Knowledge Lawyer - Construction Disputes

Our benefits include, an annual bonus scheme, GPP Pension Scheme with Aviva. We also offer Private Medical Insurance, (currently with Vitality Health) upon joining the firm, which include discounted gym memberships, free cinema tickets, health assessments and much more.

Trowers & Hamlins is an equal opportunities employer and values equity, diversity and inclusion. All applications will be considered on merit and the applicant's suitability to meet the requirements of the role and will be treated equally irrespective of Ethnicity, Gender (including Trans and non-binary) Race, Disability, Religion and sexual orientation.

If you require any further information on any of our vacancies or would like to discuss any adjustments or additional support that you might need either during the recruitment process or after the offer stage, please feel free to contact our recruitment team on trowersrecruitment@trowers.com

As part of our firm recruitment policy our candidates are subject to employment screening background checks. These checks include personal details, education and employment history, professional qualifications and credit and criminal checks as appropriate.

We are looking for an experienced Knowledge Lawyer to assist the Construction Disputes team in the areas of information management, research, training & development, and business development. The successful candidate will ensure that the Construction Disputes team are properly equipped with information and knowledge to allow them to provide a quality service to clients. You will play an important role in maintaining and developing existing precedents, together with creating new ones.

Know-how

• Assisting generally in the organisation and maintenance of electronic know-how on relevant subjects and in the expansion and development of information banks for the team
• Reviewing the suitability for know-how of materials submitted by lawyers
• Creating new categories and sub-categories of know-how, as required
• Helping to profile relevant information (by attributing key words, inserting editorial comments, hyperlinks, and abstracts etc) on the Document Management System and intranet (as appropriate) and ensuring that it is easily searchable by lawyers
• Being proactive in monitoring (and, if necessary, editing) know-how from time to time to ensure that its quality and relevance is maintained
• Sourcing new legislation, case reports and other developments and circulating copies to the firm and/or team, where required
• Acting as a sounding board for fee-earners looking for ideas about how to solve legal problems
• Assisting in the preparation of various information bundles for lawyers
• Keeping up to date with legal developments generally and helping others to do the same
• Drafting technical legal updates
• Generally assisting in the Know-how team's efforts to expand the contribution to and use of know-how within the firm

General drafting

• Reviewing existing precedents and crib sheets regularly and generally keeping the precedent system up to date
• Preparing new precedents and crib sheets and, where appropriate, enlisting others' help to review
• Helping to draft such other know-how materials as may be required e.g., flow-charts, house views, standard client board papers and client specific advice papers

Training and development

• Assisting in the preparation of training courses (both internal and external) and, when required, delivering relevant training courses (for example, on technical legal issues or accessing know-how generally)
• Attending and participating in internal training sessions (such as weekly lunches and junior training)
• Providing support in relation to tenders
• Delivering external talks / filming topical videos / recording webinars (when required).

Business development

• Assisting in the preparation of client updates, client alerts, briefings etc.
• Helping to collate and prepare timely responses to public consultations
• Writing summaries of legal developments / issues for the firm's website and editing submissions from others
• Providing support and assistance in respect of know-how for clients and in maintaining the firm's website
• Assisting lawyers in writing articles / preparing seminars, including carrying out research and, if required, helping to prepare content of slides / handouts
• Speaking to and drafting articles for the press
• Attending client events, as required.

Other general responsibilities

• As required, providing Know-how support, including collating information from other jurisdictions, writing articles and general content for the website, and approving relevant articles adapted for publication
• Providing client chargeable support to fee earners (when required)
• Carrying out research for fee earners
• Giving support to the various teams within the firm and to ad hoc groups which arise from time to time to review developments in the law.

The firm has a Career Development Framework which sets out the competencies we expect of those at this grade. In particular for this role we require:

• The ideal candidate will be either a qualified solicitor with a minimum of 5 years PQE across a whole range of contentious construction or have gained previous experience as a Professional Support Lawyer within construction disputes from a reputable firm
• Solid drafting skills
• Commercial and market awareness;
• Ability to effectively communicate and provide support to all levels of departmental fee earners;
• Interest in innovation and AI;
• Computer proficiency including a working knowledge of Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and other web-based search engines such as Lexis, Practical Law etc
• Excellent organisational skills & ability to use own initiative
• Effective verbal and written communication.
• Enthusiastic and willing to adapt to a varied role
• Approachable, friendly and conscientious