Law firm Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has launched a team of flexible part-time employees to work in its Belfast office.
The Respond team has 12 legal assistants who are flexible, part-time employees with salaries and benefits. The law graduates will work alongside the 114-strong permanent team during busy periods and to meet urgent deadlines. The company said it will develop their legal careers with the firm while they work flexibly around other commitments.
HSF’s Belfast office was set up in 2011 primarily to review and analyse large volumes of documents in major cases. However, it also conducts corporate due diligence and supports the firm’s real estate practice in London.
The Respond programme has been developed in consultation with Invest Northern Ireland. Members of the team receive specialist induction, legal training and professional development.
Libby Jackson, director of the Belfast office, said: “We invest in Respond team members with the same energy and commitment that we dedicate to all our qualified lawyers and legal assistants in Belfast.
Thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of our first Respond team members, the programme has been such a success that we plan to rapidly expand it over the coming months, building a balanced team of qualified lawyers and legal assistants by autumn 2013.”
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