Risk Paralegal

We are recruiting a Risk Paralegal for our Risk team. The successful individual will report to the Head of Risk

About Macfarlanes

Macfarlanes is a pre-eminent law firm that serves a global client base in private capital, private wealth, M&A and disputes. Personal connection, an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to excellence are at the heart of our firm. These values drive our ability to deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients.

We are big enough to undertake the most complex and demanding mandates yet small enough to know each other well and to be agile, adapting to the needs of our clients. We seek to strengthen the firm by recruiting talented people from all backgrounds who want to build long-lasting and impactful careers with us. Our culture is challenging and supportive, creating an environment where individuals can thrive.

What this means for you

Joining Macfarlanes means being part of a collaborative, lawyer-led team where you’ll develop and learn from experienced lawyers and business professionals. Our size means you’ll be given genuine responsibility early on and often be involved at the heart of legal and regulatory matters, gaining insight into how high-quality legal advice is developed and delivered to help a sophisticated business remain compliant while meeting its commercial needs.

You’ll work closely with senior colleagues who are approachable and who want you to succeed. You’ll be encouraged to get involved in cross-departmental activities, and you’ll be recognised for your contribution.

We place real importance on your development. Our training and mentoring programmes are second to none and designed to help you strengthen your legal and commercial skills.

Above all, you’ll be part of a firm where we all work together as part of a cohesive and supportive team, where you’ll be recognised and appreciated, and encouraged to succeed.

The team

The Risk Management department -– which comprises the Risk team and the Business Acceptance team - is led by the firm’s Director of Risk (also the firm’s COLP and MLRO). The Risk team is currently made up of a Head of Risk, Senior Risk Lawyer, a Risk Lawyer, a Risk Practice Executive and a Risk Paralegal.

The role

The successful candidate will, in addition to the existing Risk Paralegal, support the Risk team in ensuring that the firm and its people comply with their legal and regulatory obligations. The role involves assisting the team with tasks such as research and project support, as well as dealing with a broad range of queries (including those relating to professional conduct issues and data breaches), reviewing client engagement terms and third party supplier contracts, and assisting with the completion of client due diligence questionnaires and data subject access requests. The successful candidate will also provide assistance to the Director of Risk with the management of professional indemnity matters.

This job description encompasses the main duties of the role and is by no means exhaustive. It is anticipated that duties may vary from time to time according to the needs of the department.

The candidate

We are seeking a highly motivated self-starter who excels at managing several different tasks at the same time and is at ease interacting with senior management. The candidate will have good writing, communication and computer skills, and an enthusiasm for assisting the Risk team with the appropriate implementation of AI, alongside excellent organisational skills. The successful candidate should have a law degree from the UK (or commonwealth equivalent).

Paralegal development 

Our learning curriculum is designed to equip our people with the broad range of skills and knowledge they need to develop and be effective in their roles. The curriculum includes sessions specifically aimed at paralegals, covering essential legal and business skills to support individuals at the start of their legal career.

We deliver training throughout the year in a range of different ways. This includes webinars, workshops, one-to-one skills support, mentoring and coaching. We support development opportunities in a variety of topics, including communication, presentation and drafting skills.

Routes to qualification

Paralegals looking to qualify as associates are encouraged to apply for our Training Programme. They can do so once they have completed six months’ employment, subject to certain conditions.

Alternatively, if you wish to self-fund the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), we offer study leave and exam leave (subject to approval) and will sign off Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) gained at Macfarlanes that meets the SRA’s requirements. Paralegals that have qualified in this way may be considered for NQ vacancies not filled by those qualifying through the firm’s Training Programme – or that are being recruited for externally – provided that they have completed at least one year of their QWE at Macfarlanes and passed both SQE 1 and SQE 2 on the first attempt.

Application screening

Any offer of employment with us is subject to our pre-employment checks which are conducted by a third-party screening provider. These may include but are not limited to your professional and academic qualifications, any criminal records and employment references. These checks will be initiated with your consent and your offer will be subject to the successful completion of these checks. 

Our commitment to inclusion

Inclusion is one of our key priorities and it is a goal we are actively working towards. We believe that an inclusive, forward-thinking culture is intrinsically important and enables us to provide innovative solutions to our clients.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, bringing different perspectives and experiences, making Macfarlanes an exciting and stimulating place to work. We seek to recruit the best candidates, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, social or economic background, religion, disability, sexual orientation or any other characteristic.

As part of this commitment, we will ask you certain diversity data questions. We would really appreciate you and/or your recruiter completing these questions when submitting an application to Macfarlanes as this data enables us to measure our progress and identify any actions needed to continue to support an inclusive culture. This data is anonymised to maintain the privacy of applicants. If you have any questions relating to how this data is used, please contact a member of the recruitment team.

Should you require any adjustments during the application and/or interview process, please do not hesitate to inform your recruiter or a member of the recruitment team. Please note, the job description is available in other accessible formats (for example, large print).

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who best meet the essential criteria for the role. If you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme, please email the recruitment team at [email protected].