Job Title: Commercial/IT Solicitor or Associate (1 – 5 PQE)
Reports To: Partner and Head of Commercial
Why Bates Wells?
Making a profit is core to all businesses but our goal is to combine this with a real social purpose. Our values are pivotal to us, they shape our decisions and the way we live and work.
We focus on positive social impact as much as we focus on being a successful law firm. Our top tier legal advice is coupled with a real desire to drive change and we were the first UK law firm with B Corp certification, awarded to businesses that balance purpose and profit.
Today, our clients are diverse – from corporate household names, to public bodies, to start ups. We’re also the firm of choice for thousands of charities and social enterprises. We continue to lead the market we helped to shape.
Bates Wells challenges what is possible in legal expertise delivery.
The role
This exceptional opportunity working directly with lead partner Richard Marke, will cover a broad range of commercial law, in particular the technology sector.
Richard leads the firm’s commercial practice and also heads our wider Corporate and Commercial offering. His particular sector focus is technology; however, he also has many years’ experience advising on the licensing and acquisition of all forms of intellectual property and advising organisations on consumer law and commercial contracts generally (including outsourcing, distribution, agency agreements etc).
We encourage all our lawyers to pursue their personal interests through their practice, develop management skills through supervising junior fee earners, contribute to business development and work cross-departmentally through our wide range of exceptionally strong sector groups.
Lawyers are provided with career development support, for example encouragement to co-manage client relationships with partners, support the development of recently qualified lawyers and be involved in the development of the department’s strategy.
Our permeable team structure ensures a supportive environment coupled with the opportunity to work collaboratively with colleagues across the department.
Specific tasks may change over time, so we’ll need you to be adaptable and flexible as we continue to meet our clients’ needs.
About you
- You see the value in Bates Wells as a career choice and view Bates Wells as a high-quality employer.
- You share our values and want to make a difference.
- You want to feel that you are a part of the Bates Wells experience and ‘belong’.
- You are not afraid to test assumptions and challenge.
- You want exposure to a variety of challenges that will allow you to innovate.
- You are technically excellent, commercially minded and have great people skills.
About us
- A one firm approach means working together and improving to achieve common goals and to provide a consistent Bates Wells experience.
- We are driven by our values and the Bates Wells Way.
- We work with exceptional clients to offer the very best work.
- We want to have a positive impact on our people who are our greatest asset so that they can have a positive impact on others. Purpose is baked into our partnership deed.
- Looking for better ways of working is always our priority.
- We promote a strong work/life balance with 25 days holiday with the opportunity to buy more and a ‘Summer in the City’ early-Friday-finish.
- We have an agile working environment – this means you might sit next to a different colleague every day or choose to work from our rooftop garden if you are in the office. We are currently reviewing our policies to enable a hybrid model moving forward.
- Our culture encourages clear and honest dialogue and cross-team support
- The firm review salaries annually as part of the appraisal process in July of each year. However, we encourage our staff to engage with their supervisors throughout the year on feedback and objective setting.
- We recognise success and contribution at any time of the year through our Recognition Scheme
- Our benefits and wellbeing package includes firm matching pension contributions, private medical insurance plus a medical benefit cash plan, discretionary bonus arrangements, life assurance, subsidised gym memberships, lifestyle discount scheme, firm-wide profit-sharing scheme and an on-site café.
- Everyone gets a bonus if there is one - a proportion of the LLP profit is distributed to our people when we exceed our financial thresholds.
- We are committed to your wellbeing and offer physical and mental support in the way of subsidised gym membership, private health care and in-office Mental Health Awareness Ambassadors.
Working in the Commercial team
Most of the clients you would be advising are either technology companies (everything from suppliers of hardware, pure play software, SAAS and technology enabled outsourcing etc.) or customers for technology services. The latter are often well-known charities or social enterprises.
Besides technology contracts, you would also have the opportunity to advise on a variety of commercial contracts from outsourcing projects to supply and distribution agreements of all kinds.
Many of the individuals in the team have joined Bates Wells from silver circle firms and other larger City firms. They are a close group of individuals and they are not the kind of lawyers who relentlessly quote the law – as they know that clients want straight answers.
How to find out more about us
Don’t forget to review our website (https://bateswells.co.uk/) and ask around about us to find out more and whether we’re the right fit for you.
NB We will normally have at least 2 interviews – to test your skills and competencies to work with us and to see if your values align with ours. |
