Paralegal - IP & Commercial (12 Month FTC)

Wedlake Bell are recruiting for a Paralegal to join our IP & Commercial team. This is a full-time, 12 month fixed-term contract with the expectation of full-time office attendance.

Our IP & Commercial team advise on a broad spectrum of leading matters, ranging from intellectual property, IT, media, data protection and competition matters. The team have strong client relationships, advising start-ups and entrepreneurs, through to large public and international organisations.

Paralegals in the IPCOM team provide general support to Partners and fee-earners, conduct essential due diligence on deals, legal research, and compile client reporting amongst a range of other responsibilities.

This is an excellent opportunity for a law graduate or future trainee solicitor to gain outstanding experience in a truly varied practice.

Find out more about our IP & Commercial team here.

About Us:

Located in the heart of the City of London, Wedlake Bell is a Top 100 law firm offering full services across Private Client, Real Estate, Business Services, and Disputes. The firm has 81 Partners and a total headcount of around 400. We have grown year-on-year, attributed to the continual success of our legal teams, and the dedication of our staff members.

Our culture is widely recognised as one of the best in City law, built on trust, collaboration, and mutual respect. Joining us, you will be part of a firm which supports work/life balance, personal development, and building strong connections. With regular cross-firm socials and events (including our renowned yearly ski trip), you will quickly feel like part of the WB team

Key Responsibilities:

• Providing general paralegal support on a variety of insolvency and restructuring matters, including:
  • Monitoring orders placed between clients and suppliers through use of internal and external databases, filing and updating both hard copy and e-file records accordingly;
  • Identifying orders that require legal checks and conducting these checks by corresponding with, and reviewing paperwork from, suppliers;
  • Reviewing supply chains so as to verify the validity of the goods sourced and checking that documentation corresponds with the quantity and description of the order placed by the client;
  • Preparing reports for the client in relation to individual deals and in anticipation of meetings;
  • Contributing to regular quarterly governance meetings held with the client to discuss parallel trading issues
  • Company vetting by way of Companies House filings, credit risk reports, VAT verification and legal database searches;
  • Sending out terms and conditions to potential suppliers and keeping record of those received;
  • Administrative tasks including scanning and filing;
  • Dealing with routine client and/or third party queries and reporting to relevant fee earner with updates where necessary;
  • Ensuring that all files and spreadsheets are up to date;
  • Conducting legal research; and
  • Assisting the team with trademark prosecution management.
• Other administrative tasks including diarising and monitoring key dates, facilitating client on-boarding through drafting engagement letters and corresponding with clients regarding required AML documentation, assisting with preparing, reviewing and sending out bills, etc; and
• Other ad-hoc responsibilities as required.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Must have a relevant legal qualification – holding a degree (or post-graduate qualification) in law or a related field;
• Ideally, a strong academic background achieving a 2:1 degree;
• Ideally some prior work experience, or a demonstrable understanding of Intellectual Property (through dedicated study of IP modules/courses, or have undertaken work experiences/internships in the IP or similar commercial spaces) – though not essential to be considered;
• Excellent communication skills – must be able to interact and communicate effectively across all levels of seniority and on both an internal and external basis;
• Able to work well under pressure and in keeping with deadlines;
• Must have excellent attention to detail; and
• Strong IT and organisational skills.

Why join us?

• A competitive starting salary;
• A comprehensive pension plan;
• 25 days paid holiday per annum, plus additional leave for significant life events;
• Option to purchase up to five additional days of holiday each year;
• Life Assurance and competitive income protection scheme;
• Access to Private Medical and Dental Insurance from day one;
• Enhanced parental leave policies;
• Employee Assistance Programme with face-to-face counselling services;
• Variety of staff wellbeing initiatives including Pilates classes and subsidised gym memberships; and
• A range of bonus schemes recognising referrals and client introductions.

We are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, where every individual is respected and valued. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, irrespective of their background or personal circumstances.

If you are passionate about joining a busy team and are eager for a challenging yet fulfilling career, we encourage you to apply.