Commercial Lawyer in Brighton

Are you a commercially minded lawyer who is tired of clocking hours, navigating office politics, and justifying every minute of your working day? If so, it may be time to have a conversation about this rather special opportunity on the south coast.

This is a genuinely modern law firm, one that has built its reputation not on formality and hierarchy, but on trust, quality, and the freedom to get on with the job. No time-recording. No micromanagement. No stuffiness. Just excellent legal work, a tight-knit and supportive team, and the kind of flexibility that most firms talk about but rarely deliver.

The firm operates from a well-connected base near Brighton, though with the right candidate, a fully remote arrangement can be discussed. They work with a focused and interesting client base in the recruitment sector, a niche that is commercially rich, fast-paced, and full of genuinely engaging legal challenges. As the firm's commercial offering continues to grow, there is a real opportunity to shape this department and develop your career alongside it.

The firm is seeking an experienced Commercial Lawyer to join on a full-time basis. This is a pivotal hire, and the successful candidate will play a central role in delivering high-quality commercial legal services to a specialist client base of UK recruitment businesses.

The typical client is an owner-managed or EOT-managed recruitment consultancy, headquartered in London, Manchester, or Birmingham, with between 5 and 150 sales heads. These businesses operate across sectors including technology, finance, legal, accountancy, pharmaceuticals, social care, and health, meaning the work is varied, commercially relevant, and rarely dull.

• Drafting bespoke terms and conditions for recruitment businesses, tailored to sector and client structure
• Reviewing and improving existing contractual frameworks and T&Cs for recruiter clients
• Reviewing, advising on, and managing end-to-end procurement terms and supplier agreements
• Providing internal legal support to the business across a range of commercial matters
• Advising on compliance matters including GDPR, Agency Workers Regulations (AWR), IR35, and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations
• Providing practical guidance on contractor and temporary worker compliance, as well as general recruitment operations

For those with an appetite for broader transactional work, there is also real potential to become involved in larger-scale company, corporate, and M&A matters as the firm continues to grow its offering in this space. This is an opportunity, not a requirement, but it is there for those who want it.

• A minimum of 3 years' post-qualification experience (PQE) as a solicitor or FCILEX
• A strong background in contract drafting and procurement
• The confidence and ability to work autonomously with minimal supervision
• Experience within the recruitment sector is highly desirable, though not essential — what matters is the right attitude and a willingness to learn
• Familiarity with GDPR, AWR, IR35, and the Conduct Regulations is advantageous

More than anything, the firm is looking for someone with commercial awareness and a solutions-focused mindset, someone who understands that the goal is always the client's outcome, not the process. You will be dealing with sophisticated clients who value clear, practical advice, and so the ability to communicate confidently and concisely is essential.

If you can bring sector knowledge, brilliant. If not, the firm is genuinely open to supporting the right person in building that knowledge on the job. What cannot be taught is professionalism, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to get on with people — and those qualities matter here more than any checklist.

• Highly competitive salary — this firm sits firmly in the upper percentile for remuneration in the region
• Performance-based bonus scheme, including both a blanket team element and a merit-based component
• Enhanced holiday entitlement above the statutory minimum
• Contributory pension scheme
• Private health cover
• No time-recording — ever
• Genuine flexibility in how and where you work; preference for one day in the Brighton office, but fully remote will be considered for the right candidate
• A strong, positive team culture built on trust and mutual respect
• The potential for involvement in broader corporate and transactional work if of interest

If you are intrigued by this opportunity but unsure whether your experience is quite right, please do get in touch regardless. A conversation costs nothing, and it would be far better to have a chat that does not lead anywhere than for the right person to rule themselves out unnecessarily.