Senior Legal and Business Researcher

With 11 offices across the United States, 450+ professionals and 350+ staff professionals, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP is a multidisciplinary, integrated national professional services firm known for quality and an extraordinary commitment to clients. The firm’s groundbreaking approach—bringing together legal services, advocacy and business strategy—differentiates Manatt from its competitors and positions the firm to provide a unique and compelling value proposition.

We are building a Research Services department sitting at the intersection of research, business development, AI and knowledge management and seek a skilled and detail-oriented Senior Legal and Business Researcher to join our Research Services team. Any applicant therefore needs to exhibit sophisticated and specialized legal and business research skills, including excellent verbal/written communications; good judgment and discretion to inform decision-making and problem-solving; the ability to work well with others in a team and individually; good time management skills, including the ability to self-start and remain flexible; and a commitment to client service excellence.  This role can be based in our Los Angeles, Orange County, Sacramento, San Diego or San Francisco offices. 

Essential Job Functions:

• Perform in-depth, specialized legal, corporate, financial, and/or general research for lawyers, consultants, clients and staff by using the appropriate mix of information resources and employing critical thinking to analyze each request.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of scope, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness of information resources, and utilize most relevant information and tools.
• Provide clear, logical research summaries and recommendations when needed, using explanations and data/information.
• Train other staff in the use of information resources; developing, preparing, and conducting presentations/orientations giving information and training on relevant resources.
• Keep up with new developments, technologies, innovations, and products in legal and business research, especially around AI.
• Support research initiatives, practice groups and teams; participate in group meetings and provide insightful feedback and recommendations on information and training requirements.
• Keep leadership abreast of Research Services holdings, collection management and provide key insights and recommendations on resource renewal or discontinuation.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Law, Library Science, Information Science, or a related field along with MLIS or equivalent work experience.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct in-depth research to support lawyers and consultants in diverse practices inclusive of transactional and litigation, marketing and business development, health, and digital privacy.
• 8+ years in a law firm and/or professional services firm performing similar responsibilities as set forth in this job description.
• A background in legal process and a thorough and advanced knowledge of legal and business research enabling smart problem-solving, recommendations and decision-making.
• The ability to conduct specialized legal and business research, analyze findings, synthesize relevant information, and make recommendations.
• Demonstrated experience supporting and providing competitive intelligence for marketing and business development.
• Exceptional customer service aptitude while working independently and as part of a team under tight deadlines and managing multiple projects.
• Strong written, verbal, and editing communication capabilities.
• Familiarity with a range of legal and business information resources, such as Westlaw Precision, Lexis+ and Bloomberg Law.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience developing and delivering training programs tailored to attorneys and team members.
• Ability to provide support to attorneys, consultants and team members across various locations, employing diverse communication methods.
• Proficiency in data collection, organization, analysis, and the visual representation of information.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet tight deadlines
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with a hybrid (remote + office) team.
• Ability to work well in a fast-paced environment and meet strict deadlines.

The base annual pay range for this role is between $85,000-$125,000. The base pay to be offered will vary and depend on skills and qualifications, experience, location and will also take into account internal equity.  A full range of medical, financial and/or other benefits dependent on the position will also be offered.

EEO/AA EMPLOYER/Veterans/Disabled

Manatt is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, color, physical or mental disability, religion, creed, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, sex or gender (including gender identity, gender expression, status as a transgender or transsexual individual, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), age (over 40), genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, sexual orientation, political activity or affiliation, genetic or and any other protected classes or characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Consistent with the American Disabilities Act, applicants may request accommodations needed to participate in the application process.

This employer will provide the Social Security Administration  (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security  (DHS), with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.IMPORTANT: If the Government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to provide you written instructions and an opportunity to contact SSA and/or DHS before taking  adverse action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants or  to re-verify current employees and may not limit or influence the  choice of documents presented for use on the Form I-9. In order to determine whether Form I-9 documentation is valid,  this employer uses E-Verify’s photo screening tool to match the photograph appearing on some permanent resident and employment authorization cards with the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) photograph. If you believe that your employer has violated its responsibilities under this program or has discriminated against you during the verification process based upon your national origin or citizenship status, please call the Office of Special Counsel at 1-800-255-7688 (TDD: 1-800-237-2515).