Senior Practice Development Lawyer

Department/Division: Corporate
PQE: 7+
Duration: Permanent
Location: UK
Reports to: Corporate Managing Practice Development Lawyer
Type of Role: Office based/hybrid/full or part time (4 days a week)

Reference Number:7326

The Team/ The Department

Our lawyers work on a full spectrum of corporate transactions, from strategic planning through due diligence to post-closing integration.  We are located in offices across the globe, offering seamless and integrated solutions to our clients.

Our UK fee-earners are given the platform to develop their expertise in a team that has deep sector knowledge and far-reaching experience in advising global, national and emerging companies.

Maximising on our global presence and local expertise, the Corporate Department connects with colleagues throughout the firm globally and works on a range of corporate transactions including M&A, Private Equity, Venture Capital and ECM.  We work within a wide variety of sectors including real estate, energy, transport and infrastructure, financial services, insurance and TMT.

The Role

We now have an opportunity for a senior practice development lawyer to join our Corporate Department to work alongside our Managing Practice Development Lawyer supporting and delivering a broad range of knowhow-related services for our UK fee-earners.  The role offers a high level of responsibility across the breadth of the practice and the opportunity to have significant interaction with our fee-earners.  The role can be based in London, Edinburgh or Glasgow.    

The role will be varied and include:

• Client-facing materials and training: Supporting the firm's client relationships and business development initiatives by developing content for client-facing briefings and updates and preparing materials for and assisting with the delivery of client training events.
• Precedents: Working on the review and updating of the Department's precedent bank, including document automation where appropriate (experience with document automation software not essential).
• Transactional support: Dealing with technical legal and other knowhow queries from fee-earners within the Department and wider firm.
• Internal training: Participating in the design, organisation and some delivery of the Department's internal technical training programmes for trainees, new qualifiers and the team as a whole; liaising with the central Talent Development Team.
• Current awareness and horizon-scanning: Keeping abreast of legal and regulatory developments and pro-actively alerting fee-earners to key changes in law and practice affecting their work.
• Knowhow: Contributing to the collection, dissemination and management of the Department's knowhow materials within the firm's Knowledge Hub.  
• Innovation: Working with the firm's Innovation Team, Legal Project Managers, the wider PDL team and other stakeholders to promote more efficient and effective working practices and delivery of legal services, including assisting with the review of new products and services.

Required experience, skills, and attributes

You will have the following experience, skills and attributes:

• Qualified in England and Wales or Scotland.
• A minimum of 7 years post-qualification corporate fee-earning experience at a major law firm in the UK.
• Thorough knowledge of UK corporate law, M&A and equity capital markets transactions.
• Previous experience working as a PDL or involvement with legal knowhow and training initiatives whilst a fee-earner.
• Strong legal drafting and research skills and attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to communicate (verbal and written) and present appropriately and confidently at all levels. 
• Well-developed commercial awareness and pragmatic, client-focused approach.
• Pro-active and able to work effectively independently, but also a strong team player.
• A willingness to embrace innovation and change and motivate others to do so. 
• Good time management and organisational skills.
• Good judgment and resilience skills.

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.