Legal Counsel

Legal Counsel - Commercial & Construction

£60,000 / 65,000 + benefits

Leeds (hybrid working)

Permanent, Full time

Sellick Partnership is partnered with a leading UK infrastructure and engineering business to recruit a Legal Counsel.

This is an excellent opportunity for a commercial lawyer to join a growing in-house legal function across a broad range of commercial, construction and engineering matters.

The successful candidate will work closely with commercial and operational team with exposure to tendering, contract negotiation, project delivery, disputes and wider legal risk.

About the Role

This is a broad and varied in-house position, offering an excellent opportunity for a solicitor looking to develop their career within a commercial and operational business.

You will work closely with stakeholders across the business on a range of commercial contracts. A key part of the role will involve construction and engineering agreements, so some understanding or experience of contracts such as NEC and JCT would be beneficial.

However, this is not a role solely for a construction lawyer. We are keen to speak with commercially focused solicitors who have strong contract drafting and negotiation experience and are interested in developing their knowledge within the construction and infrastructure sector.

The role would suit either a lawyer already working in-house or someone in private practice looking to make their first move into industry.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial, construction and engineering contracts
• Support the business throughout the contract lifecycle, including tendering, contract negotiation, delivery and variations
• Review and advise on NEC, JCT and other standard form or bespoke agreements
• Provide practical and commercially focused advice to operational, commercial and procurement teams
• Identify and manage contractual and commercial risks
• Support with contractual claims, disputes and other contentious matters where required
• Work with stakeholders to resolve issues and prevent disputes from escalating where possible
• Assist with the development of contract templates, guidance notes and legal processes
• Support effective contract management and governance across the business
• Work closely with the General Counsel on a range of wider legal and commercial matters

About You

We are looking for a commercially minded solicitor with strong contract experience and an interest in working within the construction, engineering or infrastructure sectors.

You will ideally have:

• Around 3+ years' PQE, although candidates with relevant experience outside of this range will also be considered.
• Strong experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Some experience of, or familiarity with, construction and engineering contracts, including NEC, JCT or other standard form agreements.
• A good understanding of contractual risk and the ability to provide practical, commercial advice.
• Strong drafting, negotiation and communication skills.
• The ability to build effective relationships with non-legal stakeholders.
• A proactive approach and willingness to develop across a broad range of legal matters.
• Previous in-house experience would be beneficial but is not essential.

What's on Offer

• Salary of £60,000 - £65,000
• Discretionary bonus opportunity
• Car Allowance
• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Free on-site parking
• Company pension
• The opportunity to work closely with an experienced General Counsel.
• Broad exposure across commercial, construction and engineering matters.
• Excellent scope to develop within a growing in-house legal function.

How to Apply

To apply for the Legal Counsel role, please contact David Scott at Sellick Partnership. Alternatively, apply via the website and a consultant will be in touch.

Sellick Partnership is proud to be an inclusive and accessible recruitment business and we support applications from candidates of all backgrounds and circumstances. Please note, our advertisements use years' experience, hourly rates, and salary levels purely as a guide and we assess applications based on the experience and skills evidenced on the CV. For information on how your personal details may be used by Sellick Partnership, please review our data processing notice on our website.