Legal Advisor (14-Month Fixed Term Contract)

Job Title: Legal Advisor

Contract: Fixed-term, 14 months

Reporting to: Head of Legal, Risk and Compliance

Working hours: Monday to Friday 10:00am to 6:00pm (additional hours as required)

Place of Work: Bermondsey and other locations as required.

Person Specification

Essential

• English-qualified solicitor with at least three years’ post-qualification experience (PQE).
• Interest in and knowledge of contemporary art and the international art market.
• Ability to give practical and commercially-minded legal advice in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to prioritise tasks when necessary, particularly across time zones.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

Desirable

• Foreign legal qualification in a relevant jurisdiction.
• In-house experience in the art market, such as a commercial gallery, museum or auction house.

Responsibilities

• Working in liaison with the Head of Legal, Risk and Compliance:
• Negotiation of agreements: Negotiate and amend loans-in, consignments-in (from galleries and artists), sale agreements, commission agreements, representation agreements with new artist’s estates, art fair agreements, exhibition agreements, frequently supplied by the other party and not in line with our requirements. Advising and assisting represented artists to negotiate agreements with third parties.
• Drafting and negotiation: Draft and negotiate loans-out, consignments-out to galleries, amendments to invoice terms, letters of provenance, artwork valuations, fabrication agreements, film agreements and confidentiality agreements, primarily working from our own templates.
• Secondary market: Work on secondary market deals; draft and negotiate purchase agreement or consignment agreement and advising on risk of particular transactions and appropriate levels of due diligence, draft confidentiality agreements and letters of intent and advise on any issues that arise.
• IP and copyright: Get permissions and documentation in place in advance of a show; respond to last minute urgent queries and advise on best way to proceed. Respond on behalf of artists we represent to copyright infringement of their works. Work with Image Licensing team on photography agreements and related copyright issues. Negotiate IP licences on behalf of the artists we represent, as required.
• Research / responding to queries: Research and respond to ad hoc legal queries from all gallery departments and artists we represent. Suggest options for best way to proceed. Assist with drafting technical / legal letters and emails where needed and liaise with external lawyers as required. Advising the board on legal risks of any particular situation.
• Disputes: Advise on any actual or threatened litigation and suggest options for best way to resolve. Liaise with external lawyers as required.
• Trademark: Co-ordinate trademark applications / extensions.
• Legal policies and compliance: Manage and update legal policies (e.g. anti-bribery policy and data protection) and templates and train staff on legal issues. Assisting compliance team and Money Laundering Reporting Officer on anti-money laundering (AML) issues and implementing AML policy including liaising with external counsel. Filling out data breach incident report forms and assisting Data Protection Officer on data protection issues.
• Liaising with: In the course of the above, liaising with Sales, Exhibitions, Artist Liaisons, Registrars, Finance, Publications, international locations (Hong Kong, New York, Seoul and Paris) and artists directly.
• Cybersecurity: Attend monthly cybersecurity monitoring meetings and instruct where take down processes should be followed by our cybersecurity partner.
• Corporate: Assist as needed in drafting of board resolutions and appointment/resignation of directors and corporate filings.

General

• Provide support, education and training to staff to build risk awareness within the organisation.
• Keep abreast of changes in law that may affect the gallery.
• Pass invoices for legal fees and other cost.
• Attend staff meetings.
• Attend exhibition openings.

The role is due to commence in February 2027.

This application will close on Thursday 8th October at 5:30pm and we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications.

Please note we are currently unable to offer sponsorship, nor guarantee future sponsorship opportunities, for this role.