In-House Counsel

A media services company based in the South of England is conducting a search for a capable In House Legal Counsel to join their legal team on a contract basis to cover a period of maternity. This is a remote working role, initially requiring attendance at the office by agreement a couple of times a month, located in the Greater London area. Thereafter, the role will be predominantly working from home.

The company represents the intellectual property rights of many prominent publishing brands in the UK, such as leading newspapers and magazine publishers, in print and online. They have been operating for 25 years and continue to grow and evolve in a technology-focused direction, with projects underway to explore data mining, Big Data, and data analytics activities.

As the In House Legal Counsel, you will report directly to the General Counsel, working across all parts of the organisation and with publishers. You will have strong knowledge of Litigation/Disputes and Commercial Law, gained through in-house exposure, secondment experience, or law practice experience. Your responsibilities will include:

• Reviewing client contracts to identify breaches of contract and compliance.
• Identifying key issues and enforcing contract terms through composing breach of contract letters, pre-action letters, and creating process checklists and letter templates.
• Working with various departments, including Licensing, Publisher Services, Accounts, Business Development, IT, and International, advising on contentious matters and managing litigation and disputes.
• Assisting with correspondence from publishers and clients.
• Managing business compliance with 'The Collective Management of Copyright (EU Directive) Regulations 2016' and Data Protection laws.
• Advising on copyright issues and pursuing legal action against non-compliant organisations.
• Keeping abreast of changes to applicable laws and relevant court judgements, ensuring business licences, policies, and procedures are compliant and up to date.
• Reviewing and preparing responses to relevant government consultations.

To succeed in this role, you will need to hold the following qualifications and demonstrate the following experience:

• Be a UK qualified lawyer with 2 years PQE and post-qualification experience.
• Have extensive knowledge of litigation/disputes law, particularly in relation to contract law, ideally gained in an in-house environment or law firm.
• Possess sound interpersonal skills to deal with staff at all levels inside and outside the organisation.
• Demonstrate the ability to articulate and communicate clearly and with authority.
• Exhibit good attention to detail and strong analytical skills.
• Be able to work independently.

In return, you will receive an excellent package of benefits, including a strong pension, generous annual leave allowance, life assurance, an excellent Employee Assistance Programme, and healthcare, along with a very competitive market salary.

If this position sounds of interest, please submit your CV confidentially, and we will be in touch shortly to discuss the opportunity in further detail. Alternatively, if you prefer to chat about the role confidentially before submitting a CV, please get in touch via the contact details provided.