Senior Associate Knowledge Lawyer (Loan Products)

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

Our one firm global strategy is focused on targeted growth led by the needs of our core clients, those who we can best support with the breadth and depth of Clifford Chance expertise, across the sectors and geographies, which matter most to them.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

Hybrid Working

This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way with the expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time.

The Role

Our Loans group is an acknowledged market leader. Our work reflects the dynamism and volatility of today’s financial markets, where competitive edge is built on innovation, foresight and an understanding of client needs.

The products we advise on within the Loans Group include Corporate & Investment Grade Lending, Leveraged & Acquisition Finance – including Infrastructure Finance and Private Credit, Funds Finance and Trade & Export Finance.

Our clients include industry bodies such as the Loan Market Association (LMA), sovereign entities, ECAs, the world's leading financial institutions such as international banks, funds and private equity houses.

[The group is consistently ranked highly in Chambers UK & Legal 500 categories and the recipient of several notable awards. Some of our recent awards and rankings include:

Who you will work with

Our Loans Group in London is made up of 18 Partners, 67 Lawyers and 20 trainees. You will sit with the knowledge team specialising in loan products that sits within and supports (but not exclusively) the Loans Group.

We also collaborate extensively with other groups within our finance and capital markets practice as well as other practice areas across the firm such as Corporate, Real Estate and Tax. In line with our firm strategy, you will also work with our other offices, in particular our European ones, to help deliver a seamless service to our clients.

Nature of our work

The majority of our work is cross-border or international. The Loans Group works with our clients on a mix of large transactional matters, as well as strategic projects for the LMA and our bank and financial investor/fund clients.

Our commercial way of thinking and legal creativity is fundamental to the outcome of our clients’ businesses.

Our market-leading experience continues to attract the most complex, challenging and ground-breaking deals to the firm. And this, in turn, has enabled us to attract some of the best and most ambitious lawyers to assist our clients and build one of the market’s leading, and most diverse, practices.

What you will do

As a knowledge lawyer, your role will be dedicated primarily (but not exclusively) to non fee-earning activities.

Instead of being committed to transactions, your time will be applied in a detailed analysis of the law and what it means practically and commercially for our practice. The goal of our knowledge lawyers is to enable our fee-earners to react with significant speed and commerciality to legal developments internally and for our clients in a readily understandable and efficient way.

Our knowledge lawyers act as draftsmen, deal facilitators, legal policy makers, thought leaders and legal counsellors. They aim to be approachable, offer deal pressure relief, add value, spot synergies across our practice teams and offices, raise legal awareness and enhance technological understanding.

The role will involve:

• Creation and maintenance of templates and practice notes

• Drafting client briefings and presenting on webinars and other client facing thought leadership initiatives

• Supporting the maintenance and creation of knowhow collections and precedent collections

• Providing knowledge support to lawyers advising clients on transactions through an enquiries line

• Participation in cross-practice knowledge groups

• Participating in internal education and seminars.

• Active participation in the group's work with the LMA, working on various LMA projects and documents as necessary

• Analysing upcoming legal and market practice change in order to help partners and lawyers reflect those changes in their deals and assess business development priorities

• Analysing and summarising case law for internal use and client facing newsletters

• Participating in and following up from deal reviews

• Understanding, embracing and helping to develop AI products

• Collaborating with different teams across the international Clifford Chance network

• Liaising with the Information Office team to monitor and share information about relevant areas of legal change

Your experience 

You will be a qualified lawyer with a minimum of two years' experience and a thorough understanding of the law and practice relating to loans and with significant experience in the loan products.

An excellent academic record will have been complemented by demonstrable practical experience as a private practice lawyer who has advised banks, corporates, financial investors and other financial institutions.

You must have strong research, organisational and drafting skills with an interest in the non-transactional aspects of the law but an ability to think commercially is essential. You must have excellent communication skills, be self-motivated and be able to work independently but also as part of a knowledge team.

You will be approachable and proactive, with a view to providing commercial solutions for the UK's leading loans team.

How we will support you

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and develop your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.

Equal opportunities statement

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.