Senior Associate, Legal

Schillings is a multidisciplinary advisory firm with expertise in reputation, privacy and security.

We work with UK and international clients to successfully manage high-stakes opportunities and threats, using a unique combination of capabilities: legal; intelligence; communications; security and diplomacy.

We believe everyone has a right to fair treatment of their reputation, to a reasonable expectation of privacy and to feel safe.

Our experts sit within their specialist team but day-to-day work in multidisciplinary teams solving client problems. They are supported by our business services teams: Clients and Markets, HR, Finance, Risk and Compliance, IT and Client Services. 

Because we are a growth business, opportunities appear in all areas and at all levels.   We have the largest team of specialist media lawyers in the world, an expanding Intelligence & Investigations team, a growing Critical Risks unit, an evolving Digital Resilience practice, and a new communications agency – Schillings Communications – that will grow significantly in the next three years. 

Schillings is a collaborative, fun and welcoming place to work, with a positive culture, strong values and a developed service ethic.  We require commitment, diligence, agility and professionalism, and in return provide competitive packages and incredibly stimulating and interesting work.  We are committed to sharing learning and creating development opportunities so you can progress your career with us. Our people’s career trajectory and longevity at Schillings is a good example of this: a third of our people have been at the business for over five years. Join us and become part of our story.

Job Title:  Senior Associate

Reporting to:  Head of Legal, Legal Directors

The Senior Associate role in our legal team

Senior Associates work collaboratively across a variety of matters from global multidisciplinary reputation, privacy and security retainers to discreet legal issues. They run urgent pre- and post-publication/broadcast matters, supervise complex litigation and offer strategic solutions to the Partners as to the way forward in matters. Senior Associates ensure work is of high quality and delivered to time. As experts, they use feedback, coaching and mentoring to share knowledge with more junior colleagues to develop our talent. More widely, Senior Associates will work with teams across the business to develop and execute strategies that leverage Schillings’ unique skillset. Promoting the firm and building relationships with existing and new clients.

Role Accountabilities:

• To act as expert in our field of specialism in dealing with complex cases brought to the firm by its clients, supervising the work of more junior staff to provide a successful outcome. This includes managing complex reputation, privacy and security projects and ensuring holistic solutions to client problems.
• Responsible for all aspects of client management, anticipating clients' needs and providing advice while ensuring the highest standard of client care and communication.
• As a member of the firm’s 'expert' team, is responsible for developing the skills and experience of other fee-earners, sharing knowledge and best practice to the benefit of the firm, its clients and employees.
• Matter management: Adheres to firm guidelines to successfully run matters. Must be an excellent people manager, time manager and project manager who is strongly task focused and delegates effectively.
• Supports partners and colleagues across the business in developing the business and improving operations.
• Completes all mandatory training and understands the firm's responsibilities in effective risk management.
• Looks and acts as an ambassador for the firm and its Bold, United, Innovative and Excellent values.

Technical:

• Demonstrates an expert level of legal knowledge and experience in our core areas: defamation, privacy, confidence, harassment, DPA/GDPR and complementary areas such as employment litigation and commercial litigation.
• Works to continually develop technical and business knowledge and skills and maintain CPD requirements.
• Able to draft and interpret complex legal arguments, possibly without precedent, identifying and analysing all legal, commercial and reputational issues.
• Thinks through concepts, analyses risk, and problem solves at speed, developing creative solutions to client issues.

Commercial:

• Commercially minded with a sensible approach to risk management, proactive in avoiding and addressing potential issues as appropriate.
• Commercially aware of clients’ business interests.
• Active in managing files, taking responsibility for projects, billing, account management and time management processes.

• Understands all the skillsets available at Schillings – Critical Risks, Intelligence & Investigations, Digital Resilience and Schillings Communications - and spots opportunities to utilise these to best solve clients’ problems.

Client Care:

• Looks to develop relationships with clients and is comfortable and personable interacting with clients.
• Actively participates in marketing events and client seminars.

Knowledge and Experience Required:

• Appropriate level of post qualification experience in reputation management, privacy, data protection, cyber litigation, employment litigation or commercial litigation gained in a comparable firm. May be developing a reputation as a leader in their field of expertise.
• Agile, flexible and able to pivot to evolving client needs while delivering high quality advice at speed.
• A creative, strategic and critical thinker who demonstrates confidence in own judgement, is able to navigate ambiguity and is sufficiently robust to say ‘no’.
• Good interpersonal skills with experience of (1) managing more junior members of the team (on client work or as their line manager), (2) project managing delivery of client work, and (3) handling high profile clients. Experience working in large cross-disciplinary teams beneficial.
• A skilled and active listener with excellent written communication; succinct, clear, concise and persuasive.
• Performs consistently well under pressure: a positive self-starter who inspires and motivates others.
• Acts as mentor and provides know-how to more junior staff.
• Demonstrates highest standards of professional and personal integrity.

Personal attributes: see Senior Associate competency framework.

Life at Schillings

Given our audacious (and successful) business strategy, it is not surprising that Schillings has a very strong culture. The atmosphere is highly collaborative and focused on excellence. We have worked hard over the years to develop a coaching culture and are remarkably non-hierarchical, especially given our roots as a law firm. Schillings has adopted a set of values to put at the heart of this change and they reflect the intention and tenor of our ambitious plans. They are: ‘Innovative; Bold; United; and Excellent’. Our client list speaks for the outstanding results that have been delivered over many years and the task now is to grow without losing any of the commitment to delivering for clients or the service ethos. Finding people who share our values and can thrive in this environment is key to our success.

It takes a unique mix of people to create something truly great. We appreciate that diversity of thought, background and culture creates the best environment to truly innovate, solve problems and achieve our goals. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds – if you are driven and want to achieve your best then we will give you the platform and support to succeed.

Please let us know if there are any extenuating circumstances we should consider, or any adjustments we may need to make to our selection process, when making your application.

Find our candidate privacy notice here, Candidate Privacy Notice (schillingspartners.com)