Privacy & Data Senior Associate

We are a top 50 law firm with over 200 partners and around 1,600 staff in total.  We have 13 locations in the UK and a significant international network.  Our clients include some of the largest financial, automotive, and technology businesses in the UK.

We champion diversity and inclusion, and our mission is to attract and nurture a diverse group of people and to create an environment and culture that is genuinely inclusive, in which every member of staff feels valued for their contribution.  We have been awarded Gold status in the Law Society Diversity and Inclusion Charter in recognition of our commitment to this.  We were also the first major law firm to achieve “Gold Standard” Investors in People.

Our Privacy & Data team has grown dramatically in recent years and operates across London, Thames Valley (Reading), Birmingham, Milton Keynes and Leeds.  The team remains very busy with both UK and international work, and has ambitious plans for further expansion.  Many of the team’s clients have significant in-house teams, and the work can at times require detailed subject-matter knowledge and experience.  In addition to general advisory and transactional services, we have established platforms for data breach response services, data protection audits and compliance programmes, and outsourced Data Protection Officer (DPO) services.

The team sits within the national Commercial Practice Group which also contains TMT, Commercial contracts, IP, Financial Services and Projects & Infrastructure teams.  We also work closely alongside our colleagues in employment, corporate and other complementary practice areas.  We are proud to have a number of leading individuals within our ranks. We are in the top tier of Legal 500 for most of our practice areas, although our intention is to have top rankings across the board.

As a firm we are collaborative and genuinely work along national lines. This means you work with the support of a national infrastructure around you but have scope to show enterprise and innovate in your own practice and your local office.

We have long been advising clients at the increasingly porous frontier between content and technology. Our specialist knowledge and extensive experience includes dealing with the full spectrum of partner and collaborative relationships in the digital world, be they 'white label' web-service arrangements, content licensing or drafting the terms of APIs to allow other digital platforms and online media providers to openly interface with services and content. It is a genuine one-stop-shop with a growing client base across the country.

With a loyal and ever increasing client base comprising FTSE Plcs, international household names and innovative start-ups, we are keen to speak with experienced Data Protection lawyers who are looking for a new challenge.

We would like to hear from candidates of 4 yr PQE+ who have specialised in Data Protection since qualification and have a proven track record in advising on privacy and data matters, preferably including transactional experience. This is an opportunity to work on a wide range of global privacy projects with a strong international flavour. On offer is the full spectrum of high quality national and international work and you'll be supported by an existing privacy team which values each individual’s career progression as well as committed to providing an enjoyable work environment for all.

Our national Commercial Practice Group has presence across all of our national offices and operate as one.  As a result, our current requirements could be met by an applicant in London, Leeds or Birmingham. We work in a supportive and agile way which would suit a legal adviser who is able to work independently as well as within a team.  The ideal candidate will share our values of providing outstanding client service and will have been an active participant in business development, marketing and networking initiatives in your current role.  We will nurture these skills, and encourage and support you in being innovative and ambitious in how you deliver our services.

We place a lot of belief in culture and community, and genuinely believe we have something different to offer you at Shoosmiths.  This is reflected in everything we say and do from our use of technology to enable agile working, to the team spirit and culture and our collaborative way of working across offices.

If you have any queries about the role itself or prospects at Shoosmiths before deciding whether to apply, we are always happy to have a confidential discussion with you so please get in touch with Rachel Charlton in our recruitment team (Rachel.charlton@shoosmiths.co.uk).

Shoosmiths is a committed Equal Opportunities employer promoting equality of opportunity. This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.