Knowledge Director – Head of Corporate Transactions & Advisory

This job is with Clifford Chance, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community.

The role is a senior opportunity to join and lead the London Corporate Transactions & Advisory (CT&A) Product Group's existing Knowledge & Training and Thought Leadership team (K&T and TL team), consisting of experienced Knowledge Lawyers and information specialists. Our London CT&A Product Group advises on some of the world's largest and most complex M&A transactions, including private M&A, joint ventures, restructurings and corporate advisory work.

Our K&T and TL team is focused on delivering practical and insightful knowhow and advice to lawyers, predominantly in London but also across our global network. Key to achieving this goal is the need to keep abreast of legal and regulatory developments and work closely with our lawyers in order to ensure that deal and advisory knowhow and insights are collated, analysed and shared across the CT&A Product Group as well as other relevant Product Groups within the firm.

In summary, you will be responsible for ensuring that the London CT&A K&T and TL team delivers on ensuring that lawyers have legal and regulatory knowledge and knowhow at their fingertips, whether that is internal knowhow or knowledge on legal and regulatory developments. In addition, your particular area of expertise will be company law and corporate governance. You will keep up to date with, and analyse, all legal and regulatory developments in respect of these areas. You will also be the "go to" resource for legal and regulatory developments, template maintenance and production, knowledge sharing, training, thought leadership, client communications and AI and innovation in respect of company law and corporate governance.

Your role will also play an important part by ensuring our collective experience is captured and utilised for the benefit of all across the CT&A Product Group as well as other relevant Product Groups within the firm. You will provide valuable support to the Chair of the CLLS Company Law Committee and any partner on the Company Law Committee of the Law Society, which will involve taking part in working groups, alongside members of these Committees, formed to respond to Government and regulatory body consultations that impact the work of the CT&A Product Group, with a particular focus on company law and corporate governance. You will also help drive the adoption of legal technology, including the firm's AI tools, by fee earners. By combining this focus with your legal expertise, you will support the delivery of more efficient, consistent and client-focused legal services.

You will work in our leading, world-class CT&A Global Product Group, alongside the partners and lawyers. What makes us one of the most respected Corporate Transactions & Advisory practices globally is our client base, the mandates we win, our industry expertise and commercial approach, and our people and their intellectual capability. We are consistently retained as lead international counsel on cross-border mandates and our team has a diverse client base that includes a number of FTSE350 and Fortune 500 listed corporations. You will work within the London CT&A Product Group and also be part of our London and global K&T and TL teams. This means you will work collaboratively with Knowledge Lawyers and information specialists in other Product Groups in the London office (including Private Equity, Debt Finance, Employment, Incentives and Real Estate) and in our offices across the globe.

The role more generally and the work supporting the partners involved with the CLLS and Law Society Company Law Committees will provide opportunities to interact with other City law firms, Government departments such as the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST) and industry bodies/regulators such as the FCA, the Takeover Panel, Companies House and the FRC. You will also collaborate with our Corporate Governance Team, Business Development Team, Transformation Team and Legal Technology Advisors. Clifford Chance's Transformation Team and Legal Technology Advisors work collaboratively with fee earners and Knowledge Lawyers to deliver the highest-quality, efficient and cost-effective client service, including by leveraging developments in AI and legal technology.

What you will be responsible for:

• Leading London CT&A K&T and TL team
• Managing the CT&A Knowledge Lawyer team, with responsibility for appraisal reviews, objective setting, performance management and monitoring progress against strategic priorities.
• Leading CT&A K&T and TL business planning, including setting the strategic direction for the CT&A K&T and TL team and overseeing implementation of the business plan.
• Leading on ensuring effective collaboration with the Corporate Governance Team on relevant legal and regulatory developments.
• Running the London Corporate Knowhow Committee, including liaising with Knowledge Lawyers and the Corporate Governance Team, preparing and circulating agenda and supporting information, facilitating meetings and ensuring appropriate follow-up.
• Analysing forthcoming legal/regulatory developments in respect of company law and corporate governance in order to update lawyers and clients on their impact.
• Responding to fee earner queries on legal/regulatory matters in respect of company law and corporate governance.
• Contributing to legal/regulatory consultation responses relevant to company law and corporate governance.
• Preparing and presenting summaries on legal/regulatory developments in respect of company law and corporate governance at London Corporate Knowhow Committee meetings.
• Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge database, ensuring content is well curated, structured and optimised for effective use with the firm's AI tools.
• Encouraging fee earners to share and submit knowhow to the firm's knowledge database.
• Assisting with the development and maintenance of any relevant bespoke knowhow collections.
• Identifying improved ways to capture, organise and share knowhow.
• Maintaining, reviewing and updating existing company law and corporate governance templates to ensure they remain accurate, current and aligned with legal, regulatory and market developments.
• Preparing and/or delivering training on company law and corporate governance, including legal/regulatory developments in these areas.
• Supporting the development, adoption and effective use of legal technology tools, including the firm's AI tools, across the London office and globally.
• Collaborating with Knowledge Lawyers and information specialists in Product Groups that deliver M&A and corporate advisory client work to ensure activities are co-ordinated.

Your experience:

You will be an existing Knowledge Lawyer (PSL) with significant senior experience in company law and corporate governance. Experience in M&A (including private M&A, joint ventures and reorganisations) would be beneficial. You will have strong drafting skills, good attention to detail and strong organisational skills. You will also be proactive and committed to providing a first class service to our lawyers and clients. You should have strong leadership, communication and analytical skills, along with a high level of commercial awareness. You should also have a strong track record of keeping abreast of legal and regulatory developments. A strong interest in legal technology, AI and innovation is also essential.

Who we are:

As a global law firm our work spans jurisdictions, cultures, and languages - and so do our people. Our culture is collaborative and inclusive - where diverse perspectives are recognised and valued. We combine deep legal expertise and commercial intelligence to grow, transform, protect, and defend our clients' businesses, across every critical moment.

How we will support you:

From your first day with us, you will have opportunities to develop your skills and knowledge through formal training, informal coaching and mentoring, technical training and on the job learning. This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way in line with the hybrid working policy.

Equal opportunities:

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society. We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.