Where there is a business need, we will also support you with professional qualifications on a case-by-case basis.
What We Offer
When you join us, we’ll give you all the opportunities you need to grow your career. As well as getting exposure to a huge breadth of work, we’ll enable you to reach your goals with flexible development plans. Individually designed, these plans will allow you to gain experience in all areas and help you discover what's best for you and your career.
Business development
Our business development team works alongside our partners and lawyers across our sectors, services and offices to support and develop our relationships with clients, delivering an exceptional service and exploring new avenues through which we can help them meet their business needs. Our brand, marketing and digital team help position us as thought leaders amongst our target markets, in the areas we most want to be known for by creating intuitive and engaging collateral, events and campaigns.
As part of the business development team, you will play a hands-on role in contributing to the firm’s success and helping to achieve its objectives. This could be as one of our business development professionals, coaching partners on relationship building, or building our brand as one of our marketing, design or events professionals.
If you’re a commercially minded individual with a passion for business development and improving the client experience in a professional services environment, you could be just what we’re looking for. In return, we will provide you with opportunities to develop your career.
Business finance
The Herbert Smith Freehills business finance team works closely with management, practice groups, partners and business services teams to assist in driving its strategy, profitability, cash flow and growth.
Business finance ensures an adequate financial control framework is maintained to safeguard the integrity of the firm's finances and plays a key role in mitigating financial and business risks. The team provides robust financial information internally and externally to enable decision making, effective operations and to help the firm meet its client and statutory requirements. As a member of the business finance team, you will play a critical role in the firm's success.
Client services
First impressions last forever. The client services team is the face of Herbert Smith Freehills, representing our brand and values, and delivering the highest level of service to clients and stakeholders at our offices and events.
We take our reputation seriously. It’s critical that all our clients, employees and stakeholders have the best experience possible.
Join us and we will provide you with career opportunities that only a world-class professional services business can offer.
Corporate services
Corporate services comprises a number of teams from the firm's central management functions that support key activities both within the firm and in the external market. They coordinate common initiatives, improve communication and drive greater efficiency across our operations.
The teams, working globally, comprise:
Management services
This team is formed of a number of partners and consultants who provide leadership in developing our management and strategic direction, and in spearheading key strategic initiatives. Within this team, you’ll be supported by our strategy and planning team, who provide analysis to inform decision-making, develop business plans and project manage agreed initiatives and strategic reviews.
Pro bono and citizenship
Within this team, you’ll focus on:
- providing pro bono legal services to members of the public through legal and community centres, and sponsoring legal clinics in association with law faculties
- sustainable development, working with non-governmental organisations, supporting rule of law initiatives, and training on behalf of local bar associations in African and South East Asian countries
- building community through financial and in-kind support to community partners with a focus on those organisations that promote access to justice and opportunity; and
- reducing environmental impact, including targets for reducing energy and carbon, food waste, recycling and encouraging more environmentally friendly travel options
Internal and external communications
These teams are responsible globally for advising on and supporting our communications activities in all media, both internally and externally, including the development of our communications strategy and new communications initiatives.
Business Services Program Management Office (BSPMO)
The BSPMO manages an extensive portfolio of global firm-wide projects, including new systems and major transformation programs. Services offered include program/project management, change management and business analysis.
Facilities
The facilities team plays a central role in managing our working environment and the services within it, so that our legal teams can serve their clients to the best of their ability. That goes beyond just ensuring that professionals have the client-facing and office services and equipment they need. It’s about ensuring that every space around our global network serves its purpose effectively, whether that’s an office, a breakout area or a conference room.
General counsel and risk
General counsel and risk acts as our internal legal services team, ensuring that we fulfil all our governance, regulatory and risk management obligations.
The team deals with regulatory and policy compliance, as well as supporting the executive and governance boards and managing the firm’s insurance matters.
It advises our partners and lawyers to ensure that the firm remains a highly trusted source of advice in a constantly changing world, and works with our business services professionals in managing risk on behalf of the firm.
Human resources
Our competitive advantage is our people and our culture. Our HR team works closely with the leaders of the business to recruit exceptional people, nurture their development and guide their career.
As a member of the HR team, you could be working as a business partner assigned to a particular practice group, or in one of our specialist areas, including graduate or lateral recruitment, global mobility or reward. No matter what your position, you’ll play a core role in shaping the future of the firm.
Information technology
Innovative, efficient and effective IT systems are essential to the successful operation of a global law firm like Herbert Smith Freehills. The information technology team keeps our global team of lawyers and the supporting business services staff connected whether we're in the office or on the move.
Information technology is responsible for everything information systems-related. That includes:
- Technical support: IT helpdesks, asset management (including laptops and mobile devices) and technical training
- Infrastructure: networks and systems, servers (real and virtualised), disaster recovery, business continuity and IT security
- Innovation and technology: driving the increasingly important adoption of technology in new ways
- Development: designing and acquiring business applications.
While the roles within the team may vary, all involve providing the very best services and systems. You may also have the opportunity to work on challenging projects across the firm.
Knowledge and learning
Our knowledge and learning professionals support our lawyers to provide world-class legal advice. The team works collaboratively and innovatively to provide measurable value to our clients.
As part of this dynamic global team, you will drive collaboration and knowledge-sharing across jurisdictions and practice groups. You’ll be involved in strategic projects and deliver knowledge and learning solutions directly to our people and our clients. Whether it’s providing insightful legal updates, specialised research, innovative learning solutions or quality know-how and precedents, your expertise will equip our people with the skills and insight to deliver excellence in a competitive marketplace.
Secretarial services
The role of the legal secretary is critical in assisting our legal teams to perform at the highest level. The team provides high-quality support to lawyers and partners alike throughout our practice areas.
Your support will mean our lawyers can concentrate on providing practical and business-focussed advice to their clients. Our secretarial team also plays an important client-facing role, being in regular contact with our clients on behalf of lawyers.
Legal project management
Our legal project management offering consists of:
- a Centre of Excellence: teams of project management, process improvement and data analytics specialists
- embedded legal project managers (qualified subject matter experts) within practice groups across the network
The team’s goal is to improve the efficiency of matter management so that costs, value and profitability align, and to meet implicit and explicit client needs in service delivery. It combines both lawyers and non-lawyers, focussed on the common objective of providing the best experience for our clients.
Learning and Development
Whether you’re an experienced professional or at the beginning of your career, we’ll provide you with a stimulating environment in which to develop.
We believe that developing your capability is integral to your fulfilment and will support you in building both your knowledge of the firm and your professional skills. Our development programs maximise on-the-job learning and support you accelerating your performance.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Working with the diverse groups that make up our pro bono client base around the world offers you the chance to develop your professional knowledge and make a positive impact on issues close to your heart and ours.
Find out more about our other pro bono and responsible business opportunities here.
