Associate/Senior Associate, Trade

JOB DESCRIPTION About Herbert Smith FreehillsAs one of the world’s leading law firms, we advise many of the largest and most ambitious organisations across all major regions of the globe. With over 5,000 people, including 3,100 lawyers and over 2,000 business services professionals, operating from our global network of offices across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North America, Herbert Smith Freehills is at the heart of the new global business landscape providing premium quality, full-service legal advice.We recognise that the success of our business and our clients relies on the skills, knowledge and ideas of all our people. Our environment is one in which high performance is expected, in return, we will provide you with rewards and opportunities tailored to your personal and professional goals. The OpportunityThe Opportunity:Key internal relationships Supervising lawyer, other group partners, solicitors/associates, trainees/graduate solicitors, paralegals, secretarial staff Key external relationships Clients, peers, contacts, other firms and professions (e.g. financial advisers, intermediaries, experts and local lawyers)Practice Group/teamINTERNATIONAL TRADE AND REGULATION Main areas covered | WTO and international trade agreements | sanctions | trade-defence | customs | international subsidies regulation | international dispute settlement | EU Court of Justice litigation | EU regulation Sector expertise includes | energy and natural resources | environmental | financial institutions | consumer goods| infrastructure | transport| manufacturing and industrials retail | telecoms, media and technologyThe RoleOur Trade and Regulation team is consistently rated as one of the leading practices in its field, with a team of lawyers based in Europe, the US, Asia and Australia. Amongst our clients are leading financial institutions, top Fortune and FTSE companies from all industry sectors, regulatory bodies and national governments.This role is focussed on international trade matters but the successful applicant will have an opportunity to work on EU regulatory matters, as well as litigation matters before the EU Court of Justice. Recent MattersActing for the Southern African Customs Union in a bilateral dispute with the EU under the EU-Southern African Development Community Economic Partnership Agreement.Acting for British Sugar on its challenge in the English Courts of the UK’s autonomous tariff rate quota for raw cane sugar under the post-Brexit international subsidy control framework.Acting for a leading aviation leasing company in relation to international sanctions issues relating to the loss of aircraft in Russia following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Acting for various clients in trade-defence investigations, including in relation to MEG, PVC and steel.Representing and advising various clients in the context of proceedings under the EU's new Foreign Subsidies Regulation.Advising various clients on applicable UK and EU customs regulations.Acting for Acquind and British American Tobacco in the context of regulatory challenges before the EU Court of Justice.Advising various clients in relation to the new suite of EU tech regulation, including the DMA, the DSA, the AI Act and the eIDAS Regulation on digital identity. Primary Objectives:Contribute to excellent client service and perform fee-earning work under supervision.Make an effective contribution to the firm’s work by aiming to meet and exceed target hours.Build on legal and commercial knowledge in chosen practice area.Cultivate relationships with current client contacts and be a direct point of contact.Key Responsibilities: Plan, prioritise and delegate work tasks as appropriate and update supervising partner on progress.Build client relationships - provide excellent client service and prompt responses and progress updates to the client.Support the firm and others - build effective relationships with individuals and groups in and across offices; uphold the firm’s values; and assist with the preparation of legal precedents, legal articles, marketing documents and presentations.Comply with risk requirements, firm policies and all relevant professional responsibilities and legislation.Qualifications, Skills and Experience:We would expect the successful candidate to have had between three and seven years of post-qualified experience in a strong European international trade practice. We are however open to considering candidates with more or less experience.Academic excellence is essential for all positions within Herbert Smith Freehills.. All applications should include full academic details including grades, subjects and transcripts where appropriate.Candidates will need to be bright self-starters looking for a challenge. All candidates will be expected to display excellent interpersonal skills and be able to communicate with individuals at all levels.Strong legal skills, including complex drafting, negotiation and project management skills; good people management and business development skills.Full understanding of law firm profitability and key drivers for financial efficiency; and ability to manage costs and budgets.TeamCompetition, Regulation & TradeWorking PatternFull timeLocationBrusselsContract typePermanent ContractDiversity & InclusionAt Herbert Smith Freehills you will be part of a diverse, innovative culture where high performance, client focus and highly engaged people are our differentiator. People at our firm come from a range of backgrounds and bring a wide variety of experiences and perspectives to their work with us. We strive to ensure that our inclusive environment means you feel valued and able to perform at your best by being your authentic self at work. We know that our future success not only depends on being innovative and progressive in the changing legal market but, most importantly, on our people feeling highly engaged in meaningful work.We understand that you have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to create a working environment based on mutual trust and respect, in which you can perform at your best whilst maintaining sustainable balance across your life.