Real Estate PSL - Birmingham or London

About Gowling WLG

We have more than 1,400 legal professionals working around the world. Our offices span across 19 cities in Canada, the UK, Continental Europe, Asia and the Middle East. There’s strength in our global presence – we embrace our differing cultures and work together as one team. We also understand the importance of investing in relationships that build knowledge and trust, while we provide legal advice that’s tailored to our clients’ world.

"Our people and distinct culture are what makes us different. We know this through client and employee feedback and this drives everything we do’’ Chris Oglethorpe, HR Director.

There are great opportunities for all our people to flourish. Through training and personal development they can grow in their role. Our people are the cornerstone of our success, across legal, business support and early talent. We care about their happiness and believe in the power of teamwork. We want them to feel empowered and recognise that by supporting, respecting and embracing everyone’s different contributions we achieve more.

Working flexibly, working fairly

Agile working offers people more freedom and flexibility in where, when, and how they work. As technology advances and our workforce becomes more diverse – and with clients often working to a 24/7 rhythm – having extra flexibility is key to helping us balance work and other commitments sensibly and productively.

By supporting people to choose where and when they get their work done, we help them to make a full and fair contribution to their team – while maintaining that all important work-life balance.

Where possible and depending on business needs, we will consider all flexible working options such as part-time working, job sharing, working from home and staggered hours. If in considering a role with Gowling WLG you favour flexibility in your working arrangements, please discuss this with the recruitment team in the early stages of the application process.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

To work with the practice group leader, REG knowledge partner and other partners, the Head of Knowledge Management, and other PSLs to implement knowledge priorities that help deliver the practice group’s strategy and firm-wide knowledge strategy. (i.e. principally precedents, knowhow, research resources, training and other technical excellence components).

The Professional Support Lawyer will be expected to do the following in conjunction with the other REG PSLs and the wider knowledge team:

Main role

• Manage the review, creation and maintenance of precedents, example documents and other key know how content;
• Improve and implement the processes used for the management of REG content and the delivery of this content to fee earners;
• Support REG fee earners by answering technical questions and guiding them to appropriate resources;
• Ensure fee earners are kept up to date on new legislation/cases/commercial developments whether on an individual, team or group wide basis;
• Facilitate the automation of REG content where appropriate, and drive adoption and use of automated content to improve fee earner productivity;
• Participate in the development and introduction of knowledge tools to the REG practice including, but not limited to, Lexis Create, Dynamic, new intranet;
• Participate in preparing, delivering or arranging/procuring technical training for the practice group and/or other teams around the firm. This will include delivering group specific training to trainees twice a year and to all new joiners;

Additional tasks

• Participate in periodic meetings of REG PSLs, and other monthly meetings of the whole knowledge group to share best practice and identify areas of crossover;
• Prepare training seminar notes and slides for clients, generally on behalf of partners but also, where appropriate, help deliver such sessions;
• Write and/or edit articles on suitable topics for publication;
• Work with Information & Library Services to keep the group Knowledge Centre intranet pages up to date;
• Maintain contacts with industry bodies, external networks of PSLs, and any other relevant network that may support the role;
• Any other reasonable duties delegated by any Partners, Team Leader or other;

Key Skills and Experience:

We are looking for someone who has:

• significant relevant transactional experience
• excellent technical skills
• an understanding of the development, sharing and use of knowledge
• ability to apply strategic thinking
• commercial awareness
• good interpersonal skills and good people management ability

Equal Opportunities

Gowling WLG is committed both to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to Equal Opportunities in employment. The firm believes in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re-assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity. This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment.

At Gowling WLG we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding place to work. Our aim is to fulfil everyone’s potential and together to achieve personal and business goals.