BCLP Cubed Senior Associate – Commercial Contracts
Team: BCLP Cubed
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer (COO) Manchester with a dotted line to Commercial and Technology Partner London.
Purpose of job:
This is an exciting opportunity for a Senior Commercial Lawyer to be an integral part of a start-up team that is focused on providing our existing clients with high quality commercial law advice.
The purpose of the role is to manage the day to day relationship with our clients and ensure that volume commercial contracts legal work is delivered efficiently using industry best-practices, technology and systems.
You will provide operational day-to-day technical commercial law support and supervision to the junior members of staff, including junior associates, trainees, paralegals and apprentices on a variety of contractual matters.
You will monitor the quality of client service ensuring that any areas for improvement in systems, processes and people are identified and actioned appropriately.
What’s in it for you?
You’ll have autonomy to establish, grow and supervise a team and expand our offering to our clients, whilst working in our truly diverse and flexible growing Manchester office.
This is a distinct opportunity to part of an award winning firm, one that has been named the ‘World’s Most Innovative Law Firm’ multiple times by leading legal publications and institutions on both sides of the Atlantic, and that has won numerous awards for approaches that have been at the forefront of the transformation of our industry. We bring together teams that lead the legal market in process improvement and workflow design, technology and automation, and data analytics.
BCLP Cubed brings together our legal service delivery teams, which provide highly efficient solutions for volume legal processes, with our globally recognised lawyers and our expertise in legal operations and technology. This means we can deliver our clients an end-to-end solution that seamlessly provides the right level of service, regardless of whether the legal work involved is complex and high-value, routine and standardised, or driven via technology.
We are developing a standardised, scalable solution to generating contracts which lays the foundation for effective contract management. In addition, our legal operations team supports clients to ensure our solution integrates with their business processes.
Key responsibilities:
You will be responsible for all liaison with our clients to ensure that you and your team understand their business and can provide commercially focused legal solutions that add value.
You will provide technical support and supervision to the junior members of the team, including junior associates, trainees, paralegals and apprentices on a variety of contract related matters. You will also be involved in the recruitment of new team members. Specific responsibilities include:
• Providing day-to-day support in relation to drafting and negotiating documents
• Providing legal oversight and supervision to the junior members of staff supporting them as necessary with all matters including participating in calls with clients and/or opposing lawyers
• Managing the review of clients’ commercial and technology contracts (typically contracts for the procurement of goods and services) in accordance with client instructions and legal playbooks
• Working with clients to develop legal playbooks
• Training the team to become more self-reliant when reviewing contracts and dealing with procurement issues generally
You will monitor the quality of client service ensuring that any areas for improvement in systems, processes and people are identified and actioned appropriately. Specific responsibilities include:
• Reviewing matters at pre-determined points in the process including approving draft documents
• Ensuring a consistent approach to the review of the junior employees work by tracking and documenting in relevant systems the advice given, solutions found and appropriate actions taken
• Identifying risks and carrying out problem solving to find alternative and appropriate solutions
• Ensuring that service delivery is always consistent with client-specific systems and requirements
• Identifying and delivering both common and individual training needs and working with the KDLs and managers to design appropriate training
• Working closely with BCLP KDLs to ensure that all legal processes are compliant, fit for purpose and in accordance with best practice
• Assisting with the continuous improvement of processes, systems and precedents and contribute to new ideas generation
• Participating in other internal BCLP project work, as required, using skills and expertise to drive continuous improvement opportunities
Key relationships:
The Commercial and Technology Partners and team, the Delivery Team, Client Team Leads, Knowledge Development Lawyers, Project Managers, the Pricing and Economics Group, BCLP Cubed Leadership team
Experience and knowledge
• Strong commercial and technology contracts expertise is essential
• Proven track record of working on commercial and technology contracts is essential
• Managing transactions
• Experience as a commercial/technology lawyer in private practice is essential. Some experience in-house would be desirable but not essential
• Experience in supervising junior lawyers
• 5+ years PQE
Skills and competencies The successful candidate will demonstrate:
• Ability to develop strong working relationships at all levels, including internally and with third party suppliers
• Strong influencing and problem solving skills
• Excellent leadership and people management skills
• Ability to critique and constantly evaluate service provision in order to identify areas for improvement
• Ability to prioritise and organise workload effectively to meet deadlines
• Good commercial acumen
• Innovative approach
• High attention to detail
Diversity, inclusion and working differently
Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of strengthening Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. We are wholly committed to creating an inclusive and inspirational culture where all our employees are valued, motivated and able to make the most of their skills qualities and points of difference and, most importantly, be themselves.
We believe that our goals of always exceeding client expectations and being the most attractive place to work will only be achieved if we recruit, retain, reward and develop our people with regard to their abilities and contributions and without reference to their background, gender, gender identity, ethnic origin, age, religion, sexual orientation, political belief or disability.
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner is a firm with an increasingly flexible workforce. We are supportive of a range of working arrangements, tailored to you as an individual, wherever possible.
Please ask the Recruitment Team about the flexible working arrangements that are available to you within this role.
Please note that our PQE levels as stated in our job descriptions are a guide only and all suitable candidates will be considered.
Confidentiality
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner ensure that all hardcopy and electronic materials containing confidential information are securely stored and accessible only to those authorised to view such content.
Agencies
Please note: we will not accept speculative CVs sent to hiring managers or partners via email. We can only accept CVs sent via the portal from agencies that have agreed terms of business with the Recruitment team. For further information, contact [email protected].
Disclosure
As a regulated firm of solicitors, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner is required to undertake appropriate vetting of staff. In addition to completion, by applicants who accept a job offer, of a regulatory questionnaire, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner uses a specialist provider to undertake professional verification and background checks (including through electronic data sources, and directly with employers and professional bodies/regulators) on our behalf. We will also undertake certain verifications ourselves.
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner adopts a risk-based approach to its vetting procedures, which are only undertaken with consent, and in accordance with IT, legal and regulatory obligations. For further details, please see our recruitment website: www.bclplaw.com