Professional Support Lawyer (PSL)- Real Estate (All Locations)

Job Introduction

DAC Beachcroft are looking to recruit a Professional Support Lawyer to work within the Real Estate team. The successful candidate will be responsible for the collation and dissemination of knowledge (legal, procedural and market based) both across the firm and externally.

Role Responsibility

Know-how and precedents

• Co-ordinate and chair regular meetings of the real estate group (REG) precedents committee including:
• agree and circulate a provisional precedent publishing programme at the beginning of each year;
• compile and circulate the agenda and documents for each meeting;
• create new and revised draft DAC Beachcroft (DACB) precedents and drafting notes and maintain them;
• research developments in law or practice with potential drafting implications;
• review external precedents and drafting examples;
• deal with drafting queries on precedents and client documents;
• liaise with IT to roll out final form precedents for use by the REG.
• Assist with the drafting or review of client precedents. 
• Assist with the drafting or review of REG practice guidance. 
• Assist with matter specific research in response to particular queries on transactions from fee-earners.
• Carry out ad hoc research tasks e.g. analysis of new law and practice; monitor cases.
• Act as a point of contact with Information Services regarding the review of legal resources for the REG.
• Attend and contribute to DACB knowledge management meetings and external PSL meetings.
• Assist with the management and review of electronic service providers (e.g. Searchflow, TM, HMLR, HMRC, WRA, Oyez).
• Assist with maintaining the intranet pages that relate to the REG.
• Provide VisualFiles or other case management system support when required, together with support for other technology/software that services the REG.
• Provides support for the construction practice group.

Training

• Help support internal/external training for the REG across locations through updates, email alerts, seminars and workshops to enhance technical legal knowledge.
• Prepare and deliver ad hoc presentations internally and externally.
• Assist with the production and delivery of internal legal technical training programmes.

Marketing and Business Development

• Support the maintenance and development of client relationships through dissemination of knowledge and know-how.
• Draft text/articles for publication in the trade press and other publications e.g. text books.
• Draft and publish alerts.
• Provide technical input & support on bids.
• Deliver and/or assist in the preparation of client seminars.
• Contribute to profile-raising and thought-leadership pieces for the REG.

Firm

• Understand firm-wide strategies and help align the REG to these.
• Build an awareness of DACB's other services through effective networks and research.
• Understand DACB is an international firm.  Work with awareness of this structure to operate as one global team and brand.
• Operate in the best interests of DACB at all times internally and externally.

Other

• Use knowledge and experience to propose, lead, manage and support any non-fee earning activities in relation to service line initiatives.
• Develop relationships with, and act as a point of contact for, all Business Services functions.
• Effectively manage risk and compliance issues (including data security) within their control.
• Show some flexibility around travelling between UK offices.

The Ideal Candidate

Technical:

• Demonstrates and develops excellent technical expertise.
• Demonstrates strong analytical and problem solving skills and development experience.
• Well-developed presentation skills in respect to all types of training activity (including one-to-one coaching, workshops and lecturing to wider groups).
• Works independently with minimal supervision, but happy to work as part of a team.
• Good organisational skills.
• Shows sound judgement in decision making, focused on client and case needs.

Knowledge: 

• Maintains up to date knowledge of legal developments and case law in relevant market and industry sector.
• Drives knowledge management initiatives.
• Maintains awareness of external market conditions affecting the firm and its clients.
• Maintains awareness of service lines and internal management structures nationally.

About the Company

We are a leading international legal business with over 2,500 colleagues and a diverse range of capabilities. We have 11 offices in the UK as well as offices in Dublin, Madrid, Paris, Singapore, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Miami. We also have associations/alliances with firms in Malaysia, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Central America, the USA, Australia and Germany.

We are a broad-based commercial firm with a strong heritage in insurance, health and real estate. This is complemented by a fast-growing Business Advisory capability. We represent a wide range of clients, ranging from household names to government departments and NHS bodies. We act for all of the UK’s top-ten insurers, we are market leaders in the provision of strategic, commercial and regulatory advice to providers and commissioners in the health sector, and in real estate we advise all of the UK’s top-12 housebuilders.

We have an impressive legal pedigree, with 142 Chambers UK 2021 practice area and individual lawyer rankings. In Legal 500 UK 2021, the firm received a top tier ranking for 37 of its practice areas, and 58 DACB lawyers were singled out in the ‘Leading Individual' rankings.

Our successes have been recognised by the legal industry and the markets in which we operate. These accolades include two top prizes in the ‘Excellence in Business Development’ and ‘Excellence in Technology & Innovation’ categories of the 2020 Law Society Excellence Awards – the highest accolade for law firms in England & Wales. Our health sector team won the ‘Crisis Management Team of the Year’ award at the 2020 British Legal Awards for its support to the NHS at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our Cyber & Data Risk team received the ‘Business Development Innovation Award’ at the 2020 Legal Innovation Awards, as well as ‘Cyber Law Firm of the Year’ at the prestigious Insurance Insider Cyber Rankings Awards, for its market-leading suite of digital tools to help our clients prepare for and respond to cyber and data risk crises.

Our vision is to be leading business advisers, recognised for our insight and our outstanding commitment to clients, and for being the place where talented people want to work. For further details on our work and our culture, please visit www.dacbeachcroft.com.

Application Details

At DAC Beachcroft, we don’t just accept your differences we celebrate them.  From bespoke solutions for our clients, to treating you like an individual.  Our strength comes from your diverse ideas and bringing the whole you to work. So if you’re good at what you do, come as you are.  We welcome direct applications and are happy to talk flexible working.

We also want you to be at your very best.  Please feel free to let us know of any changes we can make at any point in the recruitment process that will help support your application.  If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV.  Your application will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence.

Note for Recruitment Agencies – the DAC Beachcroft recruitment team is responsible for managing all current vacancies through direct hiring and referrals wherever possible.  We do work with recruitment agencies and where we require external support we will formally release those vacancies to the agencies on our Preferred Supplier List deemed best placed to assist us.  Speculative CVs sent by any agency to any DAC Beachcroft employee without a specific request by the recruitment team will not be accepted and with no introduction fee applicable.  Our recruitment team can be contacted at recruitment@dacbeachcroft.com

DAC Beachcroft