Solicitor

Schillings handles high stakes situations for our international clientele; high profile and successful people, companies and other organisations across the world.   The high stakes situations they face affect their reputations, their privacy and their security, both digital and physical.  That is why we apply a particular focus to protecting these three assets.   The high stakes situations present both threats that need to be mitigated, and opportunities to be taken.

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

Uniquely, Schillings combines five capabilities under one roof to handle these high stakes situations: intelligence, law, communications, security and diplomacy.   Our experts contribute to this multidisciplinary mix, or they are in the business support teams that reinforce that mission: marketing, HR, finance, risk and compliance 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 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: Solicitor

Reporting to: Senior Associate / Legal Director

Day-to-day supervision of: Paralegals

Job Purpose:

This role sits within our Legal team specialising in Libel and Privacy, running client matters under supervision of our Partners and Associates.  You will supervise paralegals on client matters and develop the ability to offer strategic solutions to Partners and Associates and eventually our clients as to the way forward in matters. 

We encourage all of our fee earners to develop their marketing and business development skills alongside developing their technical skills as a lawyer.

Role Accountabilities

• Use technical expertise to draft letters, court documents, counsel instructions and provide sound advice to clients.
• Liaise directly with the other side (newspapers, websites, online media and other lawyers).
• Support the fee-earners in providing pro-active case management e.g. anticipating key events and court dates, identifying timing issues and deadlines/conflicts.
• Provide sound and efficient professional support to team leaders and more senior fee earners.
• Provide analysis and briefing for more senior fee earners.
• Develop good relationships with clients regarding matters on which you undertake instruction.
• Support team leaders and more senior fee earners in developing business.
• Conduct research required to support client activity.
• Achieve target utilisation rates for fee earning time.
• Involvement in marketing events and act as an ambassador for the firm at all times.
• Ensure billing management is maintained accurately.
• Complete all mandatory training and understand the firm's responsibilities in the area of risk management, always working to ensure working practices are compliant with the firm's standards and statutory requirements, and that any concerns or indications of malpractice are drawn to the attention of senior management immediately.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Qualified solicitor with up to 2 years post-qualification experience within libel and privacy law or solid experience of contentious work.
• A passion, willingness and demonstrable ability to quickly grasp our area of specialism.
• You will have had at least one litigation seat within this area during your training contract, or another relevant specialist area such as intellectual property or data protection law. 
• Ideally, you will have experience of working directly with private clients and high net worth individuals.

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)