Legal Tech Senior Manager (APAC)

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Legal Tech Senior Manager (APAC) to join our Information Technology team, based in A&O Shearman’s Singapore Office.

Information Technology team – Singapore

The core of the global technology department’s mission is to provide stable, reliable, and secure platforms and services to our partners, staff and clients and fulfil our regulatory obligations across 30+ countries. To ensure that a consistent and standardised IT service is delivered to all offices, IT is managed and led as a global function, enabling all offices to benefit from complete systems integration and economies of scale. We have around 500 technologists based predominantly in the UK, Singapore and increasingly in the US.

Technology Delivery

Deliver high quality change projects through specialised delivery capabilities and enable our fee-earners to drive revenue growth via globally consistent and efficient matter toolsets and services, which understand both technology and the business.

What you will do

The Legal Tech Senior Manager (APAC) will help embed a digital culture across the region, in line with A&O Shearman’s Advanced Delivery solutions and global Legal Technology strategy. They will be a key member of the ‘go to’ team for A&O Shearman partners and associates seeking support and advice in this area, and will act as a confident, positive ambassador for Legal Technology in APAC. The role will involve close collaboration with Product, Customer Success, Advanced Delivery, Technology Delivery and wider Legal Technology colleagues to promote adoption, gather regional requirements and feedback, support client-facing opportunities and ensure APAC priorities are appropriately represented in global planning and delivery discussions.

Key Relationships;

Manager:

• Head of Technology Delivery - Legal Technology

Direct Reports:

• 2 direct reports

Additional Colleagues:

• Legal Tech Senior Managers and Engagement Managers across other regions
• Senior Manager, Product Owner
• Senior Manager, Customer Success
• APAC partners, Practice Groups and fee earners, as required
• Business Development and client relationship teams
• Head of Fuse
• Advanced Delivery teams
• IT Managers and Technology Delivery colleagues
• Idea generators across lawyers and business services teams

Responsibilities;

• Act as a senior member of the ‘go to’ team for A&O Shearman’s APAC partners and associates seeking support and advice on Legal Technology tools and solutions
• Develop and maintain strong internal and external business relationships to understand existing and emerging APAC business needs, client priorities and matter opportunities.
• Build and maintain an APAC Legal Technology engagement pipeline, working with Practice Groups, Business Development and Technology Delivery colleagues to identify priority opportunities for support.
• Contribute to maintaining accurate Legal Technology engagement, opportunity and adoption information for APAC.
• Ensure APAC Practice Groups are kept up to speed with relevant Legal Technology news, developments, adoption opportunities and launch communications.
• Use client events, pitches and relationship opportunities to showcase A&O Shearman’s digital and innovative solutions.
• Coordinate and present Legal Technology demonstrations to internal and client audiences across APAC.
• Organise and run technology-related workshops, training sessions and other engagement events for internal and client audiences.
• Review and support marketing and communications materials that promote the firm’s digital and innovative culture in APAC.
• Engage with clients and matter teams to identify challenges that can be addressed using Legal Technology and to shape practical, adoption-focused solutions with the relevant product and delivery teams.
• Work as part of the Legal Technology leadership team to support delivery of the firm’s Legal Technology programmes and ensure APAC engagement activity supports the firm’s strategic objectives.
• Work with technology start-ups within the Fuse cohort to help define proof-of-concept opportunities with relevant Practice Groups, fee earners and clients.
• Collaborate with Advanced Delivery teams to promote and support deployment of relevant tools within APAC.
• Support cross-border matters involving APAC teams by connecting lawyers and clients with appropriate Legal Technology expertise and solutions.
• Collaborate with product stakeholders, Customer Success and Technology Delivery colleagues to feed APAC requirements, adoption insights and user feedback into product planning and prioritisation.
• Coordinate communication between product, delivery and regional stakeholder teams regarding goals, requirements, business needs and adoption priorities.
• Support product communications for launches and key lifecycle updates, ensuring messages are tailored appropriately for APAC audiences.

What you will have

Experience

• Highly developed personal, team and regional organisational skills, including experience of planning and delivering stakeholder engagement activity, workshops and events.
• Experience of creating, managing, motivating and developing teams and individuals in a project, change or business setting.
• Experience operating across APAC or other multi-jurisdictional international environments, with the ability to work across cultures, offices, time zones and practice groups.
• Experience translating legal delivery challenges into technology-enabled solutions and driving adoption in a professional services or law firm environment.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, presentation and written skills, with the ability to engage confidently with partners, fee earners, clients and business services stakeholders.
• Collaborative team player with the ability to influence without direct authority.
• Strong business network and evidence of motivation and ability to build, maintain and grow senior stakeholder relationships.
• High level of personal credibility, impact and influence with proven ability to work effectively and persuasively at all levels.
• Commercial acumen including a practical understanding of law firm economics, matter profitability and the ways Legal Technology can improve delivery efficiency and client experience.
• Excellent understanding of A&O Shearman’s business as an international legal practice and the markets in which it operates.
• Deep understanding of how transactional, advisory and disputes lawyers operate on a day-to-day basis.
• Knowledge of the Legal Technology market and trends, including document automation, transaction management, collaboration platforms, AI-enabled legal tools and data-led matter delivery.
• Knowledge of key steps in technology delivery and change processes, with sufficient understanding to engage effectively with product and delivery teams.
• Experience identifying high-value Legal Technology opportunities and feeding regional priorities into product, Customer Success and delivery stakeholders.
• Experience of organising and facilitating workshops, demonstrations, training or similar engagement events.

Personal:

• Strong leadership and people management skills including aptitude for and experience of creating, managing, motivating and developing a team.
• Possesses a strong delivery excellence mindset.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Strong business acumen and deep understanding of how the firm is positioned in the global market.
• Confident regional ambassador who is client-focused, commercially pragmatic and able to build credibility with senior stakeholders.
• Comfortable working across APAC jurisdictions and time zones, balancing global consistency with regional market needs.
• Ability to manage ambiguity and conflicting priorities while working under pressure to tight deadlines.
• Legal background with technical experience is preferred, with a wide range of experience across different legal and technical areas and projects.

About A&O Shearman

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.