Legal Counsel – Real Estate

Legal Counsel

Contract type: Permanent

Location: Hatfield (Hybrid working – 3 days in the office)

Working hours per week: 40 hours (will consider applicants looking for 32 hours per week)

Level: Manager

Reports to: Senior Legal Counsel

Application Closing Date: Thursday 24th September 2026

About Us

Our mission is to deliver joy in every shop, through unbeatable choice, unrivalled service, and reassuringly good value. We’re also on a mission to empower our business with smart technology; we’ve recently launched our AI Academy, providing a tailored AI learning journey for every colleague.

We’re Ocado Retail , a market-leading joint venture between Ocado Group and M&S, and the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket, ocado.com . Not only is Ocado the only place to shop a full range of M&S food online, it’s also the home to the widest online supermarket range in the UK and champion of small, independent brands. We’re also the brains behind Zoom by Ocado , our same-day grocery delivery service.

About The Team And The Role

The Legal and Compliance team is fully integrated across the whole business and we work closely with our colleagues to ensure they meet their strategic objectives. We are a small team, ambitious and curious, and we like to find innovative and commercial solutions to tricky legal problems. The role of Legal Counsel is a key member of that team, reporting directly into our Senior Legal Counsel for Real Estate and Construction.

What You’ll Do

Legal Counsel will support ORL’s Network Development & Property and Construction & Design teams to manage ORL’s existing property portfolio and ambitious network expansion plans. Examples of the work undertaken by a Legal Counsel include the following:

• Responsibility for providing day-to-day legal advice to the business on real estate and construction matters.
• Effective business partnering which facilitates and supports proactive issue spotting and problem solving.
• Undertaking initial title, planning and construction due diligence to spot potential issues early in the site search process.
• Reviewing, drafting, negotiating and advising on a range of real estate and construction contracts, including:
• Heads of terms, letters of intent and indemnity (tenant side);
• Agreements for lease and leases (tenant side);
• Licences to alter and leasehold management documents (tenant side);
• Intra-group transfers and ancillary documents;
• Disposals (assignments, deeds of surrender and underleases);
• Dilapidations settlement agreements;
• JCT minor works, intermediate and design & build contracts and associated guarantees, bonds, deeds of novation and collateral warranties (employer side); and
• Professional team appointments and ancillary documents (employer side).
• Advising on landlord and tenant laws and their strategic application to the ORL portfolio.
• Managing external counsel appointments, working alongside external counsel, adding ORL’s commercial perspective and translating legal advice for stakeholders.
• Developing and maintaining a precedent base.
• Developing and providing training to the business.
• Remaining current with the latest legislation and leading practices and responding accordingly including proactively advising the business ahead of legislative changes to ensure compliance.

Who You Are

Minimum:

• Qualified solicitor with proven post qualification experience as a real estate lawyer.
• Expertise in landlord and tenant law.
• Sound commercial awareness and good communication skills.
• Pragmatic, commercial and risk-based approach.
• Flexibility and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent attention to detail and organisational skills.
• Ability to work to deadlines and manage competing demands from various stakeholders.
• Experience using AI to support day to day work.
• Desire to work in a fast paced, dynamic and high growth business.

Preferred (not Required)

• Experience of construction law and planning law.
• In-house experience, including working with external counsel.
• Private practice experience.

What’s In It For You

• Health & Wellbeing: Private medical insurance with option to add your family, Digital GP appointments, market-leading family policies, mental health support, discounted gym memberships, dental insurance, and more.
• Spend & Save: Annual bonus scheme split between personal and business objectives, recognition with reward platform, up to 7% matched pension contributions, 15% Ocado discount, 20% M&S discount, free breakfast every day in the office, electric vehicle leasing scheme, and free shuttle bus from Hatfield station to the office.
• Never miss the moments that matter: Hybrid working, 26 days holiday plus 8 flexible bank holidays, options to buy extra holiday, 2 weeks work from anywhere, and lifestyle break opportunities.

Our Hiring Process

Lucky for us, we receive a high volume of applications and genuinely appreciate the time and effort invested by every candidate. To ensure a fair and thorough process, every application is reviewed by a member of our team. If your skills and experience are a strong match, a Talent Partner will contact you to discuss the role and guide you through the next steps of our hiring process.

Your Application and AI

In the spirit of innovation, we welcome you to use AI tools in your application, just as we use them in our own business at Ocado Retail. However, as you leverage this technology, please don’t lose sight of the most important element: your unique self. Your experiences, passions, and personality are what truly set you apart. Ensure that your application still authentically conveys who you are and why you’re a great fit for us.

Everyone’s welcome

We’re an equal opportunities employer, which means that we make sure all potential colleagues are treated fairly and equally. We want to ensure everyone has a fair chance to apply; if you need this job description in an alternative format (e.g., larger print, different document type, etc.), please reach out to us at and we’ll be happy to assist you, and if you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know on the application form.

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