Solicitor

We currently have an opportunity for a Corporate Finance lawyer based in Scotland within our market leading Corporate Finance practice group.

Our Corporate Finance team is one of the highest profile in Scotland with a busy and diverse practice, working with leading domestic and international companies, investment banks, fund managers and private equity houses on major transactions throughout the UK and beyond. On the public company side corporate clients range from FTSE 100 blue chips to smaller AIM companies; on the private company side clients range from large international groups through private equity backed growth businesses to owner-managed SMEs. The group also acts for third sector bodies including universities and local authorities.

Sector specialisms in corporate include technology, fintech, energy (both renewables and Oil & Gas) and food and drink.

The role

The role will involve working closely with colleagues in our Restructuring & Business Advisory, Real Estate, Banking and Share Schemes teams.

We are seeking a 3+ year PQE Solicitor/Associate with direct Corporate Finance transactional experience in a qualified role, but consideration will be given to those with less direct experience in such work but a clear aptitude and appetite to apply their skills to this challenging and dynamic area of work.

Other information

Candidate Profile

• Exceptional time management skills
• Exceptional communication skills
• Exceptional motivation skills

Technical/Legal Skills

• Demonstrates appropriate range of legal knowledge and, with assistance, can identify issues outside their expertise and seek appropriate assistance.
• Demonstrates initiative to obtain relevant information to complete tasks.
• Produces a solution best addressing the client's requirements, with guidance.
• Demonstrates potential to display effective spoken and written advocacy skills.
• If appropriate, seeks to comply with formalities required in connection with spoken and written advocacy and deals with witnesses and opposing arguments effectively.

Business/Work Management

• Works as part of a team to attain objectives within agreed timescales and budgets.
• Keeps all clients and colleagues up-to-date with latest developments.
• Complies with all firm policies and procedures, including financial.
• Implements improvements in working methods.
• Prepares well for meetings with guidance.
• Makes effective use of the firm's information management systems, and complies with all legal and regulatory requirements.

Business Development & Client Relationship Management

• Communicates clearly with prospective and current clients in all contexts.
• Is aware of the impact of external market forces on clients and identifies trends which may lead to opportunities.
• Develops effective ways of delivering client solutions with minimum guidance.
• Developing an understanding of how to build client relations.
• Developing an understanding of client care issues.
• Communicates client feedback to senior team members.
• Developing an understanding of value of activity versus time spent.
• Participates in marketing activities.
• Developing effective presentational and writing skills.
• Understands importance of cross selling opportunities to the firm.

People Management

• Developing an effective personal presence with partners and colleagues.
• Demonstrates ability to manage and supervise work effectively with guidance, and to seek or provide support when required.
• Delegates work effectively to appropriate fee earning and non-fee earning staff.
• Gives well prepared and presented training sessions with guidance.
• Supports diversity & inclusion within the team.

Personal Development and Knowledge Management

• Completes appropriate CPD hours.
• Maintains an adequate and up to date understanding of relevant law, policy and practice, and to identify where legal research is required.
• Takes responsibility for personal learning and development, evaluates strengths and limitations in relation to the demands of their work, and reflects on and learns from others.
• Undertakes personal study/research to address gaps in knowledge.
• Utilises internal/external knowledge resources and current awareness information, e.g. libraries, daily current awareness/plc newsletter etc.
• Contributes to firm's knowledge resources.
• Gives well prepared and presented training sessions with guidance.

Ethics, professionalism and judgment

• Recognition of ethical issues and will raise with appropriate person.
• Demonstrates an understanding and application of the ethical concepts which govern their role and behaviour as a lawyer.
• Identifies the relevant SRA or LSS principles and rules of professional conduct, and seeks assistance in applying them.
• Resists pressure to condone, ignore or commit unethical behaviour.
• Respects diversity, and acts fairly and inclusively.
• Discloses when work is beyond their personal capability and recognises when they have made mistakes and takes appropriate action.
• Seeks expert advice when required, and makes effective use of feedback, guidance and support received.

Firm Contribution

• Awareness of and, where appropriate, participates in development of team's operational goals.
• Displays an awareness of organisational goals and has an engaged commitment to team goals.
• Participates in extra practice events to assist development of firm.

At Shepherd and Wedderburn we strive to provide a supportive, inclusive and high performance working environment, where everyone feels they belong. Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of our business and we welcome applicants from different backgrounds to all levels of the organisation. To foster inclusivity we particularly encourage applications from those who may be from underrepresented groups, including candidates from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBT+ people, disabled people and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Shepherd and Wedderburn is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information that we collect as a "data controller". The information provided by you will be processed in accordance with our GDPR Privacy Notice for Applicants and Work Experience Students. If you are successful in obtaining paid employment with us, we will hold your information in accordance with our Personnel Data Retention Policy, which will be provided to you at the relevant time.

We will process the information you provide solely for the purpose of evaluating your application for employment. The information will be disclosed to the interview panel (if relevant), your line manager (if appointed), and Human Resources staff members. We may contact any references provided for the purposes of discussing your application, and will ask your permission before doing so.

If you provide any information deemed to be "special category" information under the General Data Protection Regulation, we may use this as follows:

• We will use information about your disability status to provide appropriate adjustments to the interview process.
• We will use any information provided in our diversity monitoring form about your race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender identity, gender expression, social mobility background, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, any disability information, age, and marital/civil partnership status to ensure meaningful equal opportunity monitoring and reporting. Any analysis of this data will be done on an anonymous basis.

Should your application be unsuccessful, the information provided will be deleted within 1 year of a decision not to progress your application.