Careers
Professional Support Lawyer – M&A
London
Job Summary
Gibson Dunn is a leading global law firm, advising clients on significant transactions and disputes. Our exceptional teams craft and deploy creative legal strategies that are meticulously tailored to every matter, however complex or high-stakes. The firm’s work is distinguished by a unique combination of precision and vision.
Based in London, the Professional Support Lawyer – M&A will be responsible for improving the firm’s efficiency and client service at Gibson Dunn. This role will create and execute plans to collect, organize, and share the firm’s legal knowledge and skills. This involves working with the M&A, PE and other Transactional practice related Practice Groups, where you will work with the Practice Group Manager and global Practice Group Leaders to provide high-quality legal content and skills for our lawyers. This person will contribute to the organization’s success and competitiveness in the legal market.
This role reports to the Chief Legal Operations Officer.
Responsibilities include:
- Monitoring & tracking of global legal, market, regulatory and industry developments, and the preparation of concise briefings on key developments to be shared with relevant practice members (including in pitches, newsletters, client presentations, client alerts, and blog posts).
- Monitoring & tracking of market (from reporting services, P2P docs, precedent from clients/deals) and developing documents (grids, terms sheets and long form documentation) that reflect the part of the market that our clients want to be in (e.g. aggressive top tier sponsor/mid-market).
- Creating, reviewing and updating standard templates, forms, and precedents to ensure accuracy, compliance, and consistency with current laws and regulations.
- Conducting legal research and analysis on diverse topics and share the findings and insights with the relevant teams or practice groups.
- Developing and maintaining broad issues, risk and requirement frameworks mapped to relevant global regulation and legal developments, by supervising and conducting technical research and integrating existing work product.
- Leading meetings and presentations as appropriate to promote knowledge systems and platforms.
- Coordinating and monitoring relevant knowledge management projects, leveraging the engagement of practicing attorneys in order to create the highest caliber resources and to incorporate practice and market experience.
- Responding to inquiries from client-facing lawyers with thorough and timely answers. Develop a reputation as a go-to expert for any transactional matters within the Firm. Draft and review client documents as needed and provide legal research capabilities for the M&A, PE and other Transactional related Practice Groups.
- Helping with topical emails/decks/pitches/briefings for prospective and existing clients plus detailed management guides and training decks for clients as a deal follow up.
- Using guidance notes, checklists, targeted training, individual coaching to make junior associates as efficient as possible running the deal process (more handholding/explaining needed for GenZ/post-lockdown).
- Networking in PSLs groups, ILTA, and other industry events to ensure keep on top of legal/market developments and analyze whether changes to documents/policies required.
- Being the point person in London Transactional groups on generative AI initiatives.
Qualifications
- Excellent legal research, writing, and analytical skills, along with a structured and rigorous analytical approach and ability to translate complex and ambiguous material into concise and structured work product.
- Ability to create, organize, and maintain knowledge resources in a clear, concise, and user-friendly manner and have meticulous attention to detail.
- Ability to work independently to solve problems relating to both technical issues and situations involving the coordination of, and collaboration with, attorneys, non-attorney staff and different administrative departments.
- Ability to communicate effectively and persuasively, both verbally and in writing, with different audiences and stakeholders.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and tasks, prioritize effectively, and meet deadlines.
Experience
- A J.D. or Bachelor of Laws or equivalent with strong academic credentials and be admitted to practice and be in good standing in the state in which they will be sitting.
- Candidates must have 5-7+ years’ experience practicing M&A, PE or other transactional related law at a law firm and/or in-house.
- Ideal candidates will possess extensive technical legal knowledge in the M&A sector, as well as in-depth industry knowledge of platforms and tech industry players and an understanding of relevant terminology and resources.
- Preferred candidates will have experience in knowledge management, including experience with creating and maintaining templates, models, sample documents, state surveys and other similar resources. Ideal candidates would also have experience developing and participating in testing and training for technology-oriented tools and initiatives, including those that are client-facing.
- Strong knowledge of the legal industry, the relevant laws and regulations, and the best practices and standards.
Gibson Dunn will consider for employment qualified Applicants with Criminal Histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of local law.
Location:
EEO Statement
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all partners, employees and applicants and, in accordance with the applicable federal and state laws, does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, color, religion, matriculation or political affiliation, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, ancestry, age, marital status or partnership status, family responsibilities, disability, medical condition, personal appearance, genetic information, predisposing genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, arrest or conviction record, or on any other basis prohibited by law.