PSL

We recognise that the spread of work in the department is quite diverse and that not many lawyers will have solid experience across the whole range of our practice. We consider that it is a priority for our PSL to have experience in restructuring and insolvency with a familiarity with banking documentation.

We would look to our PSL to provide support to the group and assist lawyers in the firm with day to day queries.   Other responsibilities will include: drafting and maintaining standard precedents and practice notes; assisting with the delivery of training; assisting with marketing materials such as press releases and social media; maintaining know-how and other material on the firm’s intranet; and liaising with other PSLs in the firm to ensure consistency of advice and materials throughout the practice.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Drafting standard form precedents and practice notes

Drafting and updating precedents and guidance notes for use by lawyers, including liaising with lawyers in relation to market practice.

Know-how

Maintaining the group’s know-how system and encouraging lawyers to share knowledge and contribute relevant know-how to the system, either as a basis for draft precedents or collation into an example document/clauses bank.  Assisting with improvements to and development of the know-how database and its content, and facilitating various means for lawyers to contribute know-how.

Research and assistance

Responding to and researching queries from lawyers in relation to associated law.  Providing a second opinion on points of law or practice.  Providing a mentoring role to trainees and junior lawyers and assisting with points of law or practice as required.

Marketing/business development

Working with the firm’s marketing and business development team to develop the firm’s presence on social media, drafting and producing briefing notes and press releases and other relevant material.

Current awareness

Raising awareness among lawyers internally of relevant changes in legislation and case law and practice, and providing briefings at know-how meetings and generally to ensure lawyers are kept up to date with changes in the law.

Contributing to and attending relevant know-how meetings

Helping to produce agenda for know-how meetings on a regular basis, contributing to those meetings on an ad hoc basis, and drafting minutes of such meetings.

Training

Designing and delivering restructuring and insolvency training, in particular training for junior lawyers and trainees.  Assisting with seat inductions for trainees.

Firm’s intranet

Developing the department’s know-how section and other relevant resources on the firm’s intranet; contributing and maintaining material on the intranet and assisting with the delivery of know-how to lawyers via the intranet.

Ad hoc projects

Working as part of the firm-wide PSL team on specific projects.  Keeping up to date with developments in knowledge management systems and assessing, in conjunction with the firm’s management, their applicability to the firm.  Liaising with the firm’s other PSLs from time to time to promote effective sharing of know-how initiatives and consistency between departments.

• Thorough and up to date knowledge of relevant transactional work, with recent experience of market practice.
• Excellent technical knowledge of the relevant law.
• Good legal research skills and knowledge of resources.
• Good drafting and written communication skills.
• Interest in marketing/business development and ability to promote the group effectively through social media and other methods.
• Knowledge of relevant training programmes.
• Able to communicate effectively with lawyers, trainees, management and support staff.
• Recent experience as a finance, restructuring and insolvency lawyer with a minimum of 5 years PQE or as a professional support lawyer in a City law firm. 
• Practical relevant transactional experience for a minimum of three years.
• Experienced in drafting a wide range of written material, including transactional documentation and marketing material.

The firm provides a competitive total reward package which includes:

• discretionary bonus scheme for exceptional performance and all staff profit share bonus scheme;
• free car parking at or close to the office or, alternatively, an interest free season ticket loan scheme together with an additional cash payment of £750;
• contributory group personal pension scheme;
• free BUPA or similar plus the ability to join spouse/children at reduced group rates;
• life/death in service cover - currently 3 times salary;
• permanent health (phi) cover;
• five weeks holiday plus the option to buy up to 5 days holiday or sell up to 3 days holiday;
• use of an IPhone for business and reasonable personal use.

Stevens & Bolton is one of the largest teams of lawyers in the South outside London. Independently recognised as one of the UK's leading national law firms we build deep relationships with our clients, whose satisfaction with our services is the true measure of our success.

Our single office approach ensures excellent communications and efficient co-ordination of our resources. We handle complex and strategic work for our clients, but appreciate the importance of value for money, commercial awareness and flexibility. International work is as important to us as our domestic practice and we regularly work with many carefully selected law firms around the world.

Our values are upheld through a combination of factors: delivering quality in everything we do; securing challenging work; employing truly distinctive, diverse people; committing to continuous development for everyone; and providing an environment in which people can learn and grow.

The finance, restructuring and insolvency department was newly formed in May 2017 from existing groups of lawyers formerly in the corporate and dispute resolution departments. It combines finance work, principally non-distressed credit transactions, restructuring (distressed loans, turn-arounds, work-outs, schemes etc.) and insolvency work (non-contentious and contentious).