Commercial & Data Knowledge Lawyer

RPC; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading London law firm is seeking an experienced Commercial Knowledge Lawyer to drive knowledge and legal technology initiatives. The role combines traditional legal expertise with innovation in AI, focusing on client-facing product development and knowledge management. Ideal candidates should have a strong background in commercial contracts, technology outsourcing, and experience in delivering training and thought leadership. This is a full-time opportunity based in London with flexible work arrangements available.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Continuous professional development

Qualifications

• Significant experience as a Knowledge Lawyer or senior commercial lawyer.
• Strong understanding of AI regulatory frameworks.
• Excellent communication and drafting skills.

Responsibilities

• Shape knowledge, innovation, and legal technology agenda across teams.
• Translate AI objectives into practical workstreams.
• Design and deliver internal and client training programmes.

Skills

AI legal and regulatory frameworks

Commercial contracts

Data protection

Technology

Project management

Education

Qualified Lawyer with a minimum of 4 years' PQE

Tools

Knowledge management systems

Job description

Description

RPC has a highly successful, award winning commercial and technology practice. We are top ranked in Chambers and Legal 500 2025 for Commercial Contracts, recognised for being an excellent, commercial and very creative team (Chambers 2025). A number of our lawyers are leaders in their field and handle a varied, dynamic and often high‑profile workload for household name clients in multiple sectors.

The team

The Knowledge & Legal Technology team at RPC plays a pivotal role in supporting the firm's reputation for excellence, innovation, and client service. Renowned for its collaborative culture and strategic vision, the team delivers best‑in‑class knowledge sharing and legal technology solutions that empower lawyers and business services professionals to work smarter and more efficiently.

We are committed to providing our people with opportunity, nurturing talent, and supporting career development within a collaborative and friendly environment.

Working on transformational projects, our brilliant commercial and technology lawyers handle the full spectrum of:

• IT and BPO outsourcings, including in the Financial services sector as well as numerous logistics outsourcings for both suppliers and customers in the retail & consumer sector
• IT transformation and other IT projects
• Digital
• Data protection
• Complex commercial contracts across a range of sectors

Our clients are diverse and exciting and include:

• Major global tech and digital companies
• Major global technology suppliers
• Major retailers and media organisations
• Major insurers and broker clients
• Smaller companies and start‑ups across all sectors

The role

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced Commercial Knowledge Lawyer, or a commercial lawyer seeking to transition from fee earning, to play a central role in shaping the knowledge, innovation and legal technology agenda across our Commercial, Technology Outsourcing (CTO), and Data & Cyber teams.

This role will provide strategic and practical expertise across a broad spectrum of practice areas, including commercial contracts, technology, outsourcing (with a particular focus on regulated outsourcings), advertising consumer, data privacy and protection, and non‑contentious cyber matters.

The role blends the core responsibilities of a traditional Knowledge Lawyer with a strategic mandate to drive AI‑enabled innovation, client‑facing product development, and enhanced service delivery. You will support partners and lawyers across the practice in delivering market‑leading, technology‑enhanced legal services while also ensuring the teams maintain best‑in‑class knowledge management, precedents and training.

Working closely with the Associate Director, Knowledge & Legal Technology, collaborating with wider business services teams (Knowledge & Legal Technology, IT, Risk, BD) and with practice team leaders, you will identify and shape opportunities for new revenue streams through AI and legal‑tech products and improve how we deliver our legal services.

This is a full‑time role based in our London office. We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements during the application process.

Legal technology, AI, innovation client‑facing product development

• Translate the firm's strategic AI objectives into practical knowledge workstreams and deliverables.
• Champion consistent AI capabilities and standards and identify and drive opportunities for cross‑selling AI capability across practice areas and sectors.
• Identify and implement opportunities to leverage AI and legal technology to improve efficiency and enhance client delivery.
• Collaborate with partners, Knowledge Legal Technology, and BD teams to scope, design, and deliver client‑facing technology and AI‑enabled solutions.
• Act as subject matter lead for AI governance, safe use, and regulatory developments affecting AI deployment.
• Provide legal input into product design, testing, and deployment to ensure outputs are robust, compliant, and commercially viable.
• Design and refine AI‑enabled solutions, playbooks, workflows, and knowledge assets (e.g. prompt libraries, model advisory notes, regulatory trackers) for internal and client use.
• Contribute to the firm's AI product roadmap by generating ideas rooted in client needs, legal risk, and market trends.
• Support the delivery of client pilots, demos, and proofs‑of‑concept.

Thought leadership & horizon scanning

• Produce high‑quality thought leadership, long‑form articles and market commentary relevant to commercial, technology, data protection, AI and cybersecurity, translating insights into actionable guidance for both clients and internal teams.
• Lead horizon scanning on regulatory, technological and industry developments, particularly AI‑related legislation and guidance.
• Manage and contribute to newsletters (e.g. Data Dispatch, Snapshots) and short‑form updates (e.g. LinkedIn posts, alerts).
• Represent the firm at external events, client roundtables and industry forums where appropriate.

Internal & external training

• Design, manage and deliver internal technical legal training programmes for CTO and Data & Cyber teams.
• Manage the trainee training programme, including drafting exercises and regular updates for new trainees and contribute to Early Talent initiatives
• Design and deliver client training programmes and client‑facing materials on commercial contracting, AI governance, data protection and cyber risk
• Collaborate across practice groups to develop cross‑disciplinary training that reflects the interconnected nature of AI, data and technology regulation.

Knowledge Management, precedents and core KL work

• Manage, develop and maintain high‑quality precedents, playbooks, guidance notes and clause banks for Commercial, CTO and Data & Cyber teams.
• Lead the capture, organisation and dissemination of legal know‑how, best practice and market insights.
• Maintain and enhance practice‑specific intranet pages and knowledge repositories.
• Support matter debriefs, knowledge harvesting, and the development of internal "house views" on key commercial, data and cyber topics.
• Respond to queries from fee earners and clients; triage knowledge needs and deliver practical guidance.
• Support pitches, panel responses and thought leadership to enhance client engagement.

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Demonstrates a growth mindset and is committed to lifelong learning to build knowledge and expertise.
• Significant experience as a Knowledge Lawyer or as a senior commercial lawyer (minimum 4 years' PQE) with a strong background in commercial contracts, technology, outsourcing, data protection, and cyber matters.
• Strong understanding of AI legal and regulatory frameworks, or demonstrable ability and interest to develop this rapidly.
• Proven experience in delivering knowledge management, precedents, training or thought leadership (or strong suitability to transition into a KL role).
• Demonstrated interest in legal innovation, AI and technology‑enabled service delivery.
• Ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance for internal and client audiences.
• Demonstrates an organised approach to their work. Plans, prioritises and uses technology to work efficiently.
• Excellent communication, drafting and analytical skills
• Strong project management capability, with the ability to prioritise and manage competing deadlines.
• Works commercially to achieve the objectives of the team/firm.
• Collaborative approach and ability to build strong relationships across legal and business services teams.
• Develops strong working relationships.
• Delegates work effectively.
• Committed to being part of a supportive, inclusive and collaborative firm culture.