Senior Research Analyst

About the role

K&L Gates is seeking a skilled Senior Research Analyst with Intellectual Property research expertise to join our global Research & Information Team. The Senior Research Analyst provides the firm’s lawyers and allied professionals with high-quality legal, business, and public records research, as well as training and research consultation services.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert-level research and consultative services to lawyers and allied professionals across multiple time zones via a centralized ticketing system, conducting reference interviews as needed and demonstrating strong professional communication skills.
• Conduct legal, business, and public records research using government and subscription resources, such as Lexis, Westlaw, VitalLaw, Bloomberg Law, S&P’s Capital IQ, D&B Hoovers, Orbis, CasePortal, TLOxp and Experian.
• Evaluate diverse information sources for currency, reliability, relevance and cost-effectiveness, and select the optimal resources for particular research requests.
• Present clear, logically organized and readily-digestible results, integrating findings into final work products that are responsive to the question(s) asked, in a timely manner.
• Exercise good judgment and accountability in prioritizing billable workflow and either meeting or communicating effectively around deadlines.
• Critically engage with new technologies, such as Generative AI tools, when appropriate.
• Lead research strategy for all queries that require expert-level analysis and/or require some level of project management, such as defining project objectives, scope, deliverables and/or the coordination of multiple team members.
• Develop and maintain a keen understanding of the information needs, workflow, and preferences of users and stakeholders in order to support and improve ease of access to information.
• Actively liaise and communicate with selected practice and industry groups to develop subject expertise and facilitate better and more proactive service delivery.
• Serve as a subject matter expert by designing and delivering presentations, training materials, and instructional programs on research methods, resources, and designated practice tools, providing support for lateral onboardings, Practice Group meetings, and both on-demand and scheduled training sessions for lawyers and staff.
• Provide and implement current awareness and litigation alerting, particularly as part of firm’s industry sector and business development initiatives.
• Complete required knowledge management and record-keeping, including time entry for all billable and lawyer-facing research.
• Participate in trials, demos, purchasing decisions, and test new applications and upgrades to existing products.
• Assist team members in developing the department’s resource offerings by evaluating new and existing research tools and making recommendations for purchases and renewals.
• Present resource recommendations to library leadership to better optimize the firm’s research portfolio as appropriate.
• Act as steward of the firm’s information resources; complying with all information security, privacy, confidentiality and licensing requirements, while educating all users on the same.
• Meet regularly with Directors of Practice Operations, and PALs, as necessary, to review resources, usage and potential new research products in the market.
• Consult on RFPs that entail practice-area research expertise.
• Participate in available professional development opportunities and remain current on technological, professional and industry developments in librarianship.
• Present key lessons to library colleagues, and when appropriate, to practitioners.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a law firm, government, court, academic, or corporate setting performing complex research in a deadline-driven Environment, or comparable experience.
• Qualified applicants should have a Master’s Degree in Library or Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution, preferably with course work in law librarianship. Consideration is given to JD-holding applicants with relevant law library experience.
• Fundamental understanding of legal systems and concepts, with an awareness of the legal industry and current trends.
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following subject areas: Corporate and Securities; Intellectual Property; Finance and Investment Management; Public Policy; and/or International/Foreign Law research and information resources.
• Significant knowledge of research methods and competencies, including a demonstrated understanding of efficient and cost-effective research strategies across legal and non-legal information sources.
• Expert-level ability to conduct and apply research plans, engage in reference interviews, analyze information, logically organize information, and integrate findings into work product.
• Critical evaluation skills, including a demonstrated expert ability to answer research questions; identify relevant legal authority and information sources; assess the credibility, currency, and validity of information; as well as explain thought process and scope of research findings in a clear, concise and well-organized manner.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with frequent unscheduled interruptions while exercising sound professional judgment, discretion, strategic thinking, independent problem solving, and accountability to effectively prioritize and manage multiple concurrent projects and billable workflows, while maintaining a fine attention to detail.
• Best-in-class communication skills, including active listening, clear writing, professional speech, cultural sensitivity, emotional intelligence, and civility.
• Strong presentation skills, including persuasive and confident speech and writing.
• Strong commitment to collaboration, knowledge sharing, relationship building and team goals and objectives.
• Future-focused outlook with a proven ability to engage all relevant stakeholders, breaking down silos and barriers, and identifying creative solutions that benefit all.
• Self-awareness of skill and knowledge gaps with a commitment to closing them.
• Well demonstrated adherence to professional, firm, and team guidelines, rules and policies and demonstrated sound and transparent decision-making.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Library or Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution, preferably with course work in law librarianship.
• JD-holding applicants with relevant law library experience may also be considered.
• Fundamental understanding of legal systems and concepts, with an awareness of the legal industry and current trends.
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following subject areas: Corporate and Securities; Intellectual Property; Finance and Investment Management; Public Policy; and/or International/Foreign Law research and information resources.
• Significant knowledge of research methods and competencies, including a demonstrated understanding of efficient and cost-effective research strategies across legal and non-legal information sources.
• Expert-level ability to conduct and apply research plans, engage in reference interviews, analyze information, logically organize information, and integrate findings into work product.
• Critical evaluation skills, including a demonstrated expert ability to answer research questions; identify relevant legal authority and information sources; assess the credibility, currency, and validity of information; as well as explain thought process and scope of research findings in a clear, concise and well-organized manner.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with frequent unscheduled interruptions while exercising sound professional judgment, discretion, strategic thinking, independent problem solving, and accountability to effectively prioritize and manage multiple concurrent projects and billable workflows, while maintaining a fine attention to detail.
• Best-in-class communication skills, including active listening, clear writing, professional speech, cultural sensitivity, emotional intelligence, and civility.
• Strong presentation skills, including persuasive and confident speech and writing.
• Strong commitment to collaboration, knowledge sharing, relationship building and team goals and objectives.
• Future-focused outlook with a proven ability to engage all relevant stakeholders, breaking down silos and barriers, and identifying creative solutions that benefit all.
• Self-awareness of skill and knowledge gaps with a commitment to closing them.
• Well demonstrated adherence to professional, firm, and team guidelines, rules and policies and demonstrated sound and transparent decision-making.

Skills

• Excellent communication skills, including active listening, clear writing, professional speech, cultural sensitivity, emotional intelligence, and civility.
• Strong presentation skills, including persuasive and confident speech and writing.
• Strong commitment to collaboration, knowledge sharing, relationship building and team goals and objectives.
• Future-focused outlook with a proven ability to engage all relevant stakeholders, breaking down silos and barriers, and identifying creative solutions that benefit all.
• Self-awareness of skill and knowledge gaps with a commitment to closing them.
• Well demonstrated adherence to professional, firm, and team guidelines, rules and policies and demonstrated sound and transparent decision-making.

Benefits

• Medical/Prescription Drug Coverage (including a Health Savings Account feature)
• Back-up Child/Elder Care and access to a caregiving concierge
• Dental Insurance
• Wellness Program
• Vision Insurance
• Pre-tax Commuting Benefits
• 401(k) Retirement Plan and Profit Sharing
• Business Travel Accident Insurance
• Short- and Long-term Disability Protection
• Pet Insurance