London, England, United Kingdom
Associate solicitor in the Projects team at Watson Farley & Williams, focussing on project development and construction in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Associate in the Projects team focussing on project development and construction in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Trainee solicitor including seats in the Asset Finance, Projects (Finance and Development), Corporate (Bangkok and London offices) and Dispute Resolution teams.
Legal and Risk Paralegal assisting with the development and delivery of a project aimed at ensuring firm compliance with the EU Mandatory Disclosure Rules. Responded to fee-earner queries in relation to the rules and the extent to which they affected the matters they were working on. Conducted quality assurance testing on a bespoke review platform and liaised with the external provider to ensure a seamless process transition. Conducted training sessions with large groups of fee-earners and assistants to ensure they were confident using the software and understood its purpose.
E-Disclosure and Review Paralegal, working as part of a small team on a long term disclosure and investigation. Conducted large scale review of sensitive documents and applied tags based on the issues raised. Presented points of interest to the Legal Team on a weekly basis. Concisely summarised witness statements for use by Counsel when preparing cross-examination questions. Reviewed cross-examination questions prepared by Counsel, using searches and knowledge of the subject matter to ensure no details were missed. Completed bundling and copy checking tasks, liaising with business teams to ensure requirements were met. Used document review platforms such as Relativity and became experienced at creating searches to compile information for the Legal Team.
Paralegal, seconded to the private banking division of a global financial institution. Worked as part of the Regulatory Change team to ensure the Bank had appropriate safeguards in the event of a 'No Deal Brexit'. Conducted large scale document review of client agreements, identifying points and clauses that needed variation. Checked colleagues’ work and gave relevant feedback in relation to points of contention, discussed and agreed on the correct approach. Took the initiative to devise workarounds for exceptional documents, created templates to be used by others when analysing specific documents. Participated in internal and external communication plans, proofreading communications for ultra- high-net-worth clients and responding to queries from private bankers. Worked under pressure to client led deadlines to ensure quality work achieved. Used Microsoft Excel daily to analyse data accurately and efficiently. Created and provided reports to the bank leadership group on a weekly basis, which required attention to detail. Took an active role in meetings, planning next steps and taking responsibility for actions before presenting the outcomes to the leadership team.
• Conducted event driven reviews of commercial clients to ensure compliance with anti-money laundering regulation and bank policy. Investigated complex corporate structures to identify beneficial owners and controllers of entities such as limited companies, trusts and partnerships. • Identified missing information, then explained requirements to private bankers to ensure it was obtained in the correct format. • Interpreted legal documents, such as trust deeds and articles of association to understand how clients are governed. • Conducted adverse searches on clients to manage reputational risk to the bank as well as to identify other AML risk factors, such as politically exposed persons, industry, and country risk. • Made risk-based judgements regarding application of policy, seeking guidance and using my own knowledge to justify decisions made. Kept accurate records of decisions to ensure a clear audit trail. • Used Avaloq, a specialist banking software platform, to record relevant client data.
• Contacted clients regarding changes to personal information, ensuring bank records were complete and current. Trained to handle complaints professionally and then record them effectively using FCA guidelines and group policy. • Took client requests regarding particular investments and provided information such as interest and exchange rates. Trusted to transfer client money and open/close deposits. • Conducted call assessments of colleagues to ensure compliance with required service behaviours and correct use of identification procedures. This helped to provide a smooth client journey whilst managing risk factors. • Trained colleagues to complete processes, providing constructive feedback to enhance their skills. • Proactively updated processes by writing standard operating procedure documents reflecting how tasks were performed in practice. Also involved the simplification of processes, suggesting changes to improve efficiency and liaising with the Risk and Controls team to satisfy the bank’s risk appetite. • Developed and delivered training on new processes and technology, such as voice biometric software and a text messaging system used to contact clients.