Legal counsel - real estate/construction

About the Company

Based in our London office for a minimum of three days per week and reporting to the General Counsel, this role is responsible for providing legal support across the Company's commercial property portfolio and infrastructure projects, including EV charging, battery storage and solar facilities.

About the Role

The role will provide expert legal advice on both real estate and construction matters, supporting the acquisition, management and disposal of property interests, as well as the development and delivery of infrastructure projects. Working in close partnership with the Company's retained external lawyers, the successful candidate will collaborate with internal stakeholders across the business to ensure the effective delivery of legal services and commercially focused advice. The Company has a self-service model for legal matters within the business, with outsourcing of property matters to selected external law firms. The role will oversee matters within this structure and support and advise the business as required.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice and support on all aspects of the Company's commercial property portfolio, including forecourts, offices, EV charging locations and associated infrastructure.
• Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of property agreements, including heads of terms, agreements for lease, leases, licences, easements, wayleaves, options and ancillary property documentation.
• Draft, review and negotiate construction and project-related agreements, including principal contractor agreements, consultant appointments, collateral warranties, deeds of novation and framework agreements.
• Build strong relationships with the Growth team and act as a trusted legal adviser throughout the business development lifecycle, providing pragmatic and commercially focused advice to support new opportunities.
• Support the Growth team in negotiations with prospective clients, landlords, developers, suppliers and strategic partners, helping to identify opportunities while appropriately managing legal and commercial risk.
• Draft, review and negotiate confidentiality agreements (NDAs), exclusivity agreements, letters of intent, framework agreements and other commercial arrangements required to support business growth.
• Support the acquisition, development, management and disposal of property assets.
• Advise internal stakeholders on property, construction, planning and consenting matters relating to EV charging, battery storage and solar projects.
• Develop strong and effective working relationships with the Company's retained external lawyers, acting as the key internal point of coordination to ensure consistent, pragmatic and commercially focused legal support.
• Manage and instruct external legal advisers to ensure timely, cost-effective and high-quality delivery of legal services across property, construction and commercial matters.
• Work closely with the Growth, Delivery, Operations, Commercial and Finance teams to facilitate project delivery and operational requirements.
• Identify legal and commercial risks and provide pragmatic, commercially focused advice and solutions. Assist the General Counsel with Insurance matters, particularly in respect of Property and Construction.
• Support contract strategy, procurement activities and risk allocation across development and construction projects.
• Lead the development, review and continuous improvement of legal templates, standard agreements, playbooks and processes to drive efficiency, consistency and risk management across the business.
• Identify opportunities to streamline legal processes, reduce transaction timelines and improve stakeholder self-service through the creation of practical guidance, templates and training materials.
• Monitor legal, regulatory and industry developments affecting the property, construction and energy sectors.
• Support the resolution of disputes, claims and contentious matters relating to property and construction contracts.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant statutory, regulatory and governance requirements.
• Adhere to all company policies, procedures and business ethics codes, including anti-bribery, environmental and quality management standards.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years PQE with significant commercial real estate experience and exposure to construction law matters.
• Strong commercial real estate experience gained in private practice and/or in-house.
• Experience advising on construction matters, including principal contractor agreements and project delivery contracts.
• Experience supporting a commercial property portfolio, ideally across multiple sites.
• Experience drafting and negotiating a range of commercial agreements, including NDAs, confidentiality agreements and business development-related documentation.
• Experience working closely with commercial, property or growth teams to support new business opportunities and strategic partnerships.
• In-house experience within infrastructure, energy, retail, property or related sectors would be advantageous.
• Experience within the infrastructure, energy, retail, property or renewable energy sectors would be advantageous.

Required Skills

• Strong working knowledge of commercial real estate law, including leases, licences, easements, wayleaves, options and property acquisitions.
• Good understanding of construction and engineering contracts, including principal contractor agreements, consultant appointments and related project documentation.
• Experience advising on property, planning and consenting matters.
• Commercially minded with the ability to balance legal risk against business objectives.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence and build credibility across all levels of the business.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation and communication skills.
• Comfortable working independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Proactive, pragmatic and solution-oriented approach to legal advice.
• Ability to create, refine and implement standard agreements, templates and processes to support business growth and operational efficiency.
• Knowledge of the renewable energy, EV charging infrastructure and the wider energy transition sector.
• Confident and resilient in managing complex legal matters and competing priorities.

Preferred Skills

• Qualified Solicitor in England & Wales.