Description

Our Expansion. Your Future. 

DLA Piper understands that you’re building a future. Which is why we encourage you to reach your full potential and to explore the opportunities and choices that shape your individual career journey. 

This is your opportunity to think outside the box, be innovative and drive change to deliver exceptional results on all knowledge matters for our Corporate team, part of the Corporate Knowledge Group.

At DLA Piper, personal growth goes hand in hand with professional development in a supportive culture. Apply now to progress your career journey in a global business that’s redefining the expectations of a law firm. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

DLA Piper's Corporate Group comprises corporate lawyers in more than 40 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the US.  We pride ourselves on leveraging our collective knowledge and skills and training our teams to support the delivery of a high-quality service on major international corporate assignments. 

The Firm’s International Knowledge strategy is delivered by Knowledge Professionals in collaboration with dedicated Knowledge Partners and input from our lawyers in a manner that is tailored to meet the needs of each Group and Sector. 

We are looking for an experienced lawyer to join our International Corporate Knowledge team as a Knowledge Development Lawyer, reporting to our Head of Knowledge for the Corporate Group (based in the UK), to  work closely with our established Corporate Knowledge team and our partners and fee earners both in the UK and across our International practice.  

The role can be performed successfully from any of our UK offices.  We are ideally seeking a full-time commitment (which can incorporate flexible working), although the role could be successfully completed by someone working four days per week.  It will require some travel to the Firm's UK offices and occasionally abroad. 

The purpose of the role is to:

• Support the Corporate Group's international Knowledge strategy. 
• Enhance the quality and efficiency of the Group's legal practice and to be a role model for technical knowledge, skill and transactional delivery in the Group.
• Champion the firm's vision for Knowledge across the Group. 

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The role will involve:

• Identifying, developing and maintaining the knowledge resources required for the corporate practice to deliver high quality services to its clients efficiently (including standard documents, automated documents and technical legal/practical know-how guidance)
• Working with the professionals in our Cross Operational Group (including Process Improvement, Legal Project Management, Legal Technology, IT, Resource Management and Business Development) to help develop and promote best practice in our transactional processes and in the adoption and use of appropriate tools and technology
• Supporting the existing comprehensive training programmes (both in the UK and across the international practice), which will include preparing and updating training materials, delivery of some training sessions, and supporting our partners and lawyers to develop and deliver training
• Capturing and promoting sharing of expertise, market trends and the practical experience of our lawyers, and developing appropriate best practice
• Acting as a trusted advisor in relation to English law and corporate transactional queries, directing research, acting as a 'sounding board 'and supporting the firm to form "house views/positions" as appropriate
• Ensuring that lawyers are kept aware of legal and market practice developments, providing analysis of the impact of significant developments and how they will affect the Corporate Group's business and its clients
• Working closely with the central Knowledge Services team to ensure the Group has access to the external databases and information resources it needs
• Interfacing with the Group's Marketing and Business Development team to provide legal input into client-facing initiatives and tools

ABOUT YOU

• Qualified corporate lawyer – minimum 5 years PQE or similar. English law qualified preferred
• Recent experience in M&A and ideally, either corporate reorganisations or private equity, at a large commercial law firm
• Excellent technical academic credentials and a thorough knowledge of English contract law
• Excellent drafting, research, analytical and problem-solving skills 
• Highly organised and able to co-ordinate and deliver projects
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability and willingness to connect, influence and collaborate in a multi-cultural environment across multiple jurisdictions
• A desire to support and develop our lawyers to their full potential
• Good IT skills, with an interest in legal technology
• Experience of developing knowledge resources and delivering training would be helpful, but not essential
• Foreign languages useful, but not essential

We would be pleased to consider applications from individuals currently working in practice or who already have some Knowledge development experience. 

ABOUT US

DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Our global reach ensures that we can help businesses with their legal needs anywhere in the world. We strive to be the leading global business law firm by delivering quality, service excellence and value to our clients and offering practical and innovative legal solutions to help them succeed. Our clients range from multinational, Global 1000, and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging companies developing industry-leading technologies, as well as government and public sector bodies.

OUR VALUES

In everything we do connected with our People, our Clients and our Communities, we live by these values:

• Be Supportive – we are compassionate and inclusive, valuing diversity and acting thoughtfully
• Be Collaborative - we are proactive, passionate team players investing in our relationships
• Be Bold - we are fearless and inquisitive, challenging ourselves to think big and find creative new solutions
• Be Exceptional - we are strategic and driven, exceeding standards and expectations

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

At DLA Piper, diversity and inclusion underpins how we live our values and everything we do.  We believe that everyone has a voice, and that everyone’s voice counts. We know that the rich diversity across our firm makes us stronger, more innovative and creative, which helps us to better serve our clients and communities. We are committed to providing an inclusive working environment and culture across our global firm, where everyone can bring their authentic self to work. 

Diversity of perspective, thought, background and culture combine to make us the leading global law firm; that’s why we actively seek to build balanced teams. We welcome the unique contribution that you will bring to our firm and actively encourage applications from all talented people – however your talent is packaged, whatever your background or circumstance and regardless of how you identify.

We support anyone with a disability or long term health condition to ensure they have the opportunity to perform at their best. If you have not done so already, please let us know if you require any support so we can make the right adjustments and considerations should they be required.

AGILE WORKING

We know that people have responsibilities and interests outside of their career and that as a business, we all benefit from working flexibly. That's why we are open to discussing with candidates the different ways in which we are able to support requests for agile working arrangements.

PRE-ENGAGEMENT SCREENING

In the event that we make an offer to you, and where local legislation permits, we will conduct pre-engagement screening checks that may include but are not limited to your professional and academic qualifications, your eligibility to work in the relevant jurisdiction, any criminal records, your financial stability and references from previous employers.