Senior HR Business Partner – Litigation

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm's global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That's why we're so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

You'll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they've reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that's possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you'll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you'll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

Job Description

The role

Clifford Chance US LLP is seeking a full-time Human Resources Business Partner to provide strategic HR support to the Litigation and Dispute Resolution (L&DR), Real Estate, and Tax, Pension & Employment (TPE) practice areas. This role combines both operational and strategic responsibilities with exceptional HR client service to the designated practice areas. The ideal candidate will demonstrate proven experience operating as a Senior HR Business Partner, working closely with senior stakeholders to align people strategies with business objectives. You will have a proactive mindset, strong attention to detail, and consistent follow-up, while embodying the qualities of a change agent and utilizing technology to drive efficiency. Reporting into the Head of HR – L&DR and the Regional HR Director - Americas, this role sits at the heart of our Americas strategy, supporting Partners and attorneys in one of the firm's most competitive and high-growth regions.

If you are committed to delivering exceptional HR service and making a meaningful difference to both individuals and the wider business, we would be delighted to receive your application.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

People and Talent Strategy

• Partner with key stakeholders to embed the firm's people priorities, bringing together outputs of key regional processes, shaping the regional talent agenda (e.g., succession planning) and working with Head of HR – L&DR and Regional HR Director – Americas as well as other key stakeholders on key talent processes (e.g., compensation).
• Serve as a trusted advisor to partners and attorneys in designated practice areas, providing strategic support and guidance on HR matters and aligning with the Firm's overall strategy.
• Work closely with other HR departments (e.g. Professional Development/Attorney Development, Learning & Leadership Development, Talent Acquisition, Benefits) to ensure alignment of HR initiatives and consistency in delivering HR services across the Firm.
• Contribute to the Firm's people strategy by actively participating in global and regional HR projects aligned with strategic objectives.
• Drive the strategic direction of HR programs and change initiatives, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of attorneys and the Firm.
• Analyze people data, providing key stakeholders with timely updates on attorney performance, compensation, engagement, turnover, and other HR metrics; recommend strategies to improve satisfaction, retention, and business performance.
• Stay current with industry and competitor trends, regulatory changes, and best practices to maintain expertise, support commercial goals and ensure compliance with evolving standards.
• Collaborate with other regional HR Business Partners in designated practice areas to ensure seamless coverage and consistent support across regions.

Employee Relations

• Provide the partners with guidance and support in relation to ER issues.
• Address employee concerns and resolve workplace conflicts through effective communication, mediation, and conflict management techniques.
• Respond to queries and provide guidance in line with our policies and procedures.
• Support attorneys to and on return from their parental leave.
• Partner with General Counsel to mitigate risks related to attorney employment matters and ensure compliance with firm policies and legal requirements.

Exit management

• Conduct exit interviews for relevant business groups and provide feedback and recommendations to stakeholders, offering insights and best practices for continuous improvement.

Talent Management

• Collaborate with Professional Development/Attorney Development to support the region's attorney review process, ensuring that the 'Three Conversations' appraisal process is effectively delivered, moderate performance and employment discussions as needed.
• Support key stakeholders through the Three Conversations framework and positively challenge them in order to influence objective and fair performance and reward outcomes that are consistently applied, and which align to the firm's performance and reward strategy.
• Lead talent reviews in collaboration with the Talent team including pipeline analysis, workforce planning, job profile development and skill gap reviews.
• Contribute to Professional Development/Attorney Development's attorney performance initiatives by escalating both practice area needs and learnings from analysis of data that includes skill assessments, utilization issues and feedback from attorneys, partners and clients. Recommend relevant training and coaching when needed.

Talent Acquisition

• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition to ensure hiring needs are met, providing support and coaching during the onboarding process to ensure a seamless and successful transition for new hires.
• Partner with key stakeholders, including Practice Area Management and Finance, to assess business needs for new and amended roles and ensure that utilization goals are met.
• Meet all new lateral joiners in their first month, and then again at the end of their first 100 days.

Wellbeing and People Experience

• Work with the Head of HR – L&DR and Regional HR Director – Americas to embed the practice area and region wellbeing and people experience objectives and action plans.
• Proactively build knowledge and understanding of the Wellbeing strategy, enablers and priorities in order to speak confidently and competently.
• Frequently engage in a wide range of employee listening methods to identify key themes and inform timely solutions to protect and enhance people's wellbeing.

Financial Management, Risk, Data and Analytics

• Work with Head of HR – L&DR, Regional HR Director – Americas, and key stakeholders to determine headcount forecasting and budget changes aligning to business plan and strategy.
• Work with the Head of HR – L&DR and Regional HR Director - Americas, to collate and provide an initial analysis on sources of employee listening data from across the firm, e.g. people survey, exit data, etc.

Qualifications

Your experience

• You will have 5+ years of relevant experience in a Senior Human Resources Business Partnering position, ideally from within a law firm or professional services organisation.
• You will have experience of working in a complex, fast-paced setting. Experience of working in a matrixed/global environment is desirable.
• You will have experience of partnering with and influencing management teams and working collaboratively with key stakeholders to create joint expectations and deliverables, striving for positive results and engaging others in the journey.
• You are able to work under pressure and prioritize competing demands to meet deadlines, and you can handle confidential and sensitive information with appropriate discretion.
• You will be a strategic thinker and problem solver, with strong commercial awareness.
• You will bring flexible and effective communication skills, both written and verbal, along with a proactive approach and strong organisational skills.
• You will have a Bachelor's Degree in HR, Business Administration or a related field.
• SHRM/HRCI Certification is strongly preferred.
• You will have strong proficiency in MS Office, HR software and tools (HRIS systems, performance management tools) and the ability to pick up new technology and applications quickly.
• You will have the ability to work outside the core business hours as needed.
• You must be able to adhere and comply with the Firm's Agile Working Policy. We embrace flexible working through our Agile Working Policy, which encourages collaboration and connection by requiring employees to be in the office at least three days per calendar week, while offering you flexibility to work remotely for the remaining two days.
• You must be independently legally authorized to work in the United States.

Clifford Chance US LLP offers a comprehensive benefits and compensation package. The salary range for this role is $236k - $268k. Actual salary will be commensurate with the candidate's qualifications and relevant experience.

Additional Information

Equal opportunities statement

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm.

Find out more about our inclusive culture here