Commercial Legal Counsel

Contract:

Full Time , Permanent
Salary: £ 70,000 per annum

Hours:

40 per week

Our head offices based in the beautiful village of Hook Norton near Banbury. Here you will find our teams of finance, HR, purchasing, marketing & creative that support all of our locations across the Thomas Franks family. There is ample parking space available when visiting.

We are seeking an experienced Commercial Legal Counsel to join our growing business. As a newly created position, this is an excellent opportunity to work alongside the Company’s sole in-house lawyer and help develop a high-performing legal function that supports the continued growth and success of an ambitious business.

You will provide commercially focused legal advice across a broad range of matters, with particular emphasis on agreements with clients and suppliers. You will also help establish legal frameworks, strengthen processes and enable colleagues to manage risk effectively.
Working closely with sales, operations and procurement, you will deliver pragmatic, risk-based legal solutions that support business objectives while protecting the Company’s interests.

• Draft, review, negotiate and advise on a broad range of commercial agreements, with a focus on catering and facilities management services, including outsourcing, service and supplier arrangements.
• Advise on contractual risk allocation, liability and indemnity provisions, service levels, dispute resolution and governance arrangements.
• Support the renewal, variation, exit and termination of commercial agreements.
• Provide practical and proportionate legal support in relation to commercial disputes and pre-litigation matters.
• Coordinate with overseas legal counsel to support compliance with relevant local legal and regulatory requirements.
• Provide legal advice on privacy and data protection matters.
• Manage and support the Company’s trade mark portfolio across UK and international business initiatives.
• Develop and maintain contract templates, negotiation playbooks, approval processes and standard terms to improve efficiency, consistency and legal risk management.
• Build effective relationships with stakeholders across the business and provide clear, accessible guidance and training where appropriate.
• Lead the development of a proactive contract management framework across the Group, ensuring that customer, supplier and strategic contracts are systematically monitored for renewals, notice periods, price review opportunities, contractual obligations, extensions, change control opportunities and key business risks.

• Qualified solicitor in England and Wales, with substantial post-qualification experience in commercial law. As a guide, the level of the role is likely to suit someone with approximately 7 to 10 years’ PQE, although applications will be considered from candidates who can demonstrate the required capability.
• Strong training and commercial contracts experience gained in a well-regarded legal practice or equivalent environment.
• In-house experience is desirable; experience in catering, hospitality, facilities management, outsourcing or a related sector would be helpful but is not essential.
• Significant experience of negotiating and advising on a broad range of commercial agreements.
• Strong knowledge of commercial law, with the ability to advise on data protection and intellectual property matters.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, drafting and negotiation skills.
• Commercially astute, pragmatic and solutions-focused, with sound judgement and the confidence to explain risk clearly.
• Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced environment while collaborating effectively with colleagues and external advisers.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver consistently high-quality outcomes.

The role is home-based, with occasional travel to the office and other business locations as required. We anticipate that the position will be full-time, but we are open to discussing flexible working arrangements, including a four-day week.

We welcome applications from candidates with different…