Senior Legal Counsel in Abingdon

Informa is a leading academic publishing, business intelligence, knowledge, and events business, creating unique content and connectivity for customers all over the world. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100. Taylor & Francis is one of the world’s largest publishers of high-quality, peer reviewed scholarly journals, books, e-books and reference works. We empower learners, thinkers and doers with trusted knowledge that advances research and enriches lives.

We are currently recruiting for a talented Senior Legal Counsel to join the Taylor & Francis legal team. This is an exciting opportunity to become a valued business partner to a global content business, and to be part of a collegiate and supportive legal team. Reporting into the Deputy General Counsel for Taylor & Francis, you will be responsible for supporting Taylor & Francis on all legal matters, with particular focus on supporting the Corporate division.

Responsibilities are expected to include:

• Providing legal support to Taylor & Francis’ Corporate division, including:
• Proactively building effective working relationships with senior leadership in the business and representing the legal team at management meetings contributing expertise and influencing.
• Identifying and managing projects end to end to mitigate any identified areas of legal risk.
• Representing Taylor & Francis at external events, trade body meetings and industry initiatives as appropriate.
• Supporting the business on complex IP/copyright-related matters, particularly in the context of AI, including advising on AI-related licensing agreements and legal developments relating to AI and copyright.
• Drafting, negotiating and advising senior leaders on a wide range of commercial contracts, including customer contracts, publishing agreements, author/editor contracts, distribution and agency agreements, supplier agreements and IT/technology contracts.
• Advising on content-related issues and disputes, both pre- and post-publication, including issues related to copyright, defamation and privacy.
• Taking a lead on managing and resolving third party disputes.
• Instructing external counsel where necessary and managing external legal costs.
• Collaborating effectively with the other lawyers in the Taylor & Francis legal team to ensure a consistent and effective approach to managing legal risk across the business globally.

Qualifications Knowledge and experience required:

• A qualified lawyer with around 6 years plus post-qualification experience (PQE is given as a guide only).
• Prior experience of building effective working relationships with senior commercial stakeholders in a business.
• A robust understanding of intellectual property/copyright law and demonstrable experience of advising clients on, and finding pragmatic solutions to, complex copyright and licensing issues, ideally within a content industry.
• Experience of advising on copyright issues within an AI context is highly desirable but not essential.
• A professional qualification in IP would be helpful but not essential.
• Demonstrable experience of managing and resolving legal disputes to an effective solution.
• Prior experience of instructing external counsel and managing external legal costs is desirable but not essential.
• Prior in-house experience and/or experience of the publishing industry is desirable but not essential.

What makes you stand out:

• Strongly commercial thinker able to find pragmatic and workable solutions.
• Evidence of ability to exercise commercial judgment and balance business needs with legal risk in a commercial, constructive and business-sympathetic way.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to work cooperatively and build strong relationships with others.
• Ability to take ownership and work independently, and to take a lead and own issues and projects within the role’s remit.
• An enthusiastic and proactive approach to work, with an ability to prioritise effectively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including an ability to explain complex legal issues in a clear and simple manner to a non-legally trained audience.

Additional Information:

• Closing Date: Applications will close on Friday 27th November 2026.
• Location: We believe that great things happen when people connect face-to-face. That's why we work in-person with each other, or with customers and partners, three days a week or more.
• Please note that our Milton Park office will be relocating to Oxford city centre in late 2027 / early 2028.

We want all our candidates to shine in our recruitment process. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to ensure you are able to show us your best self.

At Taylor & Francis, we are at our best and most successful when colleagues can be themselves and contribute regardless of their identity or background. Our goal is to empower you with the resources, incentives, and flexibility you need to enjoy success at work and to live a healthy, balanced life.

Taylor & Francis is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe in and value diversity of people and thought, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where all colleagues can learn and succeed as their true selves.