Job Description

This role involves advising and working closely with all control functions such as Projects, Cost Control, Marketing, HR and Finance on legal issues arising from the Group's UK business and operations.

The successful candidate will share in the handling the Group's acquisition/disposal transactions, corporate restructuring, litigation proceedings, sale of properties and financing matters. They will also assist with the legal elements to all property development funding agreements with banks/lenders including negotiating facility documents etc.

In addition they will assist in the review, drafting and negotiation of contracts and other legal documents, including:

• vendor agreements,
• licensing agreements,
• services contracts,
• non-disclosure agreements,
• real estate agreements, and
• other commercial documents.

Other duties may include:

• Assisting in responding to issues and requests from construction management and operations personnel in the field, as well as various corporate departments (Accounting, Development, Risk, Executive, etc.) regarding all project development related issues.
• Preparing and negotiating leases and ancillary lease documents, as well as lease amendments and other agreements.
• Assisting with dispute management and resolution, including consumer and employee complaints and other litigation matters.
• Advising and assisting in respect of the company's statutory compliance with legislation including GDPR, etc

A large amount of this role will relate to the coordination and engagement with outside counsel on legal matters, as needed.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The successful candidate is likely to be a UK or Common law jurisdiction qualified lawyer with in depth experience of UK property development matters. The autonomous requirements of this role mean that they will be likely to have at least 7 years PQE. The successful candidate will have a broad base in general knowledge of real estate development project concepts and issues, surveys, site plans, as well as construction regulation and compliance, although it should be emphasised that commercial property expertise is the core of this role. The role may be suitable for a lawyer from either and in house organisation a well known private practice law firm (preferrably one noted for commercial property or development work) but the candidate will need to have the ability or at the very least the willingness to take on new areas of law outside of commercial property - they will come across legal issue in the day to day running of the organisation which are not confirmed to commercial property matters (eg: financing, employment law, construction). Please note that for those areas outside of a candidate's immediate skill set there is the support of external legal resources (panel law firms) but the candidate will be encouraged to deal with legal issues internally on a first instance basis and must be prepared to do so.