge systems
Strategy, alignment and
integration. Understand and promote the Group's business and
Knowledge plans. Structure time and priorities in accordance with
the Group's business and Knowledge plans and provide input into them
About the team
The Knowledge function is a Firm-wide
team of nearly 300 professionals, including Knowledge Lawyers,
Information & Research professionals, and a variety of other
functional specialists. The Knowledge function helps the Firm
deliver better legal solutions by producing and providing easy
access to high quality, relevant legal information for both lawyers
and clients. The focus is on the following areas:
Content: creating, collecting and
providing access to market-leading precedents, sample documents,
practice notes, training materials and other knowhow for our
lawyers and clients, reviewing and updating regularly, to ensure
that the content is current and market-leading
Systems: working with the
Technology function to design, develop and build user-friendly and
flexible platforms to store knowhow and deliver it intuitively to
lawyers and clients, adopting common systems across all offices
and practice/industry groups
Culture: striving to establish
Knowledge as a core part of every lawyer's role, engaging actively
with all lawyers in the Firm and encouraging them to share their
own knowhow and expertise with colleagues as openly as possible;
embracing a "one team" culture within the Firm's
Knowledge community ensuring that all team members create and
develop high quality local content while being aligned with our
global strategy and approach
You will report to
Lead Knowledge Lawyer for Global
M&A Practice Group (noting key relationships below)
Your direct reports, if any
None
Key relationships
Your clients are the Partners and
lawyers in the Group. You will receive day-to-day project
assignments and overall direction from the London Corporate Know How
and Training Partner and overall direction and supervision from the
Global M&A Practice Group's (GM&A PG) Lead Knowledge Lawyer.
You will be one of two Knowledge Lawyers within the London Corporate
Group and part of your focus will be expected to include supporting
the Corporate Finance practice within the department, in particular
in relation to listed public company advisory work, however you will
also be expected to spend substantial time supporting the practice
of the department more broadly. You must liaise closely with other
members of the Professional & Business Services team -
especially within the Knowledge function - to ensure that Knowledge
projects and initiatives are carried out consistently with the
Firm's overall business objectives and its Knowledge strategy.
About the candidate
Technical
skills, qualifications and experience
Law degree
Current license to practice law (or
eligibility for one)
Substantial experience as a
practicing lawyer within a London Corporate practice
Deep knowledge of corporate finance
law, regulation and market practice applicable to listed companies
(in particular the Listing Rules, Prospectus Regulation Rules,
DTRs, Corporate Governance Code and Companies Act) essential
Good knowledge of English contract
law expected
Good knowledge of law and market
practice in either or both of equity capital markets and private
M&A strongly preferred
Good knowledge of law and market
practice in other areas of corporate law e.g. public M&A,
private equity and/or funds an advantage but not essential
Excellent English language skills
(verbal and written) and the confidence to communicate in a
multi-cultural, multi-level environment
Experience working directly with
senior counterparts on strategy and execution
Excellent time management and
organizing skills; ability to prioritise and manage time to meet deadlines
Strong word processing and
spreadsheet skills
Experience in or willingness to
engage with document automation and other legal tech
Personal qualities
These personal qualities represent
the shared characteristics of high performers across Baker McKenzie,
regardless of job level and location.
Know how
Keeps across key developments in
all relevant areas and demonstrates the ability to develop
substantive authority in relation to the Firm's specialist fields
Demonstrates the ability to
identify the real issue, and to anticipate requirements and
potential consequences; distils a range of possibilities by
thinking in a considered, prudent manner
Able to move through a variety of
tasks requiring different approaches, knowledge, and expertise,
with agility of mind and capacity for analysis and synthesis
Dedication
Driven by a strong personal sense
of integrity and upholds exemplary quality standards
Prepares thoroughly, takes
responsibility, uses initiative and is self reliant to ensure work
progresses to the fullest extent possible
Hardworking and diligent with a
keen understanding of client demands
Demonstrates composure when dealing
with difficult situations
Personal Impact
Creates a positive impression at
all times; develops relationships through collaboration and reciprocity
Negotiates to achieve outcomes that
are mutually satisfactory; shows good judgement on when to stand
strong and when to compromise
Invests in, nurtures and builds a
network of productive relationships
Humanity
Respectful to others, regardless of
their position, and earns the respect of others by being transparent
Has care and concern for others and
a genuine interest in others as people
Treats delicate or confidential
issues with grace and discretion
Why Join Us?
Baker McKenzie is a truly global law firm. Founded in 1949, we advise
many of the world's most dynamic and successful business organisations
through our 13,200 people in 74 offices in 45 countries. Yet big does
not mean impersonal. We work hard to ensure that everyone knows their
role and has the support they need to perform it to the highest
standard. Our culture encourages this - how we work, think and behave
in a collaborative and fulfilling way.
In London you will be part of a 1,000 person office, which is also
our largest office globally. Originally opened in 1961, Baker McKenzie
London is well established in the UK as a leading international law
firm and is regularly involved in some of the country's most
high-profile legal matters. We can offer you the work, pride and
experience of being part of a leading law firm but in a local office
environment that is hardworking, friendly and supportive.
The strength of the firm and our culture is evidenced by a number of
recent awards, including:
Thomson Reuters (formerly Acritas' Sharplegal) Global Elite Law
Firm Brand Index, 2010- 2022 - ranked 1st
The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2021-2022: currently ranked 52nd
Thomson Reuters ranked the Firm No. 1 for cross-border deals for
the last 12 years. More than 70% of our deals are cross-border.
For the 14th consecutive year, the Firm was ranked first for deals
with emerging market involvement, by both number of announced and
completed deals.
Law360 ranked the Firm as one of the 400 Largest US Law Firms in
in its annual survey in 2020.
Identified as one of the Hall of Fame for best law firms for women
by Working Mother magazine, 2011-2021.
Received a a Gold Award in Stonewall's Global Workplace Equality
Index of Top Global Employers for LGBTQ+ Inclusion.
Ranked as one of the Top 20 Employers in the 2023 Social Mobility
Employer Index.
Received Double Certification for earning top marks in the 2022
Corporate Equality Index and Equidad MX of the Human Rights Campaign
Foundation.
Winner of the Europe Mentorship Programme - International Firm
award in the Euromoney Women in Business Law Europe Awards 2021
Winner of the Gender Diversity International Firm, Talent
Management International Firm, and Work-Life Balance International
Firm awards in the Euromoney
Women in Business Law Asia Awards 2021
To Apply
Please click on the Apply icon to
start the online application process for this role. We will then be
in touch with you once we have reviewed your application.
Please note Baker McKenzie does not
accept unsolicited CVs. Please clickhere for details of our
Agency Policy and commitment to sourcing directly.
Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity & Equity
As the first truly global law firm,
diversity and inclusion are foundational to our culture and
strategic vision. We are a Firm of individuals from across the globe
with different backgrounds, ideas, and points of view who
collegially work together to solve complex problems and design
practical solutions for our clients. Our multiple perspectives come
from many sources, including the diverse ethnicity, culture, gender,
nationality, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and
expression, disability, parental status, education, social
background and life experience of our people.
Our global strategy is focused on our
people, our culture, our clients and the communities where we
operate. In 2019 we enacted ambitious new targets related to gender,
racial and ethnic diversity at the Firm. These targets are viewed as
a floor, not a ceiling, to advancing underrepresented groups, and
they are backed by a variety of strategic initiatives aimed at
achieving our goals. Our strategic vision is supported in London by
six active employee led networks which champion diversity, lead on a
number of internal campaigns and deliver a range of activity to
celebrate differences in identity, inclusion, and key dates
throughout the year including: LGBT+ History Month, International
Women's Day, International Trans Day of Visibility, Mental Health
Awareness Week, Pride, Black History Month, Social Mobility Week,
International Day of Disabled Persons and many more!
Baker McKenzie London has been
accredited by Disability Confident, joining over 18,000
organisations that have signed up to help change behaviours and
cultures in businesses, networks and communities and reap the
benefits of inclusive recruitment practices.
