Claire Nichols “I have had many highlights during my time here, but seeing myself grow from the first ever helpdesk person, to someone now running a customer services team of over 40 support analysts has to be my biggest highlight”

Information systems

Herbert Smith is a market-leading international law firm, attracting some of the most talented people in the market, as well as leading clients and transactions. It’s a stimulating and fast-moving environment, where you will be supporting the industry’s top lawyers who are recognised as being at the cutting edge of business development work and legal thinking.

Our information systems department (ISD) is committed to providing high quality systems and solutions, which help deliver a first class service to our clients. ISD is based predominantly in the London office but provides support to all our international offices.

Wide ranging roles
ISD comprises the following seven teams, which work closely together.

  • Business Projects - identifies the firm’s information systems needs and manages the implementation of solutions to meet them.
  • Applications – technical analysis, design, development and testing of systems once they have been identified and specified, development and maintenance of the firm's data warehouse.
  • Technology – technical experts who provide and maintain the foundations of the firm's global systems, enable the firm to create, receive, share and retrieve information quickly and easily; and to share and store information in a robust, secure environment. Also perform research into operational technologies.
  • Customer Services – provide 24/7 telephone and desk-side support to all partners and staff. Responsible for supporting and maintaining all of the firm's hardware and software and dealing with all Litigation and Extranet services for clients.
  • International – dedicated local support in Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow, Paris, Singapore and Tokyo (along with IS Contacts in other locations) who ensures that the firm's systems, along with associated support and training, meets the needs of those offices.
  • Training - based in London and a number of international offices, providing new joiner, refresher and key applications training on the firm’s core information systems, through a variety of methods including classroom-based, one-to-one and online documentation.
  • Purchasing - deals with the procurement of all software and any IS related equipment for the firm (including BlackBerrys, laptops, PCs and printers).

Opportunities
Approximately half of our managers are home grown - a demonstration of the clear career progression process within the department, both vertically and horizontally. The long and loyal service seen in the IS department can be attributed to the enjoyable working environment, bolstered by the many team-building events and the excellent rewards on offer.

Working with the best
ISD works on challenging projects that are, wherever possible, implemented across our international network in a "one firm" approach. Our projects involve people from across all areas of ISD and - where necessary - external expertise, deploying proven technology. Part of the challenge is to standardise systems across the firm, yet still satisfy individuals’ specific needs.

Projects are planned into programmes, which are organised into three themes:

  • Firm management. Supporting the firm's business infrastructure which includes projects concerned with premises, people and facilities.
  • Practice Management. Supporting the work of our partners, fee earners and support staff which includes projects concerned with document and e-mail management, business development, billing, and reporting.
  • Infrastructure. Supporting the firm's technical infrastructure which includes projects concerned with the resilience, access, security and availability of the services delivered in the first two themes.

Dynamic industry
The legal sector is going through huge and rapid change. Working for an international law firm is now more exciting than ever. Herbert Smith can offer you a truly rewarding career working for one of the world’s elite law firms.