Company Info
First Title is the UK division of First American Financial Corporation ("FAFC"). First American Financial Corporation is a leading global provider of title insurance and settlement services for residential and commercial real estate transactions. One of our subsidiaries, First Title Insurance plc (FTI) is a leading insurer of risks involving title and related areas of property and property finance and is part of the First Title Group of Companies. FTI have a unique range of policies to help lawyers involved in commercial and residential property transactions resolve both known and unknown title issues and help problem transactions close on time. First Title also provides support services to First European Title Insurance Company Ltd (FETIC) established in Malta in 2018. FETIC is a wholly owned subsidiary of FAFC.
Role Profile
Reporting into the General Counsel, this role is to provide a professional legal service to senior management ensuring the companies comply with regulatory and legal requirements. You will prepare and negotiate a variety of complex and high value legal agreements for First Title and its subsidiaries and/or affiliated entities, as well as manage the portfolio of trademarks.
You will proactively monitor and identify changes in the legal and regulatory environment and apply your expert knowledge in providing effective, commercially sound advice and support on these developments to the Board and the business generally.
You will build strong internal relationships with stakeholders and carry out training and briefing sessions to develop knowledge and understanding of legal matters across the Group.
The role offers variety, ownership and the opportunity to get involved in key projects and initiatives across the business. You will also support the General Counsel with the day-to-day work, and provide support on company secretarial duties as required.
The role involves some travel to other offices in the UK.
Job Description
PURPOSE
To assist the General Counsel in providing a full legal function to First Title Insurance plc and to any other group companies in all matters relating to potential and ongoing legal issues.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
* Provide excellent, commercial, pragmatic, risk based and practical legal support and advice to the business
* Draft, review and negotiate simple or complex and high-value legal agreements, including technology contracts in line with DORA and regulatory requirements
* Act as a point of reference on all legal agreements for the company
* Proactively manage the precedent bank of agreements and ensure that they are in compliance with law and regulation and up to date
* Ensure good housekeeping of the Legal drive and maintain administration and record keeping of legal agreements, including maintenance of the spreadsheet of all Legal documentation including current agreements being drafted and all signed agreements
* Deal with legal issues and other technical matters received from the business as assigned
* Carry out training and briefing sessions both internally and externally to develop the knowledge and understanding of legal and commercial contractual issues and provide induction training to new starters and any ad hoc training to the business on legal issues and processes
* Deal with any disputes or other contentious matters, for example, supplier or other third parties, and conduct litigation where required, or instruct external law firms as appropriate
* Manage the trademarks for the First Title group of companies and protect the intellectual property of First Title
* Have an excellent knowledge of data protection laws and ensure that agreements contain the correct provisions to ensure the business remains compliant with the GDPR and data protection laws
* Manage the GDPR framework across group companies and investigate data breaches
* Undertake legal research in various areas such as insurance law ensuring any group companies are kept up to date on relevant areas of law, providing training where appropriate
* Provide management information as and when required to General Counsel and the Board
* Identify and escalate actual and potential legal liability risk appropriately
* Undertake and proactively drive department/FT projects
* Model First Title Values in personal work behaviours, decision making, contributions and interpersonal interactions
* Potential travel throughout UK to be client facing and to build good working relationships
* Provide guidance, advice and direction to Compliance on legal matters affecting Compliance as and when requested
* Keep up to date with relevant legal and marketplace changes and developments
* Maintain continuing professional development as required by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in addition to internal CPD requirements
* Provide company secretarial duties to affiliated companies
Adhere to Conduct Rules
You must:
* Act with integrity
* Act with due skill, care and diligence
* Be open and co-operative with the FCA, the PRA and other regulators
* Pay due regard to the interests of customers and treat them fairly.
* Observe proper standards of market conduct
* Act to deliver good outcomes for retail customers
Personal Qualities
* England & Wales qualified solicitor with approximately 3+ years' post-qualification experience
* Excellent knowledge of contract law and tort law essential
* Knowledge of property law desirable
* Experience within an insurance or other financial services environment
* Ability to grasp areas of law rapidly and accurately, exercise good judgment and provide robust commercial legal advice
* Commercial and market awareness and ability to think critically
* Strong negotiation skills
* Ability to effectively communicate in all forms at all levels within an organisation
* Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
* Capable of producing high quality work in a flexible, fast-paced environment and at times at short notice
* Takes personal responsibility for actions and decisions and takes initiative
* Ability to organise own time and prioritise workload often within tight timescales whilst still maintaining high attention to detail
* Develops positive relationships with internal stakeholder
* Demonstrates a flexible, adaptable approach and always rises to challenges
* Consistently seeking process improvements and efficiencies
About You
This is an outstanding opportunity for a qualified solicitor/lawyer with 3 years + PQE and in-house experience preferably within the insurance or financial services industry, where you will have gained solid experience of negotiating, drafting and enforcing commercial contracts and financial services regulations. Experience in data protection/GDPR, DORA, property law and negotiating technology contracts would also be desirable.
You must be able to practically apply your legal and regulatory knowledge and demonstrate sound judgement and commercial acumen. As you will be liaising with all levels of the business including up to Board level, excellent interpersonal and communication skills, combined with a flair for negotiation and relationship building are paramount.
You will be capable of producing high quality work in a fast-paced environment, be able to demonstrate creativity in resolving challenging business problems and have the tenacity to achieve tight deadlines. You must be able to understand broad business issues, grasp complex issues and be effective and confident in communicating complex messages both in writing and verbally. Independent and able to work on your own initiative, you will also have the ability to function effectively in a team environment.
Above all, to be successful in this exciting role you need to show enthusiasm, flexibility and a positive working attitude. For this you will be rewarded with the opportunity to broaden your skill set within an expanding global company.
Diversity and Inclusion
First Title has a positive commitment to the promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion for all current and prospective employees. Our objective is to cultivate and promote an inclusive culture that maximises the talent, skills and diversity within our workforce by treating all job applicants and employees of the Company equally; recruiting, remunerating and promoting people based solely on their suitability for the job and ensuring that opportunities for development and progress are afforded to all members of the Company to achieve their potential.