Professional Support Lawyer

DWF; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

DWF is seeking a Professional Support Lawyer in the Finance & Restructuring practice. You will help shape, develop and share legal knowledge, ensuring access to high-quality resources for lawyers. You will also explore AI and emerging technologies to enhance knowledge creation and delivery.

The role involves developing guidance notes, monitoring developments in banking and finance law, and delivering training. Based in the UK with a hybrid working model across UK offices.

Qualifications

• Ideally at least 8 years PQE as a solicitor, with strong banking and finance expertise.
• Experience with LMA documentation and negotiating finance documents.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to train and mentor peers.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain guidance notes and precedents for the Firm.
• Monitor key legal and market developments across banking and finance.
• Design and deliver training sessions for fee earners and staff.
• Respond to queries from fee earners and aid knowledge management improvements.

Skills

Knowledge management

Legal knowledge

Training delivery

Client advisory

Tools

LMA documents

AI tools

Job description

Why join us?

Step into a role at DWF that sits at the forefront of how modern legal knowledge is created, delivered, and transformed. As a Professional Support Lawyer within our Finance & Restructuring practice, you’ll work closely with colleagues across the team to help shape, develop and share legal knowledge, ensuring our lawyers have access to high-quality, practical resources and insight. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore AI and emerging legal technologies, helping us consider how these tools can enhance the way we create, curate and share knowledge.

Make sure you understand all the responsibilities and tasks associated with this role before proceeding.

It’s a great opportunity to combine your technical legal expertise with innovation and play an active role in how the practice continues to evolve. Your role will include developing and maintaining guidance notes and precedents, monitoring key legal and market developments across banking and finance, designing and delivering training, responding to queries from fee earners and identifying ways to continually improve the team’s knowledge processes and resources. If you’re passionate about elevating legal excellence, driving innovation, and making a meaningful impact beyond traditional fee-earning, this is an opportunity to help lead the evolution of how we work and the value we deliver.

We’re flexible on UK location, with the opportunity to be based from any of our UK offices and work on a flexible, hybrid basis.

Responsibilities

A PSL is required to undertake work in Knowledge Management Know How, Research and Development, and Training for our Clients.

Know-how

• Identifying relevant cases and articles and disseminate to departments
• Updating the fee earning departments on key legal development
• Answering legal queries
• Identifying relevant consultation papers and preparing a response on behalf of the Firm
• Advising on use of AI tools

Research and Development

• Carrying out discrete research on points of law
• Collation and development of precedents, practice notes and working practices
• Producing and implementing procedures to help fee earners to achieve their goals, work efficiently, strive towards best practice in the delivery of legal services, comply with regulatory obligations and any practice/business management standards, etc.

• Advising management on legal and compliance issues in conjunction with the Risk Teams· Managing or contributing to parts of the intranet and corporate site, information databases, online products and knowledge management systems in conjunction with Marketing and IT Teams.
• Innovation in research and development, process improvements/due diligenceTraining· Identifying training needs· Mentoring: Working with lawyers and other PSL's to influence, mentor and manage their production of evidence-led, impact-driven, authentic and timely legal content· Organising in-house training sessions and workshops using internal and external trainers/speakers and advising on content, structure and required outcomes in conjunction with the L&D Team· Delivering training sessions to lawyers, paralegals and administrative staff· Producing training material
• Client Producing articles, briefings and newsletters to clients, and suggesting topics for fee earners· Arrange client training· Deliver client training· Attending and giving talks at external conferences/seminars· Working on bids, tenders and client audits
• Job skills· Ideally at least 8 years’ PQE as a solicitor, or equivalent experience, with a strong background in banking and finance law including areas such as acquisition and leveraged finance, structured finance, real estate finance, or restructuring and insolvency.- Strong working knowledge of LMA documentation, with experience using and negotiating LMA-based finance documents in practice.
• Excellent IT skills· Previous/current experience as a PSL; ideal but not essential· Experience in the preparation and delivery of group training sessions; ideal but not essentialGeneral Skills
• Demonstrates a high level of technical knowledge and experience· Produces high quality written materials, reports and data· Demonstrates excellent communication and interpersonal skills· Well organised, uses initiative, prioritises appropriately, applies self, shows attention to detail· Manages own workload and meets deadlines· Demonstrates financial and commercial awareness· Seeks and maintains good business relationships with suppliers, agents and others· Manages excellent internal client-focused services, adds value to the business· Manages and develops others, motivates for optimum performance, promotes teamwork,
• Demonstrates sound judgement and decision making skills· Shows commitment, passion and enthusiasm for knowledge sharing and improving the ways in which the Firm and all its staff work together· Reflects the Firm’s culture and valuesWhat we offer?We are committed to ensuring that each member of our team feels valued and duly rewarded during their time at DWF.We are an equal opportunities employer that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.

We aim to create a positive experience for all candidates and offer any adjustments or additional support needed.

About us

DWF is a leading global provider of integrated legal and business services. Our approach delivers efficiency, price certainty and transparency for our clients across the world without compromising on quality or service. Our purpose is to deliver positive outcomes with our colleagues, clients and communities and we foster a culture that places our colleagues at the centre of all that we do.