Knowledge Lawyer Commercial Litigation + Disputes

Overview

This is an exciting opportunity for a candidate with deep expertise in commercial disputes and litigation to be a member of our highly successful commercial disputes practice and our valued global Knowledge function working in an international and diverse team in an inclusive environment directly contributing to the firms client and people strategies. The focus of the role is commercial disputes including providing support on key focus areas such as global private capital and M&A disputes. Knowledge of English law securities litigation is also highly desirable.

Role summary/purpose of job

The Knowledge Lawyer will focus on commercial disputes working principally with practitioners in London but with a global mindset and liaising with lawyers across our offices on global initiatives.

The Freshfields litigation practice advises some of the worlds biggest businesses defending them against serious commercial and reputational threats. We arerecognisedas a market leader advising on the most complex cross-border commercial litigation and multijurisdictional issues.

The Knowledge Lawyer willmonitorandprovideexpert insights into English commercial litigation and related developments putting those developments in an international context. The Knowledge Lawyer should understand what these developments mean for our clients and practice and translate that into client and internal facing initiatives.

This is an opportunity to work with leading practitioners in consideringcutting edgelegal issues taking a leading role in horizon scanning to help our lawyers and clients stay up to date in a varied and evolving area of the law. Somepreviousexperience of and an ability to cover private capital disputes and M&A disputes or strong experience in another key sector such as the tech sector would also be desirable.

The Knowledge Lawyer will support the team on driving the further adoption of tech and AI within the practice helping to define best practices and AI-enabled approaches thatleveragethe teams unique knowledge.

The Knowledge Lawyer will bring deepexpertiseof this area and a willingness and ability to continue to develop in this space with a view to:

• enabling the firm to provide market-leading client service:e.g. providing analysis on key developments adopting a commercially-minded and practical approach to such analysis to help our lawyers understand the impacts for clients and our work working closely with lawyers in the practice and other Knowledge colleagues to share relevant insights from client matters and supporting effective delivery of legal services by helping to drive the appropriate adoption of tech and AI within the practice.

• helping grow the business of the firm:the Knowledge Lawyer will help raise the profile of the practice and strengthen client relationships byidentifyingopportunities for and developing client content and contributing to reputation-enhancing publications and client conversations and education; and

• developing the legal skills of the lawyers in the practice: through internal training and by acting as a sounding board for legal queries in each case upskilling our lawyers in this continually developing area of the law.

The Knowledge Lawyer will be welcomed into the wider Knowledge community made up of Knowledge Lawyers and other Knowledge & Information specialists led by the firms Co-Chief Knowledge Officers who focus on creating the framework for career satisfaction high performance and excellence by fostering a supportive inclusive innovative collaborative and purpose-driven culture across the function.

Collaboration is key to the success of ourKnowledgefunction. We work closely with colleagues with other specialisms and business developmentinnovation and learningand development.

Key responsibilities

Enablethe firms lawyers to provide market-leading client service (includingthrough the use ofAI and legal tech).

• Monitor key legal developments anddisseminateto lawyers in the practice always considering the impact on internal knowledge products profileraisingand business development potential

• Work with partners and other senior stakeholders to develop house views & develop and update internal knowledge products ( notes or checklists) and drive the development of further best practicesregardingthe use of tech and AI on mandates.

• Capture insights from client mandatestodraw out trends and themes and share internally. Reflect them as needed in internal knowledge products or internaland clienttraining.

Helping grow the business of the firm and strengthen client relationships

• Keep up to date on what is happening in the relevant area and help relevant stakeholdersidentifyand pursue business opportunities and raise profilein accordance withthe firms strategy and priorities including fostering their own internal and external networks.

• Drive the practices approach to the market byidentifyingopportunities for client-facingknowledgeproducts and thought leadership in all casesdemonstratingthe practices leading-edge legal technical capability and market awareness.

• Play a key role in client relationships by developing and whereappropriate delivering client trainingseminarsand talking points.

Developing the legal skills of the firms lawyers

• Act as an internal advisor/consultant to lawyers working in the practice understanding thedevelopmentsand acting as a trusted sounding board on complex points.

• Working with other colleagues to design deliver and contribute (and to engage lawyers in the practice at all levels in delivering and contributing) to relevant training sessions both on legal issues and practice points such as theappropriate useof AI within the practice area.

International outlook and wider role

• Have an international outlook and share information and connect with colleagues as necessary.

• Build relationships and networks within the Knowledge function across other disciplines and across the DR practice

• Work with other Knowledge colleagues to coordinate workminimiseduplication manage risk share practicaltipsand ensure that work product isoptimised.

Experience and qualifications Required

• Qualified lawyer in the UK with a strong academic background.

• A high levelof relevant successful experience as a fee earner or a knowledge lawyer/professional support lawyer (or a combination) in a commercial disputes practice is essential.

• Strong and demonstrable interest in and experience of private capital disputes and M&A disputes or another key sector such as tech is desirable.

• Knowledge of English law securities litigation is also highly desirable.

The individual will:

• Have a very sound knowledge of the law and practice of complex commercial disputes and English litigation.

• Demonstrate strong commercial awareness always considering legal developments in the practice area through a commercial lens andanticipatingthe impactforclients.

• Possess a strong technology skills setdemonstratingan innovative mindset andproficiencyin AI tools. The individual will lead by example inleveragingAI in their own work and actively contribute to the adoption and effective use of AI across the practice area(s) promoting its relevance for day-to-day work and ensuring strategic alignment of AI use cases with practice and client priorities. They will act asa role modelinternally and externally in this area.

• Have a growth mindset a positive approach to managingchangeand be a self-starter.

• Have the aspiration and commitment to continuouslyacquire buildonand share knowledge acting as aKnowledgechampion and a role model.

• Be willing and able to act as a leader and take ownership of projects and drive them forward.

• Have excellent oral communication skills including strong presentation skills and strong written communication skills in legal drafting and when writing in other styles with the ability to judge contentstyleand tone for written work asappropriate tothe audience.

• Be a team player who builds effective relationships at all levelsrecognisedand respected by partners and other fee earners and by other Knowledge part of our core values demonstrate a collaborative positive approach when working with others.

• Have sound judgement be able toestablisha high levelof credibility with others and act as a sounding board for other lawyers in the practice and Knowledge colleagues. Demonstrate an ability toidentifythe key elements of complex problems directing colleagues toappropriate legalor market source materials and considering the practical nature of advice when proposing a solution including the risks. Be able to support lawyers in their decision-making process on challenging issuesparticipatingconfidently in the analysis as a trusted adviser.

• Have strong networking skills and the ability to create andmaintainrelationships both internally and externally andidentifyopportunities for collaboration.

• For senior candidates withpreviousdemonstrable experience in aKnowledgerole we are open to offering this role as a Senior Knowledge Lawyer role.