You will work in our Governance, Funding & Corporate Department and specifically our Governance Team which acts primarily for charities and not-for-profit organisations. You will work most closely with our Housing Governance experts.
Your role will entail working, in some cases independently and in others under supervision from a more senior member of the Team, to advise our housing and charity clients on their governance arrangements and their regulation by the Regulator of Social Housing and on major projects such as new registrations (as charities and housing providers), mergers, joint ventures and collaborations, de-registrations, governance reviews, constitutional changes, governance failings and investigations. We also provide ad-hoc advice on regulatory matters both housing and charities, alongside training and development of Boards and Executives.
Detailed knowledge and experience of housing or charity governance is not required, but strong experience in corporate governance and company law generally is expected and a mind open to learning and an interest and curiosity in these areas are essential.
Working typically with our clients’ C-Suit Officers and Leadership Teams, their Boards and Chairs on matters that are generally highly strategic and often confidential, you will be expected to demonstrate integrity and discretion at all times. You will have a personable and professional demeanour, exemplary standards of written work and drafting skills with very strong attention to detail. You will have experience of public speak in front of clients and colleagues individually and in groups including delivering training and presenting advice verbally.
You should have good personal organisation and time management skills, good project- and client-management skills and the ability to build good relationships of trust and confidence with peers and with clients. You will already demonstrate some leadership-in-waiting skills which you will draw on to work successfully in and across teams and other departments including Property, Construction, Regulatory, Employment & Pensions and Commercial where you will be able to manage colleagues successfully to deliver work to you as required. You will be expected to deliver individual pieces of work and smaller projects to clients in your own name (with support from a more senior colleague where appropriate), to supervise tasks carried out by our Junior Solicitor, Trainee and Legal Assistants and potentially to take on responsibility for supervising a trainee or line managing a more junior colleague.
Key duties include:
- To provide consistently high quality legal and/or business services to clients, to be a principal point of contact for specified clients, to assist in the management and development of the department, and to be a representative of the firm’s values and ethos.
- Maintain the highest standards of honesty, confidentiality and integrity in all dealings with clients, colleagues and all people with whom you come into contact.
- Record accurately and comprehensively all time in accordance with the firm’s time recording system, if applicable.
- Actively achieve own monthly, annual or other periodic targets for time recording, billing, WIP and level of aged debts.
- Keep up to date regarding The Law Society’s Rules of Professional Conduct and to act at all times within them.
- If applicable meet all the requirements of the rules concerning Continuing Professional Development and to do so in such a manner that best serves the interests of the firm.
- Demonstrate effectiveness in self-management, as well as in leading, influencing and team working.
- Be a principal point of contact for specified clients.
- Have a good understanding of most areas of work covered by the practice.
- Co-ordinate and work alongside colleagues to identify and meet the needs and priorities of clients. This includes progressing the clients interests through other departments of the firm.
- Be involved in the production of briefings, newsletters and other documents for the benefit of clients generally.
- Attend conferences and be involved in the presentation of webinars, podcasts, workshops, seminars and lectures for the benefit of clients, colleagues and professional advisers, both in house and outside the firm’s offices. This may include opportunities to network with others to heighten their awareness of the work of the practice and may include out of office hours’ work.
- Have involvement in the development of the practice as a whole, for example, through membership of a strategic committee or involvement in graduate recruitment assessment centres, which may include out of office hours’ work.
- Assist in the arranging, organising and hosting of department meetings and weekly diary meetings, as requested.
- Carry out such administrative duties as may be required for the proper collation of the department’s resources.
- Assist in the supervision and development of junior fee earning staff, including developing legal knowledge & skills, management of trails, work in progress and aged debt targets.
- Assist, where requested, in the staff recruitment process.
- Act as a mentor to junior fee earning staff within the firm.
- Carry out all other reasonable duties as required in order to maintain efficient operation of all aspects of the department’s and practice’s needs.