Senior Associate Knowledge Lawyer / Knowledge Director – Tech Group (UK Lead)

Company Description

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

Job Description

The Role

At Clifford Chance we recognise that rapid advances in technology are significantly impacting our clients' business models, their growth strategies and day-to-day decision making. Integrated and dynamic, our Tech Group is a single, global, cross-practice team delivering strategic advice and support on tech matters – from digital regulation, to complex tech procurements and outsourcing, to tech litigation, to tech M&A and investments.

This Knowledge role will play a key part in how we maintain this client service, by delivering practical and insightful knowhow and advice to our lawyers and being pivotal in bringing together our expertise and analysing legal developments in relation to tech and commercial contracting. This role will provide particular support to the UK members of our Tech Group, as well as collaborate in our global Tech Group knowledge initiatives through expertise in UK developments and markets, including contributing to thought leadership.

You will support partners and lawyers to develop their legal expertise to provide a high quality and cost-effective service to our clients. Key to achieving this goal is the need to work closely with our fee-earning lawyers to ensure that knowhow and insights are collated, analysed and shared effectively across the network.
 

Who you will work with

You will deliver practical and insightful knowhow and advice on UK laws and developments to partners and lawyers across the Tech Group. The Tech Group is an integrated multidisciplinary team of tech-savvy lawyers located around the world delivering holistic, joined-up, expert legal advice to both tech and non-tech clients on their most exciting, complex and transformational tech-related matters. This will typically include working with lawyers who are advising clients on a range of matters including:  

Tech advisory and compliance – including laws relating to AI, data protection, cyber and operational resilience, online harms, digital services and platforms, digital assets, payment services and other financial regulations, IP monetisation strategies, and public policy support.

Tech development, procurement and outsourcing - facilitating digital transformation projects such as businesses' migration to tech-enabled platforms, supporting outsourcings such as business process outsourcing, assisting with strategic tech procurement and renewals, and advising on tech R&D projects.

Tech risk, disputes and investigations – including litigation and enforcement relating to areas such as data, cyber, AI, and digital assets, as well as competition, consumer protection and IP enforcement in the tech sector.

Tech-heavy M&A transactions - mergers, acquisitions, carve-outs, spin-offs, investments and collaborations in the tech sector or where tech capabilities are a key aspect of the transaction.  This includes teams who focus on specialist areas (such as data, cyber and IP due diligence and related warranties and clauses, and supporting agreement such as Transitional Servies Agreements).

You will be based in the close-knit London Tech//Digital team which specialises in digital regulatory advice, complex commercial transactions and outsourcing, and tech M&A. This is one of the Firm's key hubs for telecoms, media and tech (TMT) sector expertise. However, the role will involve cross-practice support for colleagues across the London office and wider network.

You will also be part of our global Tech Group Knowledge team, made up of six other Knowledge Lawyers and two information officers specialising in tech work, spread across a number of Clifford Chance offices globally. You will work closely with this team, including the global leads for Tech and Fintech knowledge who coordinate efforts across the Tech Group globally on strategy, knowledge and thought leadership. You will also be part of the firm's wider global knowledge network ("KETL") which encompasses our Knowledge, Expertise and Thought Leadership activities.

What you will be responsible for

You will be responsible for ensuring appropriate knowhow is available relating to a broad range of tech activities including cyber, data, artificial intelligence, blockchain & distributed ledger technology, big data, smart contracts, tech outsourcing and procurement and tech M&A.

As well as keeping up to date with legal and legislative developments in relation to tech, data and commercial contracting, you will be the "go to" UK resource for relevant legislative/regulatory/case law developments, template production, knowledge sharing, thought leadership and client briefings for the UK members of our Tech Group.

Your role will play an important part in enabling the Tech Group and its clients to remain up to date with relevant UK developments, and by helping to ensure our collective experience is captured and utilised. You will also support partners and lawyers on client-facing opportunities.

What you will do

From time to time your remit will extend to:  

• Tracking and analysing forthcoming UK developments in relation to tech laws and regulations, tech litigation and enforcement, and contract law in order to brief and/or train lawyers on their impact. This may include preparing internal briefings and training sessions, client presentation materials and client briefings, articles, guides and thought leadership.

• Responding to fee earner queries on UK tech legal, regulatory and governance related matters as well as queries relating to tech contracts and transactions.

• Supporting production of bespoke legal and regulatory developments briefings/updates for key clients.

• Encouraging knowledge sharing by fee earners and supporting the submission of knowhow to a shared knowledge database, including leading matter reviews with fee earners for key deals and matters.

• Creation, management and maintenance of tech and commercial contacting templates, precedents and tools, including identifying where new templates and tools are needed and leading on their creation.

• Assisting in the preparation and delivery of internal and client-facing training programmes and webinars.

• Working closely with the Business Development, Marketing and Communications, PR and other business professional teams – for example on the preparation of template pitch materials, client training materials, and supporting media outreach and in relation to Tech Group knowledge and marketing campaigns.  
   

Qualifications

Your Experience 

You will be a senior lawyer with significant experience advising companies on tech. You will have an excellent academic background.  You will have strong drafting skills, good attention to detail, strong organisational skills and be proactive and committed to providing a first-class service to our lawyers and clients.

You should also have strong communication and analytical skills along with a high level of commercial awareness. Your expertise will ideally extend to legislative frameworks and developments for cyber, data, and artificial Intelligence and other tech/digital laws, and tech procurement, outsourcing and commercial contracts, with a strong track record of keeping abreast of legal implications in this fast-evolving space.

How we will support you

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and develop your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.

Additional Information

What we offer including our broad range of benefits and working environment

When you join Clifford Chance, you will have access to a broad range of benefits to support you across many aspects of your personal and professional life including financial, wellbeing, lifestyle, and family friendly benefits. For more information on what we offer specifically in the UK, please visit our What We Offer page on our career site.

Hybrid Working

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 with the expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time

Equal opportunities statement

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.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.

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