Associate Director of Knowledge Management, Mergers, Acquisitions & Private Equity (M&A/PE)

Build your big career with the firm that does Big Law, Better. McDermott Will & Schulte is a leading global law firm that brings together more than 1,750 lawyers and 1,400 business professionals. We celebrate excellence, collaboration, and community and have been recognized as a top workplace by USA Today, Fortune, The American Lawyer, Vault and others. We are also certified by Great Place to Work. 

At McDermott, we don’t just invest in your future, we accelerate your career – wherever it may lead. That includes supporting you both in and outside of the office. 

With us, you’ll find: 

• A firm where everyone belongs: Our award-winning culture prioritizes warmth and authenticity — we encourage you to be yourself!  

• Enthusiasm for all perspectives: We’re smarter and stronger when everyone has a voice and a seat at the table. We welcome unique viewpoints and ideas, and we make opportunities for you and your career to thrive.  

• Support to feel your best and do your best: Wellness is integral to building a successful career and a rich life. That’s why our benefits program supports your physical, emotional, mental, and financial health, with an emphasis on work-life balance.  

• Real rewards for real work: We offer generous compensation packages that recognize hard work and excellence.   

Job Description:

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Organization and Dissemination of Knowledge and Lawyer Training/CLE’s

• Evaluate KM infrastructure and work to improve the ability to capture and disseminate information and research/ identify and prioritize new projects to enhance efficiency of M&A/PE Attorneys by working with the Chief Knowledge Officer, Director of Knowledge Management and Advisory Partners
• Facilitate efforts to create and maintain a searchable knowledge repository consisting of exemplar forms, clauses, local counsel directory, precedents, memos, research, surveys, business development materials, and other related content i.e. industry updates and client alerts relevant for M&A/PE Attorneys
• Monitor key industry updates, legal decisions, and client alerts to provide important updates to M&A/PE Attorneys.
• Develop procedures for generating, maintaining, updating, accessing, and disseminating information (including the forms and precedents) and other materials
• Oversee a structured process to capture recently closed deal activity, including regular updates and the preparation and distribution of internal and client-facing communications highlighting emerging legal market trends
• Develop and present training for M&A/PE Attorneys on the firm’s KM technology platforms, tailoring the training to highlight aspects of the technology most relevant for M&A/PE Attorneys in light of their unique needs

AI Implementation

• Act as point person for M&A/PE Attorneys to develop use cases, pilot and successfully deploy new AI technology such as Harvey, Copilot, ChatGPT, CoCounsel  and other AI-enabled solutions for M&A/PE Attorneys
• Design, build, and deploy AI Assistants and workflows using AI foundation models, APIs; facilitate iterative feedback loops with Partners and other stakeholders to refine prompts and workflows, validate solution designs, and ensure that AI assistants meet operational and user experience expectations
• Work with the KM department to evaluate, test, and deploy innovative technology to reduce manual data collection, automate document creation, assist with legal research, and to otherwise support the practices
• Develop and present training on AI technology to upskill M&A/PE attorneys on foundational prompting and PG-specific examples on how to use these tools effectively, including designing and teaching an advanced AI workshop each year for M&A/PE on GenAI

Management of Knowledge Management Resources and AI Assistants

• Drive increased adoption of existing KM platforms and AI Assistants
• Consistently and effectively communicate the availability and location of M&A/PE’s knowledge management resources
• Develop a user-friendly interface and training materials that make knowledge management materials easily accessible to M&A/PE Attorneys as part of their day-to-day practices

Job Specifications:

• At least six (6) years of experience as an M&A/Private Equity lawyer, preferably in a large firm environment
• Juris Doctor from an ABA accredited law school and admitted to practice law in good standing in a location where McDermott has an office
• Strong preference for a candidate who has also already worked as an M&A/Private Equity KM Counsel in a large law firm environment
• Strong preference for a candidate who has a Health PE background
• Self-sufficient person who takes ownership of tasks
• Someone with strong AI background who has worked used GenAI in his/her practice regularly and has evangelized AI at their Firm
• Hands-on experience with generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Harvey, Copilot) and prompt engineering
• Experience developing AI agents, chatbots, or prompt-based systems using generative AI models (e.g., GPT-based systems) preferred
• Juris Doctor from an ABA accredited law school
• Hands-on experience with generative AI and prompt engineering
• Desire to learn new technology
• Strong stakeholder communication skills and experience with pilot testing and adoption  
• Active bar admission in a jurisdiction where the Firm maintains an office
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong background in legal technology and innovation
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal communication skills and presentation skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and prioritize responsibilities
• Ability to handle and maintain confidential information
• Ability to learn new concepts and skills quickly
• Ability to work under pressure
• Comfortable working with large amounts of data

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Successful candidates will be provided with outstanding career opportunities and will receive a competitive total rewards package with the opportunity to earn performance-based bonuses.

     Target Hiring Range $193,000 - $301,000

Please note that quoted salary ranges are not guarantees of what final salary offers may be. Base pay is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and geographic location. Base pay is only one part of the Total Rewards that MWE provides to compensate and recognize our staff professionals for their work. Full time positions are eligible for a discretionary bonus and a comprehensive benefits package. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit, use hands, reach with hands and arms, stoop, talk and hear

• Employee must occasionally lift up to twenty (20) pounds

Work Environment:

Typical indoor office environment

Disclaimer:

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by people within this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of employees assigned to this job.