Job Description

Group / Team

Alternative Legal Services

Working pattern

Full Time

The opportunity

About ALT Disputes

We are experienced in complex large scale document reviews, sensitive and time critical investigations and regulatory matters, consumer claims assessments and volume claims management. Our teams work closely with and provide support to other Herbert Smith Freehills practice groups, and we are continually expanding our service offerings. We are experts in complex review elements including legal professional privilege, commercial sensitivity and data protection working across all industry sectors including financial services, energy, retail, TMT and construction.

The Role

The Manager, Legal is a senior and experienced qualified attorney, who works closely with the Head of ALT, Johannesburg and the Heads of Disputes UK, US & EMEA, ALT and other Senior Managers to train and supervise the disputes team in Johannesburg. The team comprises both qualified lawyers and legal analysts participating in a 14-month International Legal Development Programme ("the programme").

The role involves the day-to-day line management and supervision of project teams on fee earning matters. Project teams are resourced on a global basis and may include lawyers and legal analysts in the Johannesburg office or part of the wider ALT network. The Manager, Legal role involves supporting with the supervision and training teams of Senior Solicitors/Senior Former Practising Barristers ("FPBs"), Solicitors/FPBs, trainees and legal analysts.

Our Managers, Legal are key to the delivery of the highest standards of client service and may be required to work into the evening from time to time to meet project management milestones or as deadlines approach.
Note that limited travel, to other offices or to clients, may be required from time to time.
Key responsibilities

• Conducting and managing the delivery of fee-earning work including large scale document review.
• Supervising teams conducting fee earning projects and conducting fee earning work themselves, particularly of a complex nature.
• Scoping, set-up, training, and pricing in relation to fee earning projects which are often complex and large scale.
• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of relevant areas of law in relation to the local office's practice generally and acting as an "expert" in relation to specialist areas of practice.
• Scope, design, and management of volume claims, (including remediation projects and portfolios of Disputes), including process and workflow.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to ensure that service delivery meets expectations.
• Draft, update and revise internal processes relating to our legal practice, when necessary, including making recommendations for improvements in the quality-of-service delivery.
• Supporting pricing, managing costs, WIP and billing, as required.
• Supporting the development of workflow for specific projects, including drafting relevant sections of case and client manuals or review guides and supporting our instructing teams generally with the drafting of project instructions.
• Responsible for the drafting and preparation of case-related communications with clients and the reporting required throughout a project.
• Training the project team in learning and becoming proficient in relation to the requirements of the matter at the outset and with refresher training throughout. An interest in training lawyers / legal analysts to develop their legal and other skills as a practitioner generally within the context of our expertise is therefore desirable.
• Assisting with written material or cost models for pitches and marketing initiatives if required.
• Working with eDiscovery teams and, where applicable, external review platform providers, using document review software and other appropriate technology to effectively manage fee earning projects including designing workflows for review, quality control processes and overseeing/managing predictive coding workflows.

Skills, experience and qualifications

• Prepare, manage and report on project plans to internal and client matter teams.
• Monitor project budgets and report on costs and fees on an ongoing basis both internally and externally.
• Deliver profitable and quality results both for the firm and clients through continued focus on improvement and innovation.
• Identify issues and risks on matters, putting into place appropriate mitigations and escalating if necessary.
• Conducting quality control (i.e. to check all fee earning work is being conducted accurately).
• Creatively and proactively managing quality assurance processes.
• Propose solutions to manage client expectations and manage scope throughout the delivery of the project.
• Drive standardisation of delivery and activities to provide efficient services, as well as knowledge sharing and supporting related projects.
• Investigate and champion technology and solutions to meet business needs and client requirements.
• Collaborate with the Heads of Disputes and Senior Managers on the development of the Disputes business strategy, including the expansion of existing service offerings and identifying new service opportunities.
• Ensuring own and team compliance with financial disciplines on matters (e.g. daily time-recording and target chargeable hours).
• Providing any other assistance to the business on client matters and related tasks as required.
• Promoting and selling the services of the Alternative Legal Services offering to internal clients, including by the delivery of consistently high-quality work and a positive approach to building internal relationships.
• In addition, this role will be responsible for the performance management, pastoral care and training of the lawyers and legal analyst team, including:

• Conducting mid-year and annual performance reviews.
• Coaching and mentoring team members to ensure high performance.
• Performance and absence management.
• Sponsoring the learning and development of the team by encouraging attendance and engagement with the programme and ensuring acquired knowledge and skills are applied effectively to work.
• Delivering technical training to the team as part of the programme, as required.

The responsibilities outlined above cannot totally encompass or define all tasks that may be required of the post-holder. The outline of responsibilities given above may, therefore, vary from time to time without materially changing either the character or level of responsibility or grade.

Qualifications and skills
Essential

• Admitted as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa (other jurisdictions may be considered).
• 5+ year's PQE in commercial litigation, although exceptional candidates with less than 5 years' relevant experience will be considered (candidates should explain why they consider their experience is exceptional in a cover email when submitting their CV).
• Proven experience of presenting to clients, including the ability to summarise complex issues succinctly verbally and in writing.
• Strong analytical ability, coupled with sound judgement to balance multiple factors and solve complex problems.
• Strong IT literacy, including an aptitude for learning (and becoming proficient in) the use of software and IT applications.
• Experience of managing more junior lawyers or legal staff.

Desirable

• Experience working in a commercial legal environment, ideally a private practice law firm.
• Experience of managing project teams including direct reports.
• Experience in managing large scale disclosure exercises in litigation or contentious regulatory matters.
• Proven experience of designing volume claims delivery including processes and workflows and managing delivery teams.
• Experience in the use of document review software and case management software.

Please note closing date for applications is Friday 13th October at 17:00

Group / Team description

The Alternative Legal Services business delivers high quality, cost-efficient legal services for document or information intensive, defined process work.
The team works in a complementary and seamless way, offering a combination of legal expertise, process efficiency and client technology solutions to our clients.
The key products and services of our Alternative Legal Services business include document review, regulatory claims assessment, due diligence, verification commercial contracts, funds' repapering, client technology services (including advisory and document review software) and asset management for real estate clients.

Role type

Legal professionals/Practice Group

Contract type

Permanent

Diversity & Inclusion

At Herbert Smith Freehills you will be part of a diverse, innovative culture where high performance, client focus and highly engaged people are our differentiator. People at our firm come from a range of backgrounds and bring a wide variety of experiences and perspectives to their work with us. We strive to ensure that our inclusive environment means you feel valued and able to perform at your best by being your authentic self at work. We know that our future success not only depends on being innovative and progressive in the changing legal market but, most importantly, on our people feeling highly engaged in meaningful work.

We understand that you have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to create a working environment based on mutual trust and respect, in which you can perform at your best whilst maintaining sustainable balance across your life.

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Herbert Smith Freehills

Herbert Smith Freehills