December 12, 2024 – Herbert Smith Freehills today announced the global launch of a new and enhanced alumni talent network, run and managed in collaboration with the law company Elevate following a successful pilot during which more than 100 former employees signed up to the new network.

The new alumni talent network builds on the network Herbert Smith Freehills launched in 2015 to support client secondments, now expanded to connect former legal, legal operations, and paralegal colleagues and offer members a flexible approach to alumni careers by providing opportunities to work across the full range of Herbert Smith Freehills client matters.

The network will be managed in partnership with Elevate, who will provide dedicated support to HSF alumni. In addition, Elevate will give HSF alumni access to interim and permanent opportunities both within and outside the firm via its global customer network.

John Croft, President and Co-Founder of Elevate, says: “We are delighted to welcome HSF alumni to our flexible lawyering pool. Not only will this provide opportunities for them to return to the firm and their clients on a flexible basis, it will also give them access to a broad range of opportunities around the world, increasing the quality and quantity of our offering globally.”

Key elements of the new alumni talent network include:

Cross-continental connections: accessible to former colleagues in each of the firm’s 23 global locations, the new network offers an alternative career pathway for individuals looking for, or needing to undertake, a lifestyle change: wherever they are in the world, alumni will be able to work on fixed-term assignments, ranging from short-term surge support to long-running issues.

Additional talent pool: as with the original 2015 offering, the network will also provide the firm’s clients with access to a wider pool of knowledge through a secondment programme. Alumni with in-depth sector experience or knowledge about specific organisations will be eligible to apply for short-term secondee positions as opportunities arise.

Matched matters: individuals who join the alumni network will be matched to suitable opportunities within the firm via a system created to identify sector experience, additional language capability, and many other skill sets.

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