Transactional Shipping Paralegal in London

Role: Transactional Shipping Paralegal

Location: London (hybrid 3/2)

Salary: £30k+ DOE

The Department

You would be joining the Transactional Shipping Team, which forms part of a leading international shipping practice. The team covers the full spectrum of transactional shipping work, including ship sale and purchase, ship and asset finance, shipbuilding, refit and repair projects.

The department provides legal services to clients across the shipping, offshore, cruise, ferry, superyacht, aviation and related corporate sectors. Working as part of an international network of offices, the team handles structured and complex international transactions for clients across the globe and works closely with colleagues internationally on a daily basis.

In addition, the team provides a range of completion services supporting the sale and purchase of vessels across a broad range of asset types, from cruise ships and ferries to liquid and dry bulk carriers and complex offshore assets.

The Role

Your primary role will be as a Paralegal within the Completion Services practice, whic h forms a core part of the wider transactional shipping team.

You will receive training and support to develop your skills and experience. You will be a fee earner, with your time recorded against each file on which you work, and will communicate directly with clients across the globe on a daily basis.

This role provides an excellent opportunity for someone with an ambition to pursue a career in transactional law to gain a wealth of practical skills, experience and expertise beyond that typically offered in a paralegal position.

Previous individuals in similar roles have gone on to develop successful legal careers, including qualifying as solicitors with leading law firms and working in-house with major clients.

Key Responsibilities

You will work primarily within the Completion Services practice. Your responsibilities will include:

• Drafting transaction and completion documentation.
• Assisting with the collation of Know Your Client (KYC) documentation.
• Coordinating transactional closing meetings.
• Arranging and coordinating the release of payments.
• Drafting financing and other transactional documents where required.
• Liaising with external third parties, including company, ship and aircraft registries.
• Preparing transactional bibles and coordinating the collection and distribution of important original transaction documents.
• Supporting the wider transactional shipping team with additional tasks as required.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues across the wider firm and providing support to other practice areas when necessary.

Key Skills & Experience Required

• Law degree or GDL qualification.
• Strong academic background, ideally achieving a 2:1 or First Class degree (or equivalent).
• Previous experience within a law firm would be advantageous but is not essential.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to communicate with internal and external clients.
• Foreign language skills would be advantageous but are not essential.
• Strong time-management skills and the ability to work to tight deadlines while maintaining a high level of accuracy.
• Ability to prioritise work across multiple matters and transaction files.
• Strong client-service skills, with a professional, polite and considerate approach.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to coordinate multiple transaction files simultaneously.
• Ability to remain calm and work efficiently under pressure.
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity, given the international nature of the client base.
• A strong team-player mentality.
• Strong IT skills.
• Flexibility regarding working hours. Normal working hours are 9:30am to 5:30pm, although transactional closing meetings can regularly take place outside standard office hours.