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Principal Associate - IT

Employer
Gowling WLG
Location
Birmingham, West Midlands
Salary
Competitive
Closing date
1 Jul 2019

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Vacancy Type
Solicitors – Private Practice
Contract Type
Permanent
Practice Area
Commercial, Technology / Media / Telecoms, IT, Outsourcing
Experience Level
5+ yrs PQE
Role Classification
Lawyer

Job Details

About Gowling WLG

We have more than 1,400 legal professionals working around the world. Our offices span across 19 cities in Canada, the UK, Continental Europe, Asia and the Middle East. There's strength in our global presence – we embrace our differing cultures and work together as one team. We also understand the importance of investing in relationships that build knowledge and trust, while we provide legal advice that's tailored to our clients' world.

'Our people and distinct culture are what makes us different. We know this through client and employee feedback and this drives everything we do'' Chris Oglethorpe, HR Director.

There are great opportunities for all our people to flourish. Through training and personal development they can grow in their role. Our people are the cornerstone of our success, across legal, business support and early talent. We care about their happiness and believe in the power of teamwork. We want them to feel empowered and recognise that by supporting, respecting and embracing everyone's different contributions we achieve more.

Working flexibly, working fairly

Agile working offers people more freedom and flexibility in where, when, and how they work. As technology advances and our workforce becomes more diverse – and with clients often working to a 24/7 rhythm – having extra flexibility is key to helping us balance work and other commitments sensibly and productively.

By supporting people to choose where and when they get their work done, we help them to make a full and fair contribution to their team – while maintaining that all important work-life balance.

Where possible and depending on business needs, we will consider all flexible working options such as part-time working, job sharing, working from home and staggered hours. If in considering a role with Gowling WLG you favour flexibility in your working arrangements, please discuss this with the recruitment team in the early stages of the application process.

About the Team

Gowling WLG has one of the UK's largest dedicated and sector-focused commercial, IT and outsourcing contracts teams. You won't get bored – no two days will be the same. We advise on an entire range of commercial contracts; from large, ground-breaking outsourcing projects such as advising Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust on its complex and innovative project to become an international orthopaedic centre of excellence, to acting as a seamless extension to our clients' teams in advising on routine business contracts (we have advised Marks & Spencer, CB Richard Ellis and Birds Eye on more than 85 contracts over the past year).

Main Purpose of the Job

To advise on IT contracts and data protection.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

This team is a vibrant team with huge enthusiasm for supporting clients develop the contracts they need to build and secure their businesses.  It considers itself one of the leading IT teams in the UK . The successful candidate will be exposed to a broad range of IT contracts across many sectors including retail, food and drink, pharma, financial services and telecoms. There is a diverse and interesting blend of work and the opportunity to learn and develop in this role is greater, in our view, than other IT opportunities.

Recent examples of the contracts it gets involved in include:

  • M&S on the contracts to transform its website
  • Argos on its pilot agreement with eBay of a new “fulfilment marketplace” network, to have goods delivered to Argos stores.
  • SAB Miller on the IT framework contract to roll out its ERP solution.
  • GSK on a large telecoms project

That does not mean the team only does big contracts for household names.  It has a diverse practice acting for many mid and large sized businesses advising on both routine IT contracts and strategically important contracts.

The role involves:

  • taking instructions, structuring, drafting and negotiating IT contracts;

  • corresponding and/or liaising with clients and counter parties;

  • working alone, subject to appropriate supervision, or as part of a team on matters according to according to their size and complexity or supervising more junior lawyers; and

  • active role in business development – building relationships with clients, proactively seeking out business development opportunities and helping secure them,administering sales pipelines, writing articles and alerts, participating in tenders and attending functions and events;

  • running meetings;

  • file management including delegation and supervision of tasks as appropriate;

  • time recording, costs estimating and billing.

The work will cover IT contracts (software development/ licensing, outsourcing, e-commerce) and data protection advice.

Much of the work is private sector although it does advise on significant public sector projects where it can bring particular value.

Key skills and experience

A qualified solicitor with practical experience of drafting and advising on IT contracts and advising on data protection law.

We are looking for someone who is:

  • team-spirited;
  • commercial;
  • robust (in negotiation);
  • responsible and able to think on feet to assess risks and exercise sound judgement;
  • an enthusiasm for commercial contracts;
  • developing a track record in developing and maintaining client relationships;
  • keen to be involved in business development;
  • solid technical ability in the law and drafting;
  • ambitious, flexible and positive.

Equal Opportunities

Gowling WLG is committed both to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to Equal Opportunities in employment.  The firm believes in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re-assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity.  This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment.

At Gowling WLG we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding place to work.  Our aim is to fulfil everyone's potential and together to achieve personal and business goals.

Company

About Gowling WLG

We have more than 1,400 legal professionals working around the world. Our offices span across 19 cities in Canada, the UK, Continental Europe, Asia and the Middle East. There's strength in our global presence – we embrace our differing cultures and work together as one team. We also understand the importance of investing in relationships that build knowledge and trust, while we provide legal advice that's tailored to our clients' world.

'Our people and distinct culture are what makes us different. We know this through client and employee feedback and this drives everything we do'' Chris Oglethorpe, HR Director.

There are great opportunities for all our people to flourish. Through training and personal development they can grow in their role. Our people are the cornerstone of our success, across legal, business support and early talent. We care about their happiness and believe in the power of teamwork. We want them to feel empowered and recognise that by supporting, respecting and embracing everyone's different contributions we achieve more.

Working flexibly, working fairly

Agile working offers people more freedom and flexibility in where, when, and how they work. As technology advances and our workforce becomes more diverse – and with clients often working to a 24/7 rhythm – having extra flexibility is key to helping us balance work and other commitments sensibly and productively.

By supporting people to choose where and when they get their work done, we help them to make a full and fair contribution to their team – while maintaining that all important work-life balance.

Where possible and depending on business needs, we will consider all flexible working options such as part-time working, job sharing, working from home and staggered hours. If in considering a role with Gowling WLG you favour flexibility in your working arrangements, please discuss this with the recruitment team in the early stages of the application process.

Company info
Website
Location
4 More London Riverside
London
SE1 2AU
GB

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