Commercial Legal Counsel – Fixed Term Contract (c.15 Months) in London

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world. We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine - ambitious, entrepreneurially spirited and high‑growth businesses that fuel the economy and directly advise the owners and management teams that lead them.

The Quality and Risk Management Team (QRMT) at BDO comprises several sub‑teams including the Office of the General Counsel Legal, Root Cause Analysis, Enterprise Risk Management, Economic Crime, Quality Management, Ethics and Independence and Advisory Regulatory and Compliance. It provides Partners and staff with the guidance, tools and support to enable them to identify and manage quality and risk issues.

BDO’s Office of the General Counsel is seeking a Commercial Legal Counsel to join the team on a fixed‑term basis for a period of 15 months, providing maternity cover. The role will support wide ranging client facing commercial contracting activity. A key part of the role will be leading on negotiating complex master services agreements with some of BDO’s largest clients, often with an international element and frequently involving the inclusion of technology provisions.

The role requires an experienced lawyer capable of supporting the business in making pragmatic commercial decisions that will ensure contract negotiations align with BDO’s risk appetite. The role will also offer the opportunity to support the Firm’s internal function on strategically significant contracts and leading on the client flow down elements of risk management in technology procurement.

BDO's Office of the General Counsel provides dedicated support on all legal matters arising from our business including commercial contracting, litigation, regulatory proceedings, operations including mergers and acquisitions, governance and partnership matters and supplier contracting. The Office of the General Counsel is based in London (Baker Street); however, this role may be based from BDO offices in London or Liverpool.

We’re looking for someone with:

• Qualified to practice law in England and Wales; post qualified experience.
• Experience providing legal advice within a regulated sector gained at a reputable law firm or within a fast‑paced in‑house legal function.
• Experience negotiating commercial contracts (master services agreements, framework agreements, NDAs etc.).
• Experience drafting client facing technology contracts, including SaaS platform agreements, reseller arrangements and strategic partnership agreements.
• Experience mentoring or supervising junior legal team members, including acting as a point of escalation on complex contracting and drafting matters.
• Strong working knowledge of EU/UK Data Protection Laws in the context of a global business.
• Experience contributing to the creation and/or improvement of template contracts and/or playbooks.
• Ability to operate at a manager level, demonstrating strong leadership qualities.
• Exceptional written, verbal and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey complex legal concepts clearly to stakeholders.

Desirable:

• Negotiating contracts incorporating AI-related provisions and advising on AI-related legal and regulatory matters.
• Advising on outsourcing and subcontracting arrangements in a global business context.
• Use and/or deployment of AI within a legal function to assist in contract review, drafting and negotiation.
• Experience negotiating commercial contracts within a professional services environment.

We’re committed to agile working, and we offer everyone the opportunity to work in ways that suit them, their teams, and the task at hand. At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

Mutual support and respect is one of BDO’s core values and we’re proud of our distinctive, people‑centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we’ll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs.

At BDO, you’ll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work. We know that collaboration is the key to creating value and satisfying experiences at work, so we’ve invested in state‑of‑the‑art collaboration spaces in our offices.

We’re looking forward to the future. At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy. Our success is powered by our people, which is why we’re always finding new ways to invest in you.