Job Description

Knowledge Lawyer - Corporate

Job Location

London

Job Category

Business Services

Practice Group

N/A

Support Department

Knowledge Management

Job Title

Knowledge Lawyer - Corporate

Description

Role purpose

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

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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.

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