Power & Utilities (P&U) is one of the largest business areas of the IAG and encompasses work for major clients in the sector, including all energy and water utilities as well as some of the largest companies in Europe and beyond. We provide in-depth strategic and technical advice on corporate finance and corporate financial management, regulatory finance, regulatory policy, business and financial planning, cost assessment and benchmarking as well as in other areas directly affecting value. Our work combines elements of policy, finance, strategy and economics to assist our clients in structuring investments, securing financing, supporting regulatory regimes and maximising shareholder value. We are widely recognised by many industry stakeholders as market leaders influencing the future of the utilities sector.

Role summary

KPMG is now a digital business, and as a result, technology enables everything it does and requires KPMG to continue to transform with technology in support of its Growth and Trust agenda. This role, which is focused on the product and innovation aspects of Intellectual Property (IP), Technology and Data, is a part of the International Office of the General Counsel (IOGC).  It focuses on providing legal advice and support from IOGC on the development, protection, enforcement, acquisition and licensing of technology, software and data, particularly risks, protections and opportunities related to the patent aspects of KPMG’s IP, technology and data strategy.

Although this role is primarily focused on product and innovation, this role may also involve providing support to other IOGC lawyers on strategic initiatives and commercial technology transactions, particularly where the licensed technology is protected by patents, is not patent protected but is in a highly patented field, and/or leverages artificial intelligence and blockchain.

The person in this role will execute their responsibilities under the overall supervision of, and working collaboratively with, the most senior patent lawyer with respect to IP, Technology and Data and other senior lawyers focused on IP and technology law. This role requires a person to provide meaningful value-add to business and technology development teams by supporting product and innovation that contributes to over $17 billion in annual revenue, helping to analyse KPMGI’s intellectual property (IP) and technology assets, and advising on patent protection and IP enforcement, all while supporting IOGC’s senior leadership team in managing, mitigating and preventing legal and reputational risk.

The role is an excellent opportunity for a junior lawyer who has focused on patent work (prosecution, litigation, licensing, freedom to operate) to apply their skills to a rapidly growing international patent pipeline focused on emerging technologies and to expand their IP skillsets beyond patent law in a rapidly growing digital business.  

Power & Utilities (P&U), led by Dr Matt Firla-Cuchra, counts c85 FTEs is the largest business area of the IAG and encompasses work for major clients in the sector, including all UK utilities as well as some of the largest energy and water companies in Europe and beyond. We provide in-depth strategic and technical advice on strategy and business planning and analysis, corporate finance and corporate financial management, regulatory policy, cost assessment and benchmarking as well as in other areas to help our clients create value for both shareholders and customers. Our work combines elements of policy, finance, strategy and economics to assist our clients in structuring investments, securing financing, supporting regulatory regimes for the benefit of customers as well as maximising shareholder value. We are widely recognised by many industry stakeholders as market leaders influencing the future of the utilities sector.

• The Employment Law Team comprises 15 team members who regularly work with a wide cross-section of the KPMG client-facing business.
• The Team is growing fast.  In the past 18 months it has gone from I to 3 Partners.
• The team undertakes a variety of work with a focus on workforce and pay compliance (including national minimum wage, holiday pay, employment status, pay gap reporting and equal pay), workforce change (people aspects of restructurings including redundancies and TUPE transfers,  changes to terms and conditions and transactional support) as well as general HR/ ER advisory work and global employment projects.
• The applicant should be a team player with an entrepreneurial spirit and be prepared to work in a different way to lawyers in traditional law firms. 
• The applicant should be keen to contribute to the growth of the team.