Corporate Governance Director

The Role

Job Purpose

As part of this focus, we have an opening for a senior lawyer to continue to build and shape our listed company legal and regulatory compliance and corporate governance advisory practice. The Corporate Governance team currently comprises 2 qualified lawyers who are dedicated full-time to this practice and we are recruiting to fill the senior vacancy within that team. This is a well-respected expert adviser role supporting our London Corporate partners in our listed company advisory practice, in particular by advising our London-listed clients and large global corporate enterprises clients on corporate governance, shareholder activism, disclosure obligations and the continuing obligations regime.

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 is expected to use our market-leading technology to deliver the highest-quality, seamless and cost-effective client service.

Key Responsibilities

This is a tremendous opportunity for a senior lawyer, with a strong interest in corporate governance to undertake a strategically important role within a highly regarded international law firm, to drive forward the Corporate practice's governance offering and build a market reputation as a governance and corporate advisory expert. We would encourage the successful applicant to build relations with leading trade organisations think tanks and academic establishments to support and guide our leading Corporate Governance market reputation.

The successful applicant will also be responsible for helping to manage the work and career development of the more junior member of our Corporate Governance team in conjunction with relevant partners within our Corporate Practice. You will work alongside the Corporate partners most closely associated with our Corporate Governance practice, with whom we anticipate you will form a close working relationship.

Your remit will be to advise 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 assisting with the review of client Annual Reports and AGM notices, as well as narrative reporting aspects of Sustainability Reports and Transition Plans
• 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
• Market disclosures and compliance with the UK Market Abuse Regulation.

Your Experience

Skills and Experience

• You will be a senior lawyer with significant experience advising listed public companies on legal and regulatory compliance, market disclosure and corporate governance matters.
• You will possess excellent technical legal skills and knowledge in a number of the key areas; well-developed analytical skills; and the ability to communicate clearly and concisely.
• You will have strong drafting skills, have good attention to detail with strong organisational skills and be proactive and committed to providing a first-class service to our lawyers and clients.
• You will be able to demonstrate the ability to forge strong personal relationships and a strong team ethos, with a confident ability to work alongside the Corporate Governance partners, the fee earners and the established Knowledge lawyer and Business Development teams.
• Building the profile of our governance advisory work across the Corporate practice, by providing advisory services to clients and also by engaging Corporate lawyers in relevant work to build their knowledge and experience.
• In collaboration with 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 representing the firm on various Committee working groups to respond to industry/regulator consultations affecting listed companies.
• Further develop 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.
• Responsibility for drafting our annual AGM update and conceiving and drafting additional client briefings as required.
• Taking a leading role working with both fee earners and clients on listed company AGM/annual reporting matters.
• Representing the Firm in pitches where listed company compliance and governance expertise is required and overseeing pitches to win listed company advisory mandates.

Thought leadership and Knowledge Management:

Key Competencies:

• Ability to track and analyse forthcoming listed company legal, regulatory and corporate governance related developments in order to brief lawyers and clients on their impact and actions required for implementation.
• Provide internal expertise to fee earner and client queries on listed company legal, regulatory and governance related matters, whilst promoting the knowledge sharing by fee earners.
• Provide guidance on the preparation and delivery of training programmes on public company issues, including AGM best practice and ongoing legal and regulatory obligations.

Client Engagement:

• Able to engage with clients on a wide range of listed company corporate advisory issues, working directly with key clients on specialist, non-transactional, advisory work.
• Ability to build our market presence through thought leadership and adding significant value to our efforts to grow our corporate client base and expand the range of work we undertake for clients.

Team Management:

• Ability to manage the work and career development of the more junior member of our Corporate Governance team in conjunction with relevant partners within our Corporate Practice.

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.

Equal Opportunities

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.