Senior Knowledge Lawyer/Practice Development Lawyer

We are hiring a Senior Knowledge Lawyer/Practice Development Lawyer to join our Fund Finance team, which sits in the Debt Finance practice.

Department purpose

A&O Shearman's Fund Finance team is a market-leading practice that advises on a wide range of financing solutions for funds, fund managers and investors across the globe. We have extensive experience in structuring and executing complex and innovative transactions, including subscription line facilities, NAV facilities, hybrid facilities, GP and management company facilities, co-investment facilities, preferred equity solutions and secondary market transactions.

We work closely with our colleagues in the wider Debt Finance group, as well as other practice areas such as Funds, Tax, Regulatory and Restructuring, to provide seamless and comprehensive advice to our clients. Our clients include some of the world's largest and most sophisticated fund sponsors, as well as leading banks and alternative lenders active in the fund finance space.

A&O Shearman's Debt Finance practice group, within which the Fund Finance team sits, is widely recognised as market leading. We offer our clients exceptional deal execution alongside our unparalleled legal and market knowledge.

Our work is challenging and diverse, and we are a dynamic and supportive team.

Role and responsibilities

1. Internal Knowledge and Know-How
   • Leading the development and delivery of the fund finance practice's knowledge plan and strategy to support practice development priorities.
   • Keeping fee earners up to date with legal and commercial developments that affect the fund finance practice.
   • Leading the organisation, capture, review and creation of know-how, including deal precedents, and ensuring these are loaded onto our knowledge systems.
   • Creating, maintaining and/or commenting on standard documents.
   • Demonstrating, promoting and overseeing best practice for knowledge capture, curation and dissemination.
   • Producing articles, analysis and updates for internal knowledge briefings, including the quarterly market overview with the research team.
   • Responding to queries from fee earners.
   • Engaging in specific knowledge projects.
   • Responsibility for the development, maintenance, organisation and updating of the relevant practice pages on the Intranet.
   • Liaising with the central knowledge team on issues relevant for the fund finance practice.
2. Training
   • Overseeing the training offering for the product line, liaising with other training leads in the practice to ensure the fund finance offering is integrated with the wider practice and more broadly in related practice groups.
   • Drafting and delivering or assisting fee earners in preparation and delivery of training for our fee earners.
3. Pitches and directories
   • Contributing technical content to firm-wide pitches.
   • Assisting the BD team with credentials and submissions to legal directories.
4. Technology and innovation
   • Engagement with the innovation leads for the practice and centrally on innovation opportunities for fund finance.
   • Supporting the growth of the fund finance practice through exploring and promoting the use of new technology to streamline processes both on deal and for knowledge sharing and delivery.
5. External Client publications, client training, industry or legal events, consultations and committees
   • Producing thought leadership content, writing, editing and assisting in the preparation of publications, client briefings, training or blogs on topical issues of relevance to our clients.
   • Designing and delivering and supporting fee earners in the preparation and delivery of client training.
   • Participating in industry and trade association working groups.
   • Driving the team's strategy for engagement in industry events, in collaboration with the BD team.
   • Replying to, or contributing to, replies to industry or legal consultations.
   • Participating in, attending, or assisting fee earners' participation in, external committees and conferences.

Key requirements

• Qualified lawyer
• Previous experience working as a senior fee earner or knowledge lawyer or equivalent, with experience in debt finance.
• Self-starter with the desire and ability to continuously acquire, build upon and share knowledge and enjoy the operational and strategic sides of this role.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Sound judgement and ability to deliver clear solutions-oriented legal and practical advice about complex issues when responding to queries or drafting guidance or client publications.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritise to meet deadlines as and when required, and to work effectively in a hybrid working environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to interface at all levels with all areas of the business and to win respect as a trusted adviser, developing strong (internal and external) client relationships and credibility over time.
• Collaborative and enthusiastic team player with the flexibility and resilience to develop and work in a fast paced and intellectually rigorous environment and seek and act on feedback.

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Our approach to hybrid working seeks to combine and maximise the benefits of effective remote working with the benefits of being in the office. Our current hybrid working arrangements require office based working for a minimum of 60% of your time (i.e. three days per week for a full time role) in accordance with our hybrid working policy.