Trainee Solicitor

We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future.  

As strategies, technologies, and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity. 

Our teams of interdisciplinary experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results. 

We are over 4,000 strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers, and technologists. And we have deep expertise in consumer and manufacturing, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport.  

Our teams operate globally from offices across the UK, Ireland, US, Nordics, and Netherlands. 

PA. Bringing Ingenuity to Life. 

PA Consulting Group is seeking a trainee solicitor to join our Cambridge office. The role of Trainee Solicitor will involve all aspects of legal and commercial training in the provision of commercial legal advice to PA’s corporate and business units.  These are predominantly located in the UK, Europe and US although only English law will be the basis for such training.  
 
The Trainee Solicitor will work closely with a variety of teams and individuals within PA and will understand the link between the legal department and the business to ensure the highest quality of services and compliance is met. 

Reporting to Senior Legal Counsel we can promise a wide variety of work, in a supportive and collegiate environment.   

The role will involve

Provision of legal advice – risks and mitigations - on the following topics:  

· Contract law 

· IP and IT law 

· Dispute Resolution 

· Employment law

· Procurement processes (including public procurement) 

Review and negotiation of:

· Confidentiality agreements 

· Service contracts 

· Subcontract agreements 

· Framework agreements 

· Purchase terms and conditions 

· IT license agreements 

Internal support for the legal function: 

· Contract summaries and maintaining online databases and registers 

· Administering large Framework Agreements 

· Ad hoc tasks to support other lawyers and other colleagues 

· Assistance with the production and delivery of internal training 

Identifying commercial and legal risk and suitable strategies for mitigation: 

• Supporting (and eventually leading) all aspects of legal support with the business 

• Assisting internal clients through the internal processes 

• Minimising legal risk within the business more generally 

• Assisting Procurement to negotiate successfully and within PA’s risk boundaries 

• Assisting Audit with internal reviews 

• Promoting best practice  

• Retaining and filing all relevant documentation 

• Delivering training to the business

Hybrid working - our approach is to be in the office or on client site a minimum of 2 days per week. However, the actual time you spend and where you spend it will vary by role or assignment.

• Must be able to qualify either through the SQE route or the LPC route (with degree or equivalent)
• Evidence of problem-solving ability 
• Experience of customer facing roles  
• Ability to deal with a wide variety of internal and external clients, with differing backgrounds (commercial, legal, academic and technical) 
• Experience of working to a deadline and managing several deadlines at one time 

• Ability to work with internal clients in other jurisdictions 
• Ability to work alone and as part of a close-knit team 
• Excellent communication skills  
• Ability to think creatively, to provide guidance and pragmatic solutions rather than ‘the letter of the law’ 
• An interest in the wider business and its ventures 

• Ability to work through complex legal documentation, identifying commercial as well as legal risk 
• Experience negotiating and clear writing a benefit but not essential
• The ability to pass security screening and the right to work in the UK 

We know the skill-gap and ‘somewhat need to tick every box’ can get in the way of meeting brilliant candidates, so please don’t hesitate to apply – we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today by completing our online application

Please be aware that some of our UK roles at PA Consulting require a UK security clearance.

All PA people are required to undergo background checks and to achieve the Baseline Personnel Security Standard however, some UK roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting, where applicants must have at least 5 years of continuous residency in the UK.

We therefore ask that you only apply if you meet the residency requirements (i.e. you are a British citizen or have been resident in the UK for the past 5 years), as this is the prerequisite for a security clearance. If you're unsure about your eligibility, we encourage you to review the UK Government’s guidance on security vetting before applying.

Life At PA encompasses our peoples' experience at PA. It's about how we enrich peoples’ working lives by giving them access to unique people and growth opportunities and purpose led meaningful work. 

Our purpose guides how we work with our clients and our teams, and support our communities, to deliver insight and impact, solving the world’s most complex challenges. We're focused on building a workplace that values human difference and diverse mindsets, and a culture of inclusion and equality that unlocks the potential in our people so everyone can be their best self. 

Find out more about Life at PA here. 

We are dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional, social and financial well-being of our people. Check out some of our extensive benefits: 

• Health and lifestyle perks accompanying private healthcare
• 25 days annual leave (plus a bonus half day on Christmas Eve) with the opportunity to buy 5 additional days 
• Generous company pension scheme 
• Opportunity to get involved with community and charity-based initiatives 
• Annual performance-based bonus 
• PA share ownership 
• Tax efficient benefits (cycle to work, give as you earn) 

We’re committed to advancing equality. We recruit, retain, reward and develop our people based solely on their abilities and contributions and without reference to their age, background, disability, genetic information, parental or family status, religion or belief, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity (or expression), political belief, veteran status, or any other range of human difference brought about by identity and experience. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups. 

Adjustments or accommodations - Should you need any adjustments or accommodations to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us on [email protected] 

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