Senior Legal Counsel

The role

DLA Piper are looking to hire an additional Senior Legal Counsel to join the claims team within the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) to oversee and manage a broad and varied workload relating to employment and partnership issues. 

The successful candidate will be responsible for providing high-quality legal advice and representation to DLA Piper on a range of complex and sensitive employment or partnership related issues or disputes.  The candidate will report to the Head of Claims and work as part of the team that is responsible for advising the firm on all contentious legal issues affecting the firm both in the UK and Internationally (excluding the US). The OGC works closely with the Board, Managing Partner, Senior Partner and Executive management of the firm. 

We offer first rate support in the form of training, manager time, excellent career prospects and an opportunity to play a role in the development of a key team in one of the world’s most exciting and dynamic law firms. 

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Areas of responsibility will include, but not be limited to:

• Take a lead on employment or partnership matters raised within the OGC, including grievances, investigations, terminations, whistleblowing, restrictive covenants, disputes, litigation, arbitration, mediation, and regulatory compliance
• Support and collaborate with other senior legal counsels and paralegals in the team, to ensure the delivery of high-quality work
• Identify and mitigate legal risks and exposures and implement best practices and policies for employment or partnership matters
• Being a senior member of the Office of General Counsel, providing strategic input to the delivery of the team’s key functions and, where appropriate, investigating the use of technology to improve efficiencies and reporting
• Take a commercial and practical approach and offering appropriate and innovative solutions
• Developing effective relationships with partners, fee earners and business services teams
• Assisting with the drafting of reports for the Executive and Board; and
• Working closely with the other members of the Legal, Risk Management and Compliance team and assisting on project and non-project work

ABOUT YOU
Whilst we do not typically set upper or lower limits of PQE for any of our vacancies, we anticipate that candidates who have at least 8 years’ PQE are likely to have the right level of knowledge and have gained the right type of experience needed to be able to undertake this role successfully. In addition, you should have: 

• An excellent legal, analytical, and communication skills, with the ability to provide clear, concise, and pragmatic advice relating to employment law and advising on partnership issues
• A proven track record of advising and representing large organisations on employment or partnership matters, in both contentious and non-contentious settings
• Ability to work effectively at all levels, both within and outside the firm, to build relationships and act as an effective brand ambassador for DLA Piper, and an internal change agent
• Ability to work well with HR
• A strong client service orientation showing empathy, flexibility and be solutions focussed
• Possess a high level of commercial acumen and analytical skills
• Ability to multi-task and work to sometimes conflicting timescales and multiple priorities
• Be financially literate and technologically savvy
• Ability to take personal responsibility for and ownership of delivery
• Regulatory experience would be beneficial

ABOUT US
DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers and business service professionals located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Our global reach ensures that we can help businesses with their legal needs anywhere in the world. We strive to be the leading global business law firm by delivering quality, service excellence and value to our clients and offering practical and innovative legal solutions to help them succeed. Our clients range from multinational, Global 1000, and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging companies developing industry-leading technologies, as well as government and public sector bodies.

OUR VALUES
In everything we do connected with our People, our Clients and our Communities, we live by these values:

• Be Supportive – we are compassionate and inclusive, valuing diversity and acting thoughtfully
• Be Collaborative – we are proactive, passionate team players investing in our relationships
• Be Bold – we are fearless and inquisitive, challenging ourselves to think big and find creative new solutions
• Be Exceptional – we are strategic and driven, exceeding standards and expectations

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
At DLA Piper, diversity and inclusion underpins how we live our values and everything we do. We believe that everyone has a voice, and that everyone’s voice counts. We know that the rich diversity across our firm makes us stronger, more innovative and creative, which helps us to better serve our clients and communities. We are committed to providing an inclusive working environment and culture across our global firm, where everyone can bring their authentic self to work.
Diversity of perspective, thought, background and culture combine to make us the leading global law firm; that’s why we actively seek to build balanced teams. We welcome the unique contribution that you will bring to our firm and actively encourage applications from all talented people – however your talent is packaged, whatever your background or circumstance and regardless of how you identify.

HYBRID WORKING
We recognise that people have responsibilities and interests outside of their career and that as a business, we all benefit from working flexibly. That’s why we are open to discussing with candidates the different ways in which we are able to support requests for agile working arrangements.

PRE-ENGAGEMENT SCREENING
In the event that we make an offer to you, and where local legislation permits and where relevant, we will conduct pre-engagement screening checks that may include but are not limited to your professional and academic qualifications, your eligibility to work in the relevant jurisdiction, any criminal records, your financial stability and work-related references.