Summary:
Our client, who plays a key role in supporting competition within the non-household retail water market, is looking for a Legal Counsel to join their team. As the Legal Counsel, you will support and provide legal advice across the company, review and draft commercial contracts and liaise with several internal and external stakeholders: Heads of Function, Managers and Analysts, Ofwat, Defra, CGI along with suppliers and trading parties directly. If you are a qualified Lawyer with +3 years PQE, have a strong understanding of the impact of legal issues or solutions on the operational activities of a business and you enjoy being hands on and operational, apply today!
Key responsibilities for the Legal Counsel:
1. Draft any amendments to the market codes and review all other drafts to the market code to ensure legal compliance.
2. Understand the construct of the market codes and how it fits together.
3. Provide day-to-day legal support and guidance on various internal matters within the organisation, across areas such as employment law, data protection and competition law.
4. Reviewing, amending and negotiating commercial contracts with suppliers and partners.
5. Conducting legal research when required.
6. Review and recommend changes to policies and procedures as and when required.
7. Keep up to date with legislative issues that may impact the organisation
8. Working with the Company Secretariat team, provide legal and company/corporate law advice to the Board and its committees.
9. Working specifically with market analysts advising and directing on policy and best practice.
10. Provide legal support to any litigation as and when required.
11. Be an advocate for good governance across the organisation.
Skills and Experience required for the Legal Counsel:
12. Qualified as a Lawyer with +3 yrs PQE
13. Solid communication and influencing skills
14. Commercial in approach, understanding the impact of legal issues or solutions on the operational activities of the business
15. The ability to advise on a wide range of topics (working with external counsel where required), as often encountered in an in-house role
16. Expertise in reviewing and drafting commercial contracts
17. An understanding of the water industry or wider utilities markets and its legislation is desirable, but not essential.
18. Previous experience for working in a legal function within a fast-paced organisation in an in-house legal team - preferred but not essential.