Job description A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with 48 offices in 28 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world's most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future. We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world's leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients. Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to an inclusive environment, and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing. What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success. Department Purpose Global Research & Library proactively serves internal and external clients with trusted, actionable and technology-enabled intelligence and resources across nearly 50 offices. The department provides four key services:
Library (global service): firm wide support in procurement and management of information resources. Research (global service): transactional day-to-day research support and a bespoke strategic research service. Global community liaison: guidance and support to local research and library teams through the development and management of global systems; provision of advice, expertise and coordination of projects. Client services: contribution to client-facing products and the development of A&O Shearman Research & Library branded products. Role Purpose The Strategic Research Group provides in-depth, bespoke analysis and research support to client teams and business development. They work across the global firm, supporting both management initiatives that drive new business opportunities for the firm and client teams as needed. SRG are embedded into the business and build close relationships with partners, sector and practice leads and BD teams; understanding the needs of BD and client teams and providing analysis that drives new business opportunities, shape strategic initiatives and support directly on live matters. The Business Research Analyst will seek to proactively engage with key stakeholders and establish close relationships. The post holder is tasked with understanding stakeholder needs and developing creative analysis to meet these. The Business Research Analyst will proactively identify opportunities; liaise with fee earners and the Business Development community; offer their expertise and input in respect of the best use of our information assets; and determine the most relevant approach to support the firm's analysis requirements. Role and Responsibilities The Business Research Analyst uses a variety of resources to provide considered, comprehensive research outputs that support the firm. This involves interpreting data, analyzing trends and writing reports as required. In detail the role involves:
- Producing detailed, insightful research and analysis that brings deep, timely insights to inform our internal clients and external clients of the firm.
- Building on the team's existing relationships, as well as actively seeking to develop new relationships, with fee earners, senior BD and other key stakeholders across the firm.
- Taking responsibility as the expert for one or more sectors, as well as being a product expert, both in terms of different practices that the firm serves and key databases.
- Interviewing requesters to understand and scope their needs and requirements, proactively making suggestions as to how research requests and projects can be enhanced.
- Responsible for managing large research and analysis projects, from scoping to resourcing and delivery of the final output.
- Producing detailed reports that provide in-depth analysis of clients/sectors, highlighting business opportunities; potential impact on the firm and for clients.
- Inputting into external content and thought leadership for the firm. Developing ideas for topics that will impact clients; developing bespoke analysis to support hypothesis; writing content alongside Global Content Team.
- Selecting the appropriate resources - and on occasion identifying new resources - to address the needs of the business. This involves checking resources for accuracy, consistency and timeliness.
- Partnering with our Practice Librarians to deliver inductions to senior joiners and newly promoted partners, to ensure that they understand the value of the function.
The post holder will both manage and contribute to a range of projects. Examples include:
- Identifying opportunities to use information assets to develop new SRG Research branded reports, as the business requires.
- Providing recommendations on research and analysis approach, the merits of different data sets in support of firm initiatives and projects.
- Building stakeholder engagement, designing products and testing them with users.
- Identifying key data providers and then working with colleagues to determine if the firm should invest in them.
- Assessing the cost (both monetary and in terms of staff time) of products and making recommendations on their implementation.
Relationship management
- The Business Research Analyst must be a credible, capable professional who is able to build and maintain productive relationships with senior lawyers, senior BD people, key stakeholders and peers across the business.
- Be confident in promoting Strategic Research Group Services to the firm, globally, and seek opportunities to do this; be comfortable presenting to senior executives in the business and at clients.
- Collaborate with colleagues across the network on the development of research and analysis approaches, methodologies and final output.
- Contribute to the training of colleagues and act as a mentor, as and when required
Key Requirements
- A Bachelors, or Masters degree is preferred; with at least 5-7 years experience as a research analyst or data analyst and at least 2-5 years of direct management experience in an analysis and research setting.
- Excellent all-round analysis and research skills, covering business, sector and financial research.
- Ability to manage expectations and negotiate deadlines, along with strong organizational skills.
- Strong writing skills, including the ability to abstract and summarize complex arguments and draw conclusions that align to the firm's interests and/or help to identify opportunities.
- Numerical fluency and the ability to present data in an effective way, either through graphics or text.
- Ability to build and develop relationships at all levels of the organization, including senior executive level, and have credibility as an expert.
- Strong technical skills in key financial products, particularly Capital IQ, Pitchbook, FactSet and LSEG.
- Experience of creating reports using the functionality of Word and PowerPoint, and competency in the use of Excel; Power BI experience a plus.
- A strategic and commercial mindset, with the ability to think about the bigger picture in respect of how research can play a part in supporting the success of the organization.
- Proactive approach with the ability to work on own initiative and manage own workload.
- Takes a collaborate approach on larger projects, engaging colleagues with the objective of delivering the best outcome for our internal clients.
Advanced Requirements
- Experience of, and an interest in, delivering research and analysis that offers real insight.
- The ability to interpret and then articulate key trends from raw data, e.g. deal data, and present it to our internal audience in an engaging, decision-ready format.
- Able to source and the evaluate third-party output in order to determine opportunities that match the firm's interests, and proactively surface them to key stakeholders and explain why they are relevant.
- An interest in proactively taking ideas to our internal stakeholders and working with them to enhance our offering.
- Trusted to work on matters relating to the firm's strategy and deliver research output to senior members of the firm (and ultimately seek to be retained by these people going forward).
- Strong sector and investment banking product knowledge, drawing on this knowledge to produce insightful output that can support the strategy of our practice groups and the firm.
Who we are looking for
- A candidate with excellent all round communication skills, both oral and written
- At least 5-7 years' experience in a similar research analyst role
- A proactive, positive person who really believes in the value that research and analysis can bring to the business.
- A resourceful, creative and solutions orientated person.
- A positive mindset that can challenge others constructively and be challenged with the focus on delivering the best outcomes for our business.
- A character that is resilient yet adaptable.
- Team orientation at all levels.
- Be enthusiastic in providing a quality service to our clients.
- Demonstrate a professional standard of behavior at all times.
- Treat colleagues and clients with respect and courtesy at all times.
Key relationships
- Global Head of A&O Shearman Research & Library
- Strategic Research Group lead
- Business Research Analysts in Strategic Research Group
- US Research Manager and team
- Partners and other client facing fee earners
- Business Development staff
- Global Research & Library team
Equal Employment Opportunity, including Veterans and Disability A&O Shearman is an equal opportunity employer, including Veterans and Disability. Every individual has the right to work in a professional environment that promotes equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination and harassment. This policy applies to all aspects of an individual's relationship with A&O Shearman, including, without limitation, recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment. If you are vision-impaired or have another disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law and wish to discuss accommodations related to applying for employment at A&O Shearman, please contact US HR Transactions at ...@aoshearman.com or call +1 212 ### #### and ask for HR Transactions. Additional information - External This role is open to our New York office. For individuals assigned to or hired for this opportunity in New York, the estimated annualized base salary range for this position is $137,000-$170,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on the overall qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, including, if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job, and other job-relation factors permitted by law.