Sole Counsel

Sole Counsel

Full-Time 100000 - 120000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Build and manage the legal function, handling contracts and compliance for a cutting-edge AI startup.
  • Company: Join Fifth Dimension, an innovative AI automation company transforming document-heavy industries.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, unlimited leave, wellness budget, and tailored support for life's challenges.
  • Other info: Flexible hybrid working, with opportunities for international travel and career growth.
  • Why this job: Be a key player in a fast-paced environment, shaping legal strategies that drive business success.
  • Qualifications: Qualified solicitor with SaaS or tech experience and strong commercial drafting skills.

The predicted salary is between 100000 - 120000 £ per year.

About Us

Fifth Dimension is bringing the magic of AI automation to document-heavy industries. Today we work with leading real-estate businesses in the UK and US, automating complex workflows, extracting valuable insights from documents, and empowering professionals to focus on high-impact work. Our AI workspace transforms how large investment managers handle leases, development documents, and investment decisions.

We're an international startup based in London, New York, and Singapore, backed by Tier 1 American and European investors. Our founders, Johnny Morris and Dr. Kate Jarvis, bring a powerful blend of expertise: Johnny has 18+ years applying data and analytics to real estate, while Kate holds a Stanford PhD and 12 years of executive experience across Silicon Valley and London startups.

At Fifth Dimension, we're demanding yet encouraging, valuing experimentation and thoughtful challenge. Our company values – Own It, Ship It, and Don't Be Boring – drive us to deliver exceptional results whilst fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

A week in the life of our Sole Counsel:

  • Monday: A new enterprise customer wants to redline our MSA. You've seen their playbook before – you're back in their markup within hours, positions clearly reasoned, blockers flagged to the FD before they become deal delays.
  • Tuesday: ISO 27001 surveillance audit is six weeks out. You're working through the evidence pack with our vCISO – reviewing updated policies, closing out two open action items from the last cycle, and making sure the audit trail is clean.
  • Wednesday: In the office on Oxford Street. You're reviewing a new vendor DPA – the subprocessor list needs updating and their standard terms don't meet our UK GDPR obligations. You redraft, send back, move on.
  • Thursday: Employment matter. A new AE offer letter needs non‑compete language tightened following a recent market hire. You turn it around same day, flag the IP assignment clause to the FD and update the standard template so it doesn't happen again.
  • Friday: Board prep support – the FD needs a one-pager on a contract’s liability position ahead of next week’s investor call. You draft it in an hour – clear, commercial, no unnecessary hedging.

This is legal at Fifth Dimension. You're not a gatekeeper – you're an enabler who moves fast and manages risk without slowing the business down.

What you'll do:

As our Sole Counsel, you'll build 5D's legal function from scratch – the contractual infrastructure, compliance posture, and risk framework that supports every major commercial and operational decision between now and Series B.

  • Commercial (50%): Own the full lifecycle of customer contracts – NDAs, MSAs, order forms, DPAs, and amendments – negotiating directly with procurement and legal counterparts at enterprise customers. Draft and negotiate vendor, partner, and employment agreements. Maintain and continuously improve our contract templates and negotiation playbooks. Manage a contract tracker; own the pipeline of open legal matters and keep deals moving. Brief and manage external counsel on matters beyond your scope.
  • Compliance (30%): Own our data protection function day-to-day: UK GDPR, US state privacy law, and cross-border transfer mechanisms (UK/EU/US/SG). Work closely with our vCISO to maintain ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliance – owning the legal and policy layer, supporting audit cycles, and closing out action items. Draft and maintain privacy notices, DPAs, and internal data governance policies. Advise product and engineering teams on privacy-by-design as we ship new features. Monitor the regulatory environment and flag material changes to the business.
  • Corporate, Employment & IP (20%): Handle UK employment matters – offer letters, contracts, IP assignments, restrictive covenants. Coordinate US and Singapore employment matters alongside external counsel. Support board consents, subsidiary maintenance, and cap-table-adjacent matters. Maintain our IP register and advise on licensing and ownership questions as the product evolves.

What we're looking for:

You've spent a few years in-house at a SaaS or tech business – or you've trained at a commercial firm and spent enough time on tech clients that you know exactly how enterprise software contracts work and how to close them. You have a clear, low-ego risk profile: you know when to hold a position and when to move on, and you never let perfect be the enemy of progress.

You bring:

  • Qualified solicitor (England & Wales), 3–6 PQE with US experience.
  • SaaS or B2B tech experience – either in-house or with a significant tech client base in private practice.
  • Strong commercial drafter: fast, clean, and position-led – you improve contracts, not just mark them up.
  • Working knowledge of UK GDPR and practical experience managing compliance programmes or certification cycles (ISO 27001 / SOC 2 exposure strongly preferred).
  • Genuine AI literacy – you use Claude or equivalent tools in your workflow; drafting without them would feel like leaving performance on the table.
  • Pragmatic risk profile – you give clear answers, not endless caveats, and you understand that a 90% answer delivered today beats a perfect answer delivered next week.
  • Project management instincts – you track your matters, close your actions, and keep stakeholders informed without being chased.
  • Excellent communication skills – you can interact effectively when negotiating with customers and communicating to the business internally.

Bonus points if you have:

  • Experience with multi-jurisdictional structures (UK parent, US / Singapore subsidiaries).
  • Exposure to EIS/SEIS, investor rights agreements, or post-Series A governance.
  • Proptech, real-estate, or financial services sector experience.
  • Previous experience supporting a fundraise or regulatory due diligence process.

What we offer:

We're building something extraordinary – and we want extraordinary people. Our benefits package goes beyond the standard startup offering, from tailored support for life's challenges to meaningful parental leave.

  • £100-120k salary per annum + bonus + meaningful equity (on a standard vesting schedule).
  • Enhanced pension contributions (5%).
  • Unlimited annual leave.
  • £100 monthly wellbeing budget.
  • £1,000 annual training budget.
  • Electric car scheme (salary sacrifice).
  • Tailored support for exceptional challenges, which may include contributions to: Gender-affirming care, Private specialists and diagnostic scans, ADHD / Autism diagnosis, IVF / fertility care, Therapy.
  • Enhanced parental leave: 14 weeks full pay for primary caregiver (followed by statutory pay), 6 weeks full pay for secondary caregiver.
  • Flexible working – hybrid (Wednesdays in our Oxford Street office), judged on output not hours. Quarterly team weeks in London, regular travel to New York and Singapore as the business grows.

Department: Legal; Location: London; Remote status: Hybrid.

Sole Counsel employer: Fifth Dimension

At Fifth Dimension, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that champions innovation and employee growth. Our vibrant work culture encourages experimentation and collaboration, while our comprehensive benefits package, including unlimited annual leave and tailored support for life's challenges, ensures that our team members feel valued and empowered. Located in the heart of London, we offer a unique opportunity to shape the legal function of a cutting-edge AI startup, all while enjoying the flexibility of hybrid working arrangements.

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Contact Details:

Fifth Dimension Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Sole Counsel

Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.

Tip Number 2

Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their values, like 'Own It' and 'Ship It', and think about how your experience aligns with them. This will help you stand out as someone who truly gets what they’re about.

Tip Number 3

Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your skills and experiences make you the perfect fit for the role. Keep it concise and focus on how you can add value to their team, especially in areas like compliance and contract management.

Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step to engage with us directly. Let’s make magic happen together!

We think you need these skills to ace Sole Counsel

Qualified solicitor (England & Wales)
SaaS or B2B tech experience
Strong commercial drafting skills
UK GDPR knowledge
ISO 27001 compliance experience
Pragmatic risk assessment
Project management instincts

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Your Personality:When you're writing your application, let your personality shine through! We want to see the real you, so don’t be afraid to inject a bit of your own style into your writing. Remember, we value creativity and innovation here at Fifth Dimension.

Tailor Your Application:Make sure to tailor your application specifically for the Sole Counsel role. Highlight your relevant experience with SaaS or tech businesses, and don’t forget to mention your understanding of UK GDPR and compliance. We love seeing how your background aligns with our needs!

Be Clear and Concise:We appreciate clarity in communication, especially when it comes to legal matters. Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Avoid jargon where possible and make sure your key achievements stand out – we want to see what makes you a great fit!

Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at Fifth Dimension!

How to prepare for a job interview at Fifth Dimension

Know Your Stuff

Make sure you have a solid understanding of the legal frameworks relevant to the role, especially UK GDPR and compliance standards like ISO 27001. Brush up on your knowledge of SaaS contracts and be ready to discuss how you've navigated similar situations in the past.

Show Your Commercial Savvy

Fifth Dimension values a commercial mindset, so be prepared to demonstrate how you've successfully negotiated contracts or managed legal matters that directly impacted business outcomes. Use specific examples to illustrate your ability to balance risk with business needs.

Be a Problem Solver

During the interview, highlight your pragmatic approach to legal challenges. Share instances where you’ve provided clear, actionable advice without getting bogged down in unnecessary details. This will show that you can deliver results quickly, which is crucial for the fast-paced environment at Fifth Dimension.

Embrace Innovation

Fifth Dimension is all about innovation, so express your enthusiasm for using AI tools in your legal work. Discuss any experience you have with tech solutions that streamline legal processes, and be ready to share how you stay updated on industry trends and regulatory changes.