Pensions Knowledge Development Lawyer

Overview

By drawing together a large group of specialists each with a wide range of experience, we can develop individual solutions to our clients\’ pensions issues. We are based in one location so that we can work together to develop solutions to complex problems. Whilst we are often involved in cutting-edge pensions law, we are also known for our practical, commercial and plain advice on the day-to-day pension issues. We don\’t over-complicate the complicated. Our pensions team also provides pensions advice to individuals and advice to employers and trustees operating overseas pension arrangements. Highly ranked in the Legal 500, with a Tier 1 contentious pensions team and Tier 2 advisory team. We are looking to recruit a Knowledge Development Lawyer on a permanent basis. The candidate should be engaged, have a strong interest in pensions know-how and want to be part of a high-performing Pensions Advisory Practise with a strong team ethos. Our team of experts have helped trustee boards, employers, charities, institutions, individuals and public bodies with their pensions issues. The aim of this role is to support the Pension group in fulfilling their strategic objectives.

Responsibilities

• Technical legal expertise – Maintaining your own and the team\’s cutting-edge knowledge of law and practice as it relates to Pensions including keeping the team and other relevant practice groups up-to-date with legal and market developments through training, organising team meetings, preparing current awareness updates, responding to technical queries and creating guidance notes and precedents; horizon scanning to identify thought leadership opportunities and trends to help the team attract new clients, develop their profile in the international market and suggest innovative ways of delivering services more efficiently to clients; providing direct support on client matters, where appropriate.
• Client-facing activities – Working with partners and other fee earners to ensure relevant and appropriate legal developments are communicated to the firm\’s clients in a coherent, proactive and timely manner through drafting legal updates and briefings and co-ordinating client seminars, including carrying out research, preparing slides and materials, and presenting/organising speakers, as appropriate; representing the team in external professional networks/activities.
• Legal training – Identifying relevant topics and training needs for the pension group and designing and presenting sessions (where appropriate), organising speakers (including external speakers where relevant), ensuring that fee earners outside London and in other relevant practice groups can effectively consume the training, overseeing arrangements and monitoring attendance.
• Standard forms/precedents – Developing and maintaining key precedents and clause libraries for the pension group.
• Knowledge management – Working with the teams to implement procedures to capture, develop, store and maintain the groups\’ know-how resources, including precedents/examples of previous advice, and helping to maintain user-friendly know-how banks in Sherlock (the firm\’s global knowledge repository) and to populate the groups\’ know-how folders.
• Know-how delivery systems – Developing and maintaining the team\’s intranet pages and social media presence; working with the Legal Information Officers to configure news aggregation tools so the appropriate underlying information sources are tailored for the pension group.
• Collaboration and innovation – Co-ordinating with other practice groups to arrange cross-departmental training and current awareness to keep the teams updated on relevant developments in other areas; mentoring junior members of the team in establishing and maintaining efficient and profitable working practices, including working with the partners and our Innovation team to monitor developments and implement appropriate changes to the way we deliver client service.
• Collaboration with BD – Working with the Business Development team to provide input on the legal aspects of pitch and other marketing documents.
• Miscellaneous – participating in regular meetings of the firm\’s global KDLs; being a champion and ambassador for rolling out new know-how systems and encouraging use of existing systems by the pension group, including conducting inductions of new joiners.
• Current awareness – Assisting with drafting and formatting current awareness bulletins on Pension topics including specialist sub groups.
• Enquiries – Carrying out legal research on questions raised by fee earners (mainly in London but also overseas) using external electronic research services (Practical Law, Lexis Library, Westlaw, etc.) and our internal resources and presenting the results in a user-friendly way. Responding to information retrieval requests using internal and external resources/sources.
• Precedents – Assisting with the maintenance of the standard form precedents and guidance notes in the Pension practice in order to keep them up to date.
• Know-how management – Assisting with the development, implementation and support for processes for efficiently gathering and updating know-how in Sherlock, the firm\’s knowledge platform (including setting up know-how folders and knowledge trees and gathering know-how at team meetings, during floorwalks and through know-how contribution schemes).
• Meetings support – Assisting with administration of group know how meetings (including drafting agendas, taking meeting notes and following up action points).
• System testing – Participating in testing of modified and new knowledge delivery systems as a \”super user\”.
• Keeping up-to-date – Keeping abreast of emerging issues in pensions and becoming familiar with other key pension resources.
• Demonstrates the Stephenson Harwood values of individuality, commitment, teamwork and straight talking.
• Cooperative and collaborative in approach and is able to develop excellent working relationships at all levels and roles.
• Commercial awareness and client-focused approach.
• High professional standards with commitment to quality work product.
• Excellent drafting, research and presentation skills.
• Exceptional accuracy and attention to detail.
• Understanding of different learning styles.
• Resilient with the ability to handle set-backs and pressure.
• Self-motivated, flexible and proactive.
• Ability to acquire, consolidate and apply fundamental and up-to-date knowledge of the law and market practice.
• Active participant in self-development.
• Lateral thinker with initiative to establish, implement and complete projects.
• Comfortable with IT.
• Highly organised and able to work to deadlines with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and prioritise realistically.
• Personality to make an impact in the team, excellent communicator and comfortable with interacting with and presenting to colleagues at all levels.
• Stephenson Harwood is an international law firm, and we\’re committed to creating \”positive partnerships\” with our clients. We represent listed and private companies, institutions and individuals, building lasting relationships to help them succeed in a complex and ever-changing world.

About the firm

Our focus is on five core sectors: Energy Transition, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Private Capital and Funds, Technology, and Transportation and Trade. With more than 1,400 people, including 210+ partners, across eight offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we combine deep legal capabilities and broad commercial expertise. We have also forged close ties with high quality law firms around the world, blending local knowledge with global savvy for clients in over 100 countries. We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.