Deputy Managing Lawyer, Helix

Department/Division: Commercial, Helix    
Duration: Permanent             
Location: Remote                             
Type of Role: Commercial Deputy Managing Lawyer 
Requsition no: 8560     

The Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an excellent lawyer to join the Dentons Helix team as a Managing Lawyer, aligned to a specific client team at Dentons. This is an opportunity to work in innovative new ways for one of the UK's best loved and most iconic media brands.

Our client has entrusted Dentons to manage their commercial contracts requirements and enter into a genuine long term partner relationship. Given the extensive nature of our client's business and its innovative and dynamic approach, the work (which will encompass commercial contracts, technology and outsourcing agreements, third party supplier arrangements and other contracts relating to its business operations) will undoubtedly be varied, challenging and engaging. This is a unique role which will see you supervising a team of lawyers and paralegals as well as working directly with business partners and helping to develop and grow the service offering. 

We have built a dedicated team to support this work, which will work alongside our Band 1 ranked Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) team as well as the client's in-house legal function. This opportunity will be ideal for experienced lawyers who are looking to join and be a part of a law firm while acting as part of an extension of a client in-house legal team to:

• Manage and supervise a team of lawyers and paralegals;
• Be involved in shaping a business model that seeks to innovate the way law firms deliver legal services
• Drive efficiency in legal process;
• Work with one client as a core part of its legal function, enabling the successful candidates to gain a deeper understanding of the client's business and a closer working relationship with the client's in-house team;
• Whilst this is a dedicated team, the successful candidates will work alongside the UK TMT team and benefit from all of the team training.

We are looking for a senior lawyer with experience supervising other lawyers as well as experience with general commercial contracts, media, technology/outsourcing and intellectual property experience.

This is a great opportunity to join one of the leading teams in the UK and work with a really exciting client. The role offers excellent experience, training and genuine career development prospects.

Responsibilities

You will lead a team of high performing individuals to deliver the full spectrum of commercial contract requirements for our client. This will include drafting, reviewing and negotiating contracts as well as providing advice on contract or other queries. Through newly established ways of working, including an increased emphasis on technological solutions, you will support your team in taking full ownership for contracts, giving greater responsibility than is available in traditional private practice teams. Our approach is to create a supportive environment by working collaboratively as part of a team whilst also encouraging team members to operate with a degree of independence.

You will work closely with other members of this dedicated team as well as the in-house legal function at our client. The department has a strong teamwork ethic and a first class client management approach. It is essential that candidates are team players and committed to developing personally and professionally.  A determination to deliver high-quality focused services to our clients is essential, as is maintaining and developing client relationships. We believe in constantly evolving our services to remain cutting edge in the market, and are looking for individuals who are excited by trying new approaches and improving our delivery approach for clients.

Successful candidates will be people with energy and enthusiasm who want to become one of the top teams in the region, working hard to provide the highest levels of client service whilst at the same time valuing having fun being part of a supportive and collegiate team.

Summary of key responsibilities:

• Become the key contact and build a close working relationship with the Client.
• Allocate incoming legal work from the client to team members.
• Supervise and manage team capacity, quality and availability.
• Set and manage personal objectives with your team.
• Input to financial and operational reporting.
• Work closely with clients to manage work allocation across the in-house and Dentons teams.
• Attend key client and internal meetings.
• Facilitate quoting for certain work types.
• Provide on-boarding training to new members of the team.
• Support the development and update of precedents and playbooks.
• Input to and support improvement initiatives across legal, technology and operations work-streams.
• Advise and work on commercial contracts and client legal queries.

Required experience, skills, and attributes

Candidates who are qualified solicitors:

• Strong academic record, including a degree or equivalent.
• Having experience working on general commercial contracts.
• Having experience working on media contracts.
• Having experience managing the time and workload of others.
• Candidates are expected to have technology awareness.
• Having experience working on similar work for sophisticated clients is desired.
• Exceptional drafting skills and legal research ability.

Personal attributes

• Dedicated to exceptional client service.
• Strong problem solving and decision making skills, coupled with good business awareness.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrate initiative and drive.
• You will be a strong leader, team player and sociable.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• The ability to prioritise and multi-task, particularly when working under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• A methodical approach to work with a strong focus on accuracy.

Firm Profile

Across more than 80 countries, Dentons helps you grow, protect, operate and finance your organisation by providing uniquely global and deeply local legal solutions. Polycentric, purpose-driven and committed to inclusion, diversity, equity and sustainability, we focus on what matters most to you. www.dentons.com

Inclusion and Diversity

We are committed to building an inclusive culture here at Dentons where our people can thrive, regardless of their background or circumstance. As well as being the right thing to do, it makes good business sense too. A richness of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives helps us best serve our clients and the communities in which we operate. You can find out more about inclusion and diversity at Dentons here: Inclusion and Diversity.

Equal Opportunities

Dentons is committed to providing equal opportunities for all. We welcome applications from everyone including of any age, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, neurodiversity, disability, or with parental or caring responsibilities. We also offer flexible working hours.

During the application process, all applicants have the opportunity to tell us about any adjustments or support they require so they are able to perform at their best. Any information you share with us during the application process is treated in confidence.

If you have any questions about this or the role criteria, please email recruitment.matters@dentons.com. 

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

If you are interested in applying for this position, we welcome direct applications via our careers page, but if you have any questions beforehand, please email  recruitment.matters@dentons.com. Enquiries only please – applications will not be accepted via email.

Please note that we will not accept unsolicited CVs sent to the business, nor will we accept any associated terms of business.