Risk Contracts Lawyer (Client Terms)

CMS are recruiting for an experienced Risk Contracts Lawyer to join our Risk & Compliance team in London.

About us

CMS is a Future Facing firm with more than 70 offices in over 40 countries and 5,000+ lawyers worldwide. We combine deep local market understanding with a global perspective. We are passionate about building strong relationships with our clients, our people, and the communities we work in.

We take a bold, dynamic, and agile approach to ensure our clients are able to face the future with confidence. We are driven by technology and readily embrace the possibilities it opens up for developing new and better ways of working.  Our aim is to inspire, impact and support our clients and our people, helping them to maximize their potential and thrive.

About the Role

In this role, you can expect to get involved in a variety of work including: 

This role is a great opportunity for the right candidate to make a real contribution towards the shape and vision of this forward-thinking Department. Clients may ask the firm to engage with them under their terms of business rather than the firm’s standard terms of business. This role will provide support to the business in managing the client terms process and reviewing ad hoc contracts with a risk focus. The firm have deployed a  “client term’s platform” and the Contracts Lawyer will be instrumental in ensuring the tool is effectively used and enhanced, so that it continues to meet the needs of the business.   

•    Review and negotiate client terms, including associated documents, providing comments from a risk perspective
•    Manage the client terms online platform, ensuring the workflow is efficient and terms are recorded accurately
•    Liaise with the relevant internal departments to produce a comprehensive review of client terms, such as information security, commercial finance and billing teams. 
•    Providing guidance to the Partner corresponding with the client and offering advice on how best to negotiate, when necessary
•    Perform audits on the client term’s database to maintain high standards of data quality
•    Maintain regular contact with the various business service departments in connection with client terms and consider how any feedback may be implemented
•    Building on and creating new precedents for client terms, adding to the portfolio of existing risk know-how
•    Identifying new trends in client terms and how best to manage the associated risk
•    Provide input on wider CMS projects with respect to the client term’s data and platform 
•    Drafting policies, procedures or other training material, concerning client terms
•    Reviewing NDA’s, confidentiality agreements, secondment agreements and similar from a risk perspective 
•    Completing and coordinating the completion of client questionnaires
•    Deliver training to the firm on the client term’s platform and process, when required
•    Acting as a technical expert on the client term’s platform and liaising with any service providers in relation to performance issues or enhancements
•    Building the profile of the department and raising awareness of the client term’s platform
•    Working closely with the wider Risk Department
•    Horizon scanning, contributing to risk team meetings and knowledge sharing
•    Undertaking ad hoc risk research and projects

About You

We will invest in your ongoing training and development to support your professional goals and help you to thrive in your role from day one.  Our opportunities are open to all suitably qualified applicants, so to be considered for this role you must meet the following skills and experience:

Qualified lawyer with 5+ years experience in contracts
•    Experience of working in an international commercial law environment
•    Contract review experience, with an appreciation of commercial issues as well legal/regulatory
•    Knowledge of typical client term clauses (e.g. conflicts, audit, liability) and how they are best negotiated
•    Experience reviewing general contracts within a law firm, such as NDAs, confidentiality agreements, secondment agreements
•    Experience working with various stakeholders
•    Excellent research and analytical experience
•    Discrete and professional as the information will be confidential and sensitive
•    Flexible and able to adapt to new situations, processes and technology. 
•    Proactive, resilient and calm under pressure
•    Able to demonstrate structured critical thinking skills
•    Sound judgement and analytical skills
•    Clear and efficient communication skills
•    Strong organisation skills
Desirable Experience and Skills:
•    Data protection experience
•    Experience of deploying new technology into current processes

What's in it for you?

We want to reward you today and help you plan for tomorrow.  We appreciate that everyone is different, therefore we have designed a benefits system that offers choice and flexibility based on individual needs and lifestyles.  To name just a few, these include: 

• Competitive basic salary (reviewed annually)
• Flexible, hybrid working policy
• Generous bonus scheme
• Up to 25 days holiday (rising to 28 days with service)
• Holiday exchange scheme
• Private medical insurance
• Enhanced parental leave
• Reasonable adjustments and accommodation for disabled talent in accordance with the Equality Act 2010

If you would like to read more information regarding our range of benefits please visit our Rewards & Benefits page on our website.

Equal Opportunities

At CMS, we place diversity and inclusion at the centre of our culture and at the heart of our organisation.  Not only does it make our firm a more rewarding place to work, but it also creates a stronger, more successful, and sustainable business where everyone feels comfortable and welcome. 

We are a Disability Confident Employer, and we actively encourage applications from people with disabilities, whether visible or invisible.  We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity as well as recruiting, retaining, and developing disabled talent at CMS.  If you have a disability, or if you would like to discuss any accessibility requirements or adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact Ruth Kavanagh at TalentAcquisition@cms-cmno.com who will be happy to support you. 

Ready to apply?  Here are the next steps.

We look forward to receiving your application via our CMS Careers site.  Please contact our Talent Acquisition team if you have any questions.  

Please note that we have a preferred agency panel in place. Only applications submitted via the portal at the point of instruction will be accepted.