Shoosmiths
Professional Support Lawyer (Technology & AI)
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The Role
Overview
Shoosmiths is looking for an experienced and commercially minded Professional Support Lawyer (PSL) to support the continued growth of its Technology & AI practice. This role sits within the commercial team alongside PSLs supporting Privacy & Data and Complex Contracts, working closely with lawyers across the firm to drive technical excellence, knowledge sharing, innovation and market engagement.
The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring that Shoosmiths' legal advisers remain at the forefront of legal and market developments affecting technology-driven businesses and digital transformation projects. The role will support and develop lawyers advising on artificial intelligence, software and SaaS, blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, fintech, digital assets, platform businesses, emerging technologies and technology sourcing projects.
The role involves legal expertise, commercial awareness, horizon scanning, knowledge management, thought leadership and communication skills to help teams deliver market-leading client service in rapidly changing markets.
It is ideally suited to an experienced UK-qualified solicitor (or equivalent) with strong technology sector expertise and an ability to translate complex law and regulation into practical, client-focused guidance.
If you’d like to learn more about this opportunity or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Charlotte Williams at Charlotte.Williams@shoosmiths.com
Key Responsibilities
Horizon scanning and legal developments
- Monitor, analyse and communicate legal, regulatory, policy and market developments affecting technology and AI businesses.
- Track developments across UK, EU and international frameworks relevant to artificial intelligence and AI governance, software, SaaS and digital services, blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, fintech and payments, digital assets and tokenisation, technology regulation and digital markets.
- Produce regular updates, briefings and practical guidance on emerging developments.
- Identify opportunities and risks for clients arising from changes in law, regulation and market practice.
- Work with lawyers to develop firm-wide positions and guidance on significant developments.
Knowledge management
- Develop and maintain the team's precedents, guidance notes and practical tools.
- Ensure knowledge materials remain current and aligned with market practice.
- Create and maintain know-how banks, drafting notes, playbooks and negotiation guidance.
- Capture lessons learned and best practice from completed client work.
- Support efficient knowledge sharing across teams and sectors.
- Collaborate with other PSLs and knowledge professionals inside and outside the firm.
Training and development
- Design and deliver technical legal training programmes for lawyers at all levels of qualification.
- Lead induction and core training programmes for trainees and newly qualified lawyers.
- Develop learning materials, workshops, webinars and e-learning content.
- Support lawyers in developing expertise in emerging technologies and regulatory frameworks.
Thought leadership and market engagement
- Contribute to the development and delivery of the firm's knowledge and thought leadership strategy.
- Draft articles, briefings, client alerts, guides and insight pieces on key developments affecting technology-focused clients.
- Support the delivery of sector-focused knowledge campaigns and strategic initiatives.
- Work with business development and marketing teams to identify topics of interest to clients and target markets.
- Develop content that enhances the firm's profile in the technology and AI sectors.
Events and client-facing activities
- Support and contribute to client seminars, webinars, roundtables and conference programmes.
- Present on legal and regulatory developments affecting the technology sector.
- Work with lawyers and sector groups to identify market trends and topical issues for client engagement.
- Develop accompanying materials and practical resources for events.
- Build and maintain relationships with industry bodies, professional networks and external stakeholders where appropriate.
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Matter support
- Provide guidance on complex, novel or strategically important matters.
- Assist lawyers with legal research and analysis relating to emerging technologies and developing areas of law.
- Support the development of innovative client solutions, legal products and service delivery tools.
- Contribute to consistency and quality across the team's advice and documentation.
- Act as a sounding board for lawyers on difficult or unusual technical issues.
Innovation and legal technology
- Support the adoption and effective use of legal technology and knowledge management tools across the practice.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, accessibility and delivery of know-how.
- Collaborate with innovation and legal technology teams on knowledge initiatives.
- Assist with the development of AI-enabled knowledge and legal service solutions.
Strategic contribution
- Contribute to the team's strategic objectives and business plans.
- Identify emerging areas of client demand and market opportunity.
- Support collaboration with the wider firm including across privacy, intellectual property, financial services, corporate, disputes and regulatory practice.
- Champion a culture of continuous learning, knowledge sharing and technical excellence.
Essential
Skills, experience and qualifications
- Qualified solicitor in England & Wales or equivalent common law jurisdiction.
- Significant post-qualification experience advising on technology, commercial or digital transformation matters.
- Strong technical knowledge of one or more of:
- Artificial intelligence.
- Software and SaaS.
- Technology outsourcing and sourcing.
- Blockchain and distributed ledger technology.
- Fintech and payments.
- Digital platforms and online business models.
- Excellent legal research, drafting and analytical skills.
- Ability to interpret complex law and regulation and translate them into practical business guidance.
- Strong presentation and communication skills.
- Experience delivering training and developing legal know-how.
- Stakeholder management and collaboration skills.
- Organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.
- Interest in legal innovation, legal technology and AI-enabled service delivery.
Desirable
- In-house legal experience in a technology-focused organisation.
- Experience working closely with compliance, risk or technology teams.
- Experience developing thought leadership content and market-facing publications.
- Knowledge management or PSL experience.
- Experience supporting AI governance, fintech regulatory compliance or emerging technology projects.
Personal attributes
The Successful Candidate Will
- Be intellectually curious and enthusiastic about emerging technologies and innovation.
- Demonstrate strong commercial awareness and an understanding of client priorities.
- Have a collaborative approach to working with colleagues across the firm.
- Be confident operating as a subject matter expert and trusted adviser.
- Enjoy developing others and enabling collective success.
- Be proactive in identifying opportunities to enhance knowledge and improve service delivery.
- Be comfortable working in a fast-moving and evolving regulatory environment.
Why Shoosmiths?
This is an opportunity to play a leading role in shaping a market-leading Technology & AI practice at one of the UK's most innovative law firms. The successful candidate will have the platform to influence legal excellence, support cutting-edge client work and help lawyers and clients navigate the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging technologies.
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The role offers a unique combination of technical legal expertise, strategic influence, thought leadership and innovation within a collaborative and ambitious commercial practice.
The firm
Shoosmiths is the law firm clients choose for excellent service, incisive thinking and above all for our ability to focus on what matters. From offices across the UK and Brussels, we support some of the world’s most exciting and ambitious businesses; amazing clients making an impact. We empower our people to be their authentic selves and deliver together in supportive teams committed to excellence and innovation. The first top 50 law firm to achieve ‘Platinum Standard’ Investors in People, our values and culture are not just words on our website but are the heartbeat of the firm.
We have an outstanding benefits package to complement our competitive remuneration system. In addition to the competitive salaries, great working environment and high-quality work, we believe that all staff should be rewarded for their commitment to the continued success of the firm through a comprehensive and flexible range of benefits.
To discover more about our benefits, please visit: Benefits Package
Shoosmiths is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. Disability Confident is a government scheme designed to encourage employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term conditions. The Disability Confident scheme replaced the Two Ticks Positive about Disabled People scheme. We had been accredited as a two tick employer for many years - Disability Confident broadens and develops that original commitment, and demonstrates we have adopted a proactive approach to employing disabled people and developing their abilities.
As part of our accreditation, we commit to interviewing any applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for each vacancy. In some circumstances we may only be able to interview those that best meet the essential criteria due to the volume of applications received.
Further information on the Disability Confident scheme is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign
We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to and usable by everyone. If you have a disability or long-term condition and would like to receive information in a different way, or need us to make any adjustments, changes or do anything differently during the recruitment process, please get in touch with the Talent Acquisition team on Experienced.Hire@shoosmiths.com. We can consider your needs and requirements, and how we can assist you to apply for our roles. For example we can provide a copy of our application via email so that you can complete it using your own accessibility software.
Equal opportunities
Our approach to our people is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well-being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues.
This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.
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