Policy advisor

A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 29 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.

The policy advisor will join A&O Shearman's EU policy task force in Brussels. It acts as the firm's ears and eyes on the ground in Brussels: anticipating regulatory shifts across different sectors and policy areas, cutting through the noise, joining the dots across practices, and turning policy intelligence into practical, client-centric advice. Its work spans policy horizon scanning, internal and client-facing publications, events, training, and tailored client advisory.

The policy advisor will contribute across different policy areas, with a particular focus on financial services, including banking, asset management, digital finance and sustainable finance.

Key relationships

• CE head of knowledge
• EU policy manager and EU policy advisor
• CE office knowledge heads
• Global knowledge heads
• Head of CE BD
• Head of global library and research
• Campaign and contents team

What you will do

Policy intelligence and horizon scanning

• You track, analyse and anticipate EU legislative and regulatory developments relevant to our lawyers and clients, with a particular focus on financial services.
• You contribute to the Task Force's regular intelligence products, distilling key policy developments, regulatory signals and their strategic implications for the firm and its clients.
• You support the A&O Shearman lawyers in providing timely, insightful and forward-looking analysis rather than isolated updates.

Client-facing advisory

• You draft client updates and alerts on regulatory developments, tailored to client sectors or specific topics.
• You prepare bespoke policy briefings and intelligence to support client meetings and pitches.
• You contribute to client webinars and events.
• Training and capability building
• You support internal training for lawyers across the firm's EU and global offices, on various EU policy topics.
• You contribute to external training sessions with clients and prospects.

Network building and external engagement

• You proactively build and grow a network around key topics, engaging with policymakers, industry experts, trade associations and clients to stay informed and share insights.
• You support the firm's engagement with business associations, including through working groups, and identifying speaking opportunities.
• You contribute to the Task Force's external visibility through thought leadership and flagship external products.

Cross-practice and cross-regional collaboration

• You work closely with lawyers across practice groups and regions to help clients anticipate regulatory change and to turn EU policy intelligence into client opportunities across the firm's global network.
• You collaborate closely with the business development, knowledge and campaign functions to achieve the firm's strategic goals.
• You contribute to the smooth functioning of the firm's EU law community, including its internal knowledge hub, and build up your own knowledge and experience in key topics.

Who we are looking for

• You hold a degree or higher in law, international affairs, public affairs, political science, economics or related field.
• You have at least 3-4 years of relevant professional experience, preferably within an EU institution or the EU public affairs industry.
• Experience in EU financial services (such as banking, asset management, digital finance, or sustainable finance) is a strong advantage.
• You possess a strong understanding of EU law, policymaking, and the EU legislative process.
• You hav