Q1 Overview - Professional Support / Knowledge Management roles in London

During the first quarter of 2026, the PSL/knowledge lawyer market remained active, with a total of 37 roles advertised across UK, US and City/regional law firms. Of these, 13 roles were carried over from Q4 2025 and 24 were newly launched during Q1.

While 13 positions closed during the quarter, 24 roles continued into Q2.  Most opportunities were focused on specific practice areas, but there were a few that were firm-wide/ strategic roles and one that was ESG focused.

Below is a list of the roles from Q1, if the role is still open, we have included a link to the role on the firm’s website.

Banking & Finance

Allen & Overy

Allen & Overy advertised two Knowledge Lawyer roles in March, both of which remained open going into Q2. The Knowledge Lawyer – Fund Finance role focuses on supporting a leading fund finance practice through training, know-how development and innovation, targeting lawyers with strong debt finance experience. The Knowledge Lawyer – Global Financial Markets role similarly supports the firm’s DCM practice, requiring a technically strong lawyer to maintain precedents, deliver training and monitor regulatory developments across global markets.

Latham & Watkins

Latham launched a Knowledge Management Lawyer – Private Equity Finance role in March, which remained open into Q2 (but closed during April). The role supports the PE finance practice through horizon scanning, precedent development, training and market analysis, and is aimed at finance lawyers with at least five years’ PQE and strong drafting and organisational skills.

Simmons & Simmons

Simmons & Simmons advertised a Knowledge Lawyer – Banking role in February, which closed within the same month. The role focused on maintaining precedents and supporting AI-driven document automation and strategic projects within the banking team, requiring a commercially minded lawyer with strong project delivery skills.

Stephenson Harwood

Stephenson Harwood recruited a Knowledge Development Lawyer, Finance, first advertised in Q4 2025 and closing in February. The role supported a broad finance practice including aviation, leveraged finance and restructuring, with responsibilities spanning precedent management, training, innovation and legal tech adoption.

Watson Farley & Williams

Watson Farley & Williams advertised a Knowledge Counsel – Asset/Project Finance role in Q4 2025, which remained open going into Q2. The position focuses on supporting its asset and structured finance practice, particularly maritime finance, through training, precedent development and technical advisory work.

Competition & Trade

Latham & Watkins

Latham launched a Knowledge Management Lawyer – Antitrust & Competition role in March, which remained open into Q2 (but closed during April). The role involves monitoring legal developments, maintaining know-how resources, and delivering training within a leading competition practice.

White & Case

White & Case advertised a Professional Support Lawyer role supporting its EMEA Competition and International Trade practice, first launched in Q4 2025 and closed in Q1. The role focused on knowledge management, training and innovation across areas such as sanctions, export controls and international trade.

Commercial/TMC

DLA Piper

DLA Piper launched a Head of Knowledge – IPT role in Q4 2025, which remained open going into Q2 (but closed during April). This senior leadership role focuses on driving knowledge strategy, innovation and AI adoption across its Intellectual Property and Technology group.

RPC

RPC advertised a Commercial & Data Knowledge Lawyer role in January, which remains open in Q2. The role involved supporting commercial and data protection practices through training, precedent development and regulatory horizon scanning.

Corporate

Bird & Bird

Bird & Bird launched a Corporate PSL role in February, which remained open going into Q2. The position involves leading know-how and training for the corporate team, with a focus on M&A, ECM and private equity matters, alongside legal tech adoption.

Slaughter and May

Slaughter and May advertised a Senior Knowledge Lawyer – Corporate role in March, which remained open into Q2. The role supports the firm’s corporate practice through governance advisory, precedent maintenance, training and client briefings.

Employment

Forsters

Forsters advertised a Knowledge Development Lawyer – Employment & Partnerships role in Q4 2025, which closed in February. The role focused on developing know-how resources and supporting training within the employment team.

Mishcon de Reya

Mishcon de Reya launched a Knowledge Lawyer – Employment role in February, which remained open going into Q2. The role emphasises knowledge strategy, precedent development and thought leadership within a high-performing employment practice.

RWK Goodman

RWK Goodman advertised an Employment PSL role in February, which closed within the same month. The role involved managing precedents, delivering training and producing legal updates aligned with BD strategy.

Stephenson Harwood

Stephenson Harwood launched an Employment Knowledge Development Lawyer role in January, which remained open into Q2 (but closed during April). The role focused on horizon scanning, training, and innovation within the employment team.

ESG

Charles Russell Speechlys

Charles Russell Speechlys advertised a Knowledge Development Lawyer – ESG role in March, which remained open going into Q2 (but closed in April). The role supports ESG knowledge strategy, thought leadership and client-facing advisory work across the firm.

Intellectual Property

Gowling WLG

Gowling WLG launched a Knowledge Lawyer – Intellectual Property role in February, which remained open into Q2. The role supports a leading IP practice through training, horizon scanning and client-facing content development.

Litigation

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Freshfields launched two Knowledge Lawyer roles in March, both remaining open into Q2. The Commercial Litigation & Disputes role focuses on cross-border disputes and thought leadership, while the FS Litigation & Investigations role supports financial services disputes with a focus on emerging risks and regulatory developments.

Hogan Lovells

Hogan Lovells advertised a Senior Knowledge Lawyer – Disclosure role in Q4 2025, which closed in March. The role focused on managing complex disclosure processes in high-value disputes and developing best practices in legal technology and document review.

Osborne Clarke

Osborne Clarke advertised a Head of Disputes & Risk Knowledge role in January, which closed in March. The role involved leading a knowledge team and delivering strategy across a large disputes practice.

TLT Solicitors

TLT recruited a Knowledge Lawyer – Financial Services Disputes & Investigations role, first advertised in Q4 2025 and closing in January. The role supported its banking disputes team through training, precedent creation and legal research.

Pensions

Baker McKenzie

Baker McKenzie advertised a Knowledge Lawyer – Pensions (EMEA) role in March, which remained open going into Q2 (but closed during April). The role focuses on regional knowledge leadership, training and precedent development across the pensions group.

Osborne Clarke

Osborne Clarke launched a Pensions Knowledge Lawyer role in Q4 2025, which closed in March. The role supported knowledge development, training and thought leadership within the pensions practice.

Stephenson Harwood

Stephenson Harwood advertised a Pensions Knowledge Development Lawyer role in Q4 2025, which remained open going into Q2. The role focuses on maintaining technical expertise, training and client-facing initiatives.

Private Client

Broadfield

BDB Pitmans launched a Professional Support Lawyer – Private Wealth role in January, which remained open going into Q2 (but closed during April). The role focuses on training, precedent management and supporting fee earners within the private wealth team.

Fieldfisher

Fieldfisher advertised a Professional Support Lawyer – Tax & Private Client role in Q3 2025, which closed in January. The role emphasised thought leadership, knowledge management and innovation within the private client team.

Harbottle & Lewis

Harbottle & Lewis launched a Private Client PSL role in March, which remained open going into Q2. The role focuses on training, precedent development and supporting business development initiatives.

Real Estate

Dentons

Dentons advertised a Practice Development Lawyer – Real Estate role in January, which remained open into Q2. The role focuses on maintaining and modernising precedent banks, supporting training and driving innovation projects.

Forsters

Forsters launched a Knowledge Development Lawyer – Commercial Real Estate role in Q4 2025, which closed in February. The role involved supporting fee earners, delivering training and maintaining know-how resources.

Greenberg Traurig

Greenberg Traurig advertised a Practice Group Lawyer role in Q4 2025, which remained open going into Q2. The role supports private equity real estate teams through knowledge strategy, precedent development and market analysis.

Tax

DLA Piper

DLA Piper launched a Knowledge Development Lawyer – Tax role in January, which remained open into Q2 (but closed during April). The role combines technical tax expertise with thought leadership, training and collaboration with business development teams.

Macfarlanes

Macfarlanes advertised a Tax & Reward Knowledge Lawyer role in Q4 2025, which remained open going into Q2. The role supports fee earners through know-how development, training and business development initiatives.

Firmwide / Strategic Knowledge Roles

Charles Russell Speechlys

Charles Russell Speechlys advertised a firmwide Knowledge Development Lawyer (FTC) role in January, which closed in February. The role focused on driving knowledge strategy, systematising client-facing content and supporting innovation initiatives.

Michelmores

Michelmores launched a Head of Knowledge & Innovation role in January, which closed in February. This senior leadership position focused on firmwide knowledge strategy, AI integration and legal tech transformation.