In-House Counsel

In House Counsel - Somerset

Due to exceptional growth across the business, our client is looking for a General Commercial Solicitor to play an integral role within their high-performing Commercial Legal Team.

You’ll be a key partner to the business, leading on major commercial contracts, managing legal and regulatory risk, and working closely with senior leaders, procurement, operations and cross-functional teams to drive confident, commercially smart decisions.

Your expertise will protect the brand, unlock new opportunities and power the growth of a business built on trust, simplicity and exceptional customer focus.

This role is for a solicitor who thrives on pace and impact - someone who brings legal excellence while balancing risk and reward to enable optimal commercial decision-making across the organisation.

This is a very close knit, engaging and long-standing legal function closely aligned to the business.

The leadership of the legal function bring superb industry experience and have developed a team equipped to support a high growth and entrepreneurial organisation.

Responsibilities:

Commercial contracts

• Manage legal risk in commercial relationships with suppliers for goods and services not for resale (non-stock suppliers) and goods for resale (stock suppliers) including significant tenders, contracts, and related disputes.

• Draft and negotiate a wide range of complex commercial contracts (incl. intragroup, logistics warehousing and fulfilment, supply of goods and services, technology and software and non-disclosure agreements).

• Support contract lifecycle management with renewals, updates and dispute avoidance.

• Advise on contract structure and risks re commercial strategy to support business teams

• Develop and ensure compliance with templates, standard terms, and playbooks.

Legal advisory and risk management

• Provide expert legal support and guidance for strategic business critical projects and on a broad range of ad hoc legal queries across the spectrum of commercial law issues.

• Work closely with colleagues across the wider Group and with external counsel on a cost efficient and targeted basis.

• Ensure risks are escalated and managed to ensure optimal commercial decision-making.

Governance, compliance and regulatory support

• Ensure data protection compliance in contractual relationships and providing legal support and advice on a broad range of data protection issues.

• Where appropriate, advising on regulatory law issues (including competition and consumer) and brand protection (intellectual property).

Other

• Identify innovative methods to achieve efficiencies and seek continued process improvement.

• Support dispute management where appropriate (pre litigation) and to the wider Legal team (as necessary).

• Provide training to internal teams on contract risk, legal compliance and processes to ensure optimal understanding and visibility of critical legal issues.

Background/Person

• UK qualified solicitor with a proven track record working in private practice and/or in house on commercial law matters. (pqe dependant on experience)

• Expert in contract law and with exceptional drafting and negotiation skills across a broad range of complex commercial contracts.

• Good knowledge of data protection law and an understanding of information governance.

• Experience of competition and regulatory law is desirable.

• Pleasure to work with style. (essential)

• Strong influencing skills, including the ability to present complex concepts clearly in plain English and to business stakeholders at all levels.

• Results driven experience in negotiating with counterparties on contentious (pre litigation) and non-contentious matters.

On offer is a competitive salary and highly attractive benefits package including a market leading pension scheme and highly competitive bonus system.

We would consider 4 or 5 days for this position.

Highly flexible attitude to office/home working.

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