Corporate Governance Advisory Associate

The Role

Our pre-eminent Corporate practice continues to be in growth mode and we are looking to bolster our focus in advising clients on compliance with their listed company legal and regulatory obligations, including on matters of corporate governance and best practice.

As part of this focus, we have an opening for a junior lawyer to work closely with the lawyers in our Corporate Transactions & Advisory team and our specialist Corporate Governance Director, to develop our listed company and corporate governance advisory practice. This is an increasingly important area both for our clients and for the continued development of our wider corporate practice.

We are Tier 1 for both corporate governance and M&A and the role will primarily support our Corporate partners in advising our London-listed clients on corporate governance, shareholder activism, disclosure obligations (including sustainability reporting and transition planning) and the continuing obligations regime, with a view to developing relationships with both existing and new clients.

This opportunity offers client facing engagement on a wide range of listed company corporate governance and advisory issues. This will range from helping to provide advice to key clients on specialist, non-transactional, advisory work to assisting with board training and induction. In addition, there will be opportunities for client outreach and engagement through thought leadership. You will also have a key role to play in keeping our lawyers' knowledge  up-to-date across a wider range of topics in this developing area of law and practice. This is a great opportunity for a junior lawyer, with a strong interest in Corporate Governance and in building client relationships to help continue driving forward the Corporate practice's listed PLC and governance offering.

Who you will work with

You will work in our leading, world-class global Corporate practice, alongside our Corporate Governance Director and the Corporate partners most closely associated with our Corporate Governance practice. The team ethos is very much based on collegiality and being proactive and innovative in how we support our clients.

What makes us one of the most respected Corporate practices globally is our client base, the mandates we win, our industry expertise and commercial approach, and our people and their intellectual capability.

We advise our clients, who are among the world's leading companies, on the full range of public and private transactions from complex multi-billion-pound cross-border deals, strategic joint ventures, major divestments and demergers, through to unsolicited takeover approaches, defence strategies and governance issues.

You will also work closely with our Corporate Knowledge and Information Team, our Business Development Team and our global KETL group.  "KETL" is the term we use for our Knowledge, Expertise and Thought Leadership activities.

The role will benefit from the support of the Clifford Chance Best Delivery experts and specialist paralegal resource, and the ability to harness our developing AI tools and other market-leading technology to deliver the highest-quality, seamless and cost-effective client service.

What you will be responsible for

Your remit will be to assist with advising our clients and also our internal lawyer community on all corporate aspects of legal and regulatory compliance and corporate governance including:

• Directors duties and conflicts
• Board and Committee governance structures
• AGM preparation and management
• Maintaining and updating Annual Report checklists for clients and reviewing client Annual Reports, AGM notices, aspects of Sustainability Reports and Transition Plans
• Narrative reporting requirements, including UK and EU sustainability reporting (CSRD, CSDDD etc.)
• UK Corporate Governance Code
• Governance best practice both for listed and large private companies
• Listed company regulatory obligations pursuant to the FCA's Listing Rules and DTRs
• PDMR and PCA dealings
• Creation and management of insider lists
• Market disclosures
• Market abuse issues

The role also encompasses getting involved in client and industry group outreach, helping to generate contacts and build our market profile.  To assist in this, you will help to produce thought leadership pieces; prepare client briefings; assist with designing and delivering training on legal and market developments for clients and colleagues; and assist with responses to consultations (including as part of the CLLS and Law Society company law committees), and assist the KETL team with developing and maintaining guidance notes and templates.

What you will do

In close association with Kate and our Corporate Governance partners your responsibilities include: 

Helping to enhance the profile of our governance advisory work across the Corporate practice, contributing to providing advisory services to clients and also by working alongside our Corporate lawyers in relevant work to help develop their knowledge and experience.

In collaboration with Kate and corporate partners, perform work relating to external legal committees, such as the City of London Law Society Company Law Committee and the Law Society Company Law Committee, including being involved in various Committee working groups to respond to industry/regulator consultations affecting listed companies.

Help to develop further our relationships with key industry and regulatory bodies such as the GC100, the Chartered Governance Institute, the FRC and the FCA.

Supporting production of bespoke legal and regulatory developments briefings/updates for key clients.

Working with both fee earners and clients on listed company AGM/annual reporting matters.

Assist with preparing quarterly board papers and presentation materials for board training sessions and NED onboarding training sessions.

Assisting with drafting our regular AGM season updates and conceiving and drafting additional client briefings as required.

Assisting with our internal risk procedures relating to the review of client notices of AGM.

Thought-leadership and Knowledge Management :

Tracking and analysing forthcoming listed company legal, regulatory  and corporate governance related developments and helping to prepare and send out the corporate governance weekly update to clients, as well as helping to brief lawyers and clients on their impact and on actions required for implementation.

Tracking and analysing forthcoming UK and EU ESG developments, in order to help to prepare a six-monthly Corporate ESG horizon scanner (UK and EU) and, potentially, a global ESG Guide.

Assisting with providing internal expertise to fee earner and client queries on listed company legal, regulatory and governance related matters, whilst promoting knowledge sharing by fee earners.

Providing input into our listed company and governance related templates.

Assisting with the preparation and delivery of training programmes on public company issues, including AGM best practice and ongoing legal and regulatory obligations.

Your experience

• You will have a solid background as a junior lawyer, ideally with experience advising listed public companies on legal and regulatory compliance, market disclosure and corporate governance matters or at least a keen interest in these topics.
• You should have excellent technical legal skills; well-developed analytical skills; an enthusiasm for identifying and sharing market trends; and the ability to communicate clearly and concisely.
• An outstanding academic history and be able to demonstrate excellent document drafting skills. You should demonstrate strong communication and analytical skills along with a high level of commercial awareness.
• We are looking for someone with good attention to detail, strong organisational skills and a proactive and committed approach to providing a first class service to our lawyers and clients.
• You will be able to demonstrate a collaborative approach to your work and a strong team ethos.

How we will support you

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

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.

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.

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