Associate

PQE: NQ - 2
Term: Permanent
Working hours: Full-time
Department: Digital, Commerce and Creative
Location: Belfast
The firm

The expert tech law team formerly known as Forde Campbell has merged with Jones Cassidy Brett and the international London based firm Lewis Silkin, to form Lewis Silkin NI.

The merger has taken the IT, IP and data protection law expertise of the Forde Campbell team, recognised in Chambers and Legal 500 as Northern Irish market leaders with top tier sector experts, and combined it with the Creators, Makers and Innovators teams in Lewis Silkin’s offices. Lewis Silkin is an international law firm with offices in Oxford, Manchester, Cardiff, London, Dublin, Hong Kong and now in Belfast. Our Belfast team specialises in IT, IP, data protection, corporate and employment law.  Lewis Silkin NI now has access to tech and commercial transactions on a global basis, while still retaining its Irish client base and its roots in the Belfast start-up hub scene.

The merger has given the Northern Irish firm access to support and resources to allow it to provide unparalleled employment opportunities to Northern Irish tech lawyers, including lawyers returning home after working in Ireland or Great Britain.

The firm offers the chance to work with a quality client base to structure a career in all aspects of tech commercial law, with particular opportunities in the creation of an all-Ireland business law service to target the US and Chinese tech markets.  Our lawyers are in daily contact with colleagues in the other Lewis Silkin offices, sharing expertise and partaking in the wider firm’s superb training and business development opportunities. Finally, the quality of life at Lewis Silkin is literally award-winning, with the firm consistently being recognised as one of Britain’s best employers by the Sunday Times’ esteemed 100 Best Companies to Work For survey.

The department

The Creators, Makers and Innovators team is made up of leading advisers for creative, innovative and brand-focused businesses, offering a deep understanding of the industry sectors in which clients operate combined with real expertise across a wide range of legal services. From start-ups to multinationals, the firm’s comprehensive and commercially focused advice helps clients succeed in an increasingly complex and converged international marketplace.

The Team – DCC

You will form part of the market leading Digital, Creative and Commerce team a diverse and exciting range of work, for example; technology, e-commerce, consumer, sponsorship, talent agreements, data privacy, IP, franchising, distribution, agency, advertising, media and entertainment, media buying, sports, video games and gambling law.  

The team is a fantastic, energetic and sociable group with an extremely impressive and varied client base, predominantly in the retail, technology, advertising and marketing, media, professional services, entertainment and sport sectors.

Responsibilities

We are seeking a commercial lawyer to join our team who

  • has a strong record of liaising and working directly with business clients;
  • understands the importance of listening to clients to identify their commercial requirement – and then creating or adapting the appropriate commercial documents to capture the requirements;
  • is interested in how tech impacts on everyday life, and in the latest tech trends;
  • is interested in learning more about one or more of data protection, intellectual property or IT law, potentially with a view towards specialisation;
  • wants to help create and be a part of a leading Irish tech law team, advising clients around the world.

Candidate profile:

The successful candidate is likely to have up to 2 years PQE and gained the benefit of training and development in a well-respected commercial team.

The candidate must have comprehensive commercial law knowledge, a strong analytical ability and a clear communication style (both spoken and written). They must have a commercial approach to client service, enjoy and be comfortable doing business development and, above all, must be a team player.

EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

  • Qualified lawyer with a current UK or Irish practising certificate
  • Competent in MS Office suite.
Additional information

At Lewis Silkin our ethos is simple. We strive to do the best for our clients, our people and the communities in which we operate. We recognise that an inclusive workplace allows for all kinds of ideas and thoughts, a variety of points of view that can trigger discussions or deliver innovative results, and a wide range of versatile skills and expertise. We are proud of the diversity within Lewis Silkin and of our culture that allows people to be themselves at work, ensuring we provide the best possible service to our clients. We are committed to finding the right person for this role and are open to discussing flexible working patterns and office location.