Professional Support Lawyer - Corporate

Byrne Wallace Shields LLP; Dublin; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Byrne Wallace Shields LLP is seeking a Corporate PSL with strong M&A expertise in Ireland. The role emphasizes drafting, research and market-aware knowledge sharing to support fee-earners and clients.

You will help maintain precedents, develop know-how resources and coordinate CPD activities while working within a supportive, collaborative culture and offering flexible working arrangements.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years recent relevant experience as corporate/M&A practitioner or Corporate PSL in large Irish or international corporate law firm.
• Excellent legal drafting and writing skills and experience in drafting legal agreements.
• Excellent legal research and analysis skills and attention to detail.
• High degree of technical knowledge within Corporate/M&A practice with client focus.
• Ability to identify key issues and exercise commercial as well as technical judgment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement best practice processes for creating, capturing, curating and disseminating knowledge for the team.
• Review and update precedent legal agreements and maintain the knowledge/precedent banks.
• Produce team know-how and practice notes in line with market practice and regulatory developments.
• Coordinate internal CPD programme and knowledge projects, including external CPD events for alumni or clients.
• Prepare and deliver client-facing knowledge materials and briefings on relevant legal and market developments.
• Support fee-earners with complex legal research queries and evolving topics.
• Identify innovative approaches to knowledge sharing with ICT and knowledge teams.
• Deliver client training initiatives as required and contribute to team goals.

Skills

Corporate/M&A experience

Legal drafting

Legal research

Commercial awareness

Client-focused

Team collaboration

Proactive/initiative

Job description

This position involves a variety of PSL duties, detailed further below, and demands strong, up-to-date expertise within Corporate / M&A and wider legal market. Exceptional drafting and communication skills, a genuine interest in legal technology and innovation, and a solid academic background are essential. In return, we offer high-quality work, a competitive salary and benefits package, flexible working arrangements, and a friendly, collaborative and supportive culture.

Key experience and skills required

• Minimum 4 years recent relevant experience as corporate/M&A practitioner or Corporate PSL in large Irish or international corporate law firm with demonstrably strong knowledge of relevant practice area.
• Excellent legal drafting and writing skills and experience in drafting legal agreements.
• Excellent legal research and analysis skills and attention to detail.
• High degree of technical knowledge and competency within Corporate / M&A practice area and a practical and client-centric focus.
• Ability to identify and focus on key issues and exercise a high degree of commercial as well as technical judgment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication / presentation skills.
• Demonstrate interest in L&D.
• Pro‑active with ability to work on own initiative.
• Highly motivated with strong organisational and project management skills.
• Keen understanding of the commercial market in which the Firm operates and familiarity with recent market trends.
• Ability to develop and maintain excellent working relationships with colleagues at all levels.
• Willingness/ability to work as part of a highly motivated, efficient team.
• Driven to consistently provide a highly professional service which aligns with needs of team.

Other key areas of responsibility

• Responsibility for developing/improving best practice processes for creating, capturing, curating and disseminating knowledge and supporting the team.
• Review, creation and updating of teams’ precedents (including precedent legal agreements) in line with market practice and legal/regulatory developments and development / maintenance of the Teams’ precedent bank.
• Review, creation and updating of the teams’ know-how in line with market practice and legal/regulatory developments and development / maintenance of the teams’ know-how database.
• Review, creation and updating of team position papers and practice notes on various relevant corporate and commercial law issues in line with market practice and legal/regulatory developments.
• Co‑ordinate and organise the teams’ internal CPD Programme, including knowledge projects (and involvement in external CPD events for alumni or clients).
• Promote legal awareness via the preparation and delivery of legal briefings to fee‑earners about relevant legal and market developments (including as part of Team or Firm CPD Programme).
• Ensure timely dissemination of relevant knowledge materials and legal updates within the team.
• Generate timely and insightful articles, briefings, newsletters, e‑zines, client e‑bulletins or other materials for circulation to clients or wider publication (including online and print media publication) for knowledge, marketing or BD purposes and co‑ordinate / support generation of such content by fee‑earners.
• Act in an advisory capacity in supporting fee‑earners and clients with complex legal research queries, particularly regarding new or emerging topics, issues or areas of law.
• Identifying and delivering innovative approaches to managing and sharing knowledge for the benefit of fee‑earners and clients, including working with wider knowledge and ICT teams for this purpose.
• To extent required, preparing, delivering and managing client‑facing knowledge and training initiatives.
• Contribute to continuing development of role and actively participate in the development of the Team’s goals.