Avantia Academy: Junior Legal Opportunities, January 2025

SUMMARY

Avantia Law is looking to hire bright and entrepreneurial graduates through its Avantia Academy programme. The next Academy will be held on the 23 January 2025 and is similar to an assessment centre - but the experience is much more informative, relaxed and enjoyable! 

Avantia Academy is now accepting graduates for its fourth cohort – there are eight Academy places available, and we are currently recruiting for the positions of Investment Compliance Paralegal and Contracts Paralegal. Graduates whose competencies and values closely align with those of Avantia Law will join the hiring pipeline for current and future Paralegal positions - meaning, if you don't secure a position on this occasion but pass the Academy programme, we will shortlist you for future opportunities.

Avantia Academy is a great place to kickstart your legal career after the completion of your formal studies. 

ABOUT US

Avantia Law was founded in 2019 and takes a modern approach to law. Our practice areas include Contract Review, Investment Compliance, and Funds – our legal professionals are backed by AI that our tech team has built in-house.  We bill by the document or by the work product, rather than by the hour, which is more cost efficient for clients and creates a healthier working environment for our legal staff. 

Avantia has lawyers all over the world and has hubs in London and the US. It services over 90 blue-chip clients in the asset management, private equity and hedge fund space, nearly all of whom are listed and publicly regulated companies. Our lawyers work with some of the most interesting and high-profile clients in the M&A business. 

Avantia Values

We empower our people

We give our people a voice and the freedom to excel. By trusting and supporting each other, we create a positive impact for our people and our clients.

We champion excellence

We take pride in delivering on our promises. By staying true to our word and maintaining the highest standards, we build trust and achieve outstanding results.

We are building the future

We’re leading the field in legal technology and together we’re creating the next generation of law firm. By challenging conventions, we’re creating a better way of working for our teams and clients. 

Remote/Hybrid Working

Paralegals are encouraged to come into our London Office 2-3 times a week to learn from lawyers and get to know their colleagues - but we do not have an office mandate and remote working is available. On occasion, you may be asked to come into the office for an all-hands meeting or training day. 

THE ROLES ON OFFER 

Paralegals learn under the instruction of our lawyers, many of whom are former American/Magic Circle/Silver Circle lawyers.

Investment Compliance Paralegal – Our Compliance staff “work like detectives” to uncover any potential threats to our clients prior to the completion of a transaction. They scan counterparty documents, look for red flags and note any politically exposed persons. They examine the corporate structures of counterparties, identify UBOs, and outline potential risks in legal memos. This role is excellent for building commercial awareness. 

Document Review Paralegal – These paralegals work with routine documents such as non-disclosure agreements, non-reliance letters, and engagement letters. They track documents throughout their life cycle, draft first markups, negotiate with counterparties, manage inboxes, and more. Senior paralegals are offered a lot of autonomy and may have the opportunity to take the lead on client accounts.

SALARIES

Salaries for junior staff begin at £30,500 with regular opportunities for promotion, career development and advancement. We also offer a benefits package (see below for full details).

APPLICATION PROCESS AND KEY DATES

We have designed the application process with graduates in mind. We know how frustrating the current graduate market can be and have designed a process which will not waste your time or our time and will give you the chance to prove your true skills in a meritocratic fashion.

The application process is conducted on a rolling basis, and we will close the ad when we have filled the eight Academy places, so don’t delay your application. The process is as follows:

1) Apply through this advertisement.

2) Screening Assessment. You must complete a screening assessment to be considered. This will be automatically emailed to you once you have submitted your application. If you haven’t received this email, check your spam/junk folder. 

This is not the Watson Glaser or any off-the-shelf product – all our tests are designed in-house to truly assess your aptitude for the legal work we do at Avantia, and you will learn something just from taking them, even if you do not pass. You will have 45 minutes to submit your screening test. You can take it at a time of your choosing, from home, but remember that applications are graded on a rolling basis so don’t delay.

The deadline for submitting the screening test is the end of the day Friday, January 10th,though we will close this screening sooner if all the places have been filled. 

3) Long Form Assessment. Those who pass the screening test will be asked to complete a longer form assessment from home. You can choose to take the Contracts assessment, the Investment Compliance assessment, or both if you choose to go for both roles. The deadline for long form assessment completion is Sunday, January 13th, though we may close the assessments sooner if all places have been filled.

This is your chance to shine and show us your critical thinking skills, regardless of your background or education. The assessment closely mimics what our legal professionals do on a day-to-day basis and may look daunting, but we grade them with the understanding that most of our candidates are beginners with little or no experience. We do not expect you to have previous legal knowledge or to get everything right - we’re looking to see how you think and how you approach legal work you have not encountered before..The assessment is also a great opportunity for you to discover if Avantia’s work is a good fit for you, as it is a realistic example of what you should expect to be doing on a day-to-day basis as an entry level paralegal.

Results will be announced on January 17th, 2025 by email.

4) Academy Day will be on January 23rd, 2025. It will include presentations about Avantia, legal exercises, and interviews with our department leaders. Lunch will be provided and you will have a chance to meet a few members of our  team. In-person attendance is expected at our office near London Bridge/Southbank- however, if you are unable to reasonably attend in person, we may consider you for a role separately via video link. 

FEEDBACK, OUTCOMES AND FURTHER INFORMATION

- Those who do not take the screening assessment will not receive any further communication and should assume their application has been unsuccessful. All who take the screening assessment will receive an outcome via email. 

- You should also receive a confirmation via email after taking the assessments. 

- If you have taken the assessment(s) and haven’t heard back from us and you would like to follow up, please email graduates@avantialaw.com to follow up (please check your spam/junk folder first). 

- If you have any technical or other issues with the assessments, please get in touch as soon as you have the problem – we are unable to provide retakes to candidates who do not inform us of technical issues immediately. You can contact our office telephone in the event of a technical issue – ask for Audrey and state that you are a candidate taking the Academy assessment and are experiencing technical issues.  Please do not call for any other queries, mail graduates@avantialaw.com and someone will be in touch soon.

- All who take screening assessment will receive the answer key to the assessment after the screening has closed – this will serve as a useful form of feedback. We cannot provide individualised feedback to those who fail to pass screening stage due to the volume of applications and small size of our team.

- All who come to the Academy Day will receive feedback.

ANY QUESTIONS?

Please see the attached FAQ flyer. You can also contact us at graduates@avantialaw.com – please do not call the office unless you are experiencing immediate technical issues with your assessment, we will get back to you via email otherwise.  

• A demonstrated interest in law - legal education can demonstrate this, but we accept applications from students with any educational background
• Strong preference for candidates who are available for employment within 1 month
• You must have immigration permission to work for the first six months of your employment. If you are a migrant and are still in education, you must either be on a Graduate visa or have applied for your Graduate visa prior to starting at Avantia. Avantia has the ability to sponsor skilled worker visas on a case-by-case basis after this period. Please see our FAQ flyer or contact us via graduates@avantialaw.com if you have further questions

Equal Opportunities

At Avantia, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace, and we firmly believe in equal opportunities for all. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences that each individual brings to our team. We embrace diversity in all its forms. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to contribute their best work. We encourage you to communicate any reasonable accommodations you may need during the recruitment process and future employment. Please email graduates@avantialaw.com to let us know ahead of any interview or assessment, we will be happy to suggest or confidentially discuss reasonable adjustments.

·      25 days holiday + UK Bank Holidays + 1 Day off for your birthday

·      Remote first (anywhere in the UK) or choose to work from our lovely London Bridge office whenever you wish.

·      Private healthcare or the option to use the budget to be reimbursed for other wellness activities of your choice

·      Annual subscription to your choice of Calm or Headspace

·      Early finish Fridays in the summer

·      Pension scheme (enhanced after 1 year service)

·      Enhanced family friendly policies after 1 year