Practice Development Lawyer

**The Opportunity**

We are looking for a Practice Development Lawyer (PDL) to join our Risk Advisory Services practice group and support our International Arbitration practice. The role is open to be based in either our Hong Kong or Singapore office.

The International Arbitration practice comprises lawyers in a number of disciplines across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, South Africa and Asia Pacific. The role is strongly market-facing with a focus on developing the profile of our International Arbitration practice and identifying opportunities to build our brand. There will be a secondary focus on internal knowledge management to help ensure our lawyers are working efficiently with a clear view of market trends and emerging legal developments. The role will aim to leverage technology to develop products and improve efficiency and client service.

You will join a team of Practice Development Lawyers (PDLs) each of whom is assigned to one of our Practice Groups with responsibility also for engaging with one or more of our Sectors. You will report to a Partner in Hong Kong or Singapore and with dotted line reporting to our Director of Knowledge.

For the avoidance of doubt, this will be a non-fee earning role.

**Key duties and responsibilities**:

- working with our stakeholders / BD team to improve our rankings in international arbitration in the key directories such as the Global Arbitration Review, Who's Who, etc.
- identifying and securing speaking / panel opportunities for our senior practitioners at arbitration and industry events located in the main arbitration centres such as London, Aberdeen, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Middle East, Beijing, Johannesburg, Houston, etc.
- identifying opportunities to host major conferences / events at our hub offices or to sponsor pieces of academic or market research
- working with our stakeholders to contribute regularly to some of the key journals and websites in the arbitration arena and to develop our media profile on platforms such as Outlaw, LinkedIn, X, the FT, BBC, etc.
- working with our senior stakeholders to secure more endorsements / referrals from clients and practitioners which we can quote both in bid documentation and in the media
- developing the firm's relationships and profile with key professional membership organisations, such as the CIArb and the IBA and with the leading arbitral institutions such as the ICC, LCIA, DIAC, SIAC, HKIAC, SCC, as well as the German DIS and other institutions in emerging markets
- working with our stakeholders to strengthen our links with leading University programmes, both to build strong relationships with some of the key practitioners in this space and to identify / source talented lawyers for the future
- working with our Technology Services teams to develop innovative products to introduce greater efficiencies, better client service and client knowledge products
- identifying and communicating legal and market developments of interest both internally and to our clients
- maintaining and increasing key knowledge-based content on our knowhow and precedents repository
- designing and delivering internal training programmes covering technical and advocacy skills, using external speakers, internal expertise and various media including training films

**About you**

To be considered for the role, you will have a strong technical, practical and up to date grounding in international arbitration, ideally with working knowledge of more than one arbitral institution as well as:

- 4 yr+ PQE; Good academic qualifications; an honours degree at a minimum 2:1 level
- A passion for innovation and delivering on our vision of high quality digital service delivery to clients
- A vision for and keen interest in the development of the PDL role in the digital age
- Experience of project implementation(s) with busy partners and lawyers as well as PDLs
- A strong appreciation of the key legal and commercial issues relevant to our clients and prospective clients, within the context of arbitration
- A client-oriented approach, with an ability to develop ideas into client knowledge products that create opportunities to engage with clients
- A good understanding of the legal, business and market knowledge sources available to our legal teams and other professionals

**In addition to an excellent technical grounding, you will have**:

- An established network with and profile within at least one arbitral institution
- Well developed people skills - in particular how to work in a virtual team to get traction/work effectively with busy lawyers and partners
- Flexibility to travel and engage with cross office working with occasional 'day return' travel
- Confidence when supporting projects that may involve interfacing with FTSE 250 General Counsel/members of their in house legal team
- Confident interpersonal and persuasion skills, and the ability to engage with senior members of our firm

**About Pinsent Masons**

Pinsent Masons is a