Legal Counsel

Job Description
Working as part of our in-house legal team, your day to day responsibilities will involve drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, developing processes/policies and ensuring compliance with legal obligations across a wide range of activities.

What You Will Be Doing

• General supplier/services contracts – drafting and helping to negotiate supplier/services contracts across the business, primarily covering Facilities Management, Information Technology, Security and Championships Operations. These contracts will be both year-round and Championships-specific and will vary in complexity from simple matters to highly technical and operationally critical contracts. The maintenance and development of supplier templates and general contracting processes and policies will be an important aspect of the work.
• Technology and digital services – with the growth in scale and complexity of the AELTC's technology operations and digital offerings, a significant aspect of supplier contracting work will comprise providing support to the AELTC's Technology department in these areas. Another key aspect of the role will be supporting the AELTC's Marketing and Commercial department on related media, digital and content initiatives, including competitions, e-gaming and agency relationships. We consider this area to be particularly important in terms of enhancing the Legal team's current skillset and we would like the successful candidate to take the lead in advising in this area.
• Compliance – supporting the Legal team in ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation and guidelines including the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Bribery Act 2010, safeguarding and, in the case of the Wimbledon Foundation, relevant charity law matters.
• Ad-hoc legal workstreams – supporting the Legal team with ad-hoc legal matters which may, at times be a key priority and require significant resource (e.g. litigation).
• Legal administration – supporting the Legal team in developing its organisational policies and procedures and helping to further shape an efficient and robust internal legal function.

What part your role will play in The Championships

• In the run up to The Championships there will naturally be an increased workload, even though much of the contractual drafting/negotiation will be completed earlier in the year.
• During The Championships itself, this role will generally involve advising on ad-hoc (sometimes urgent) legal-related matters across the business and, where required, providing support on the AELTC's brand protection programme.

Your qualifications and experience
Mandatory

• Fully qualified commercial solicitor holding a current practising certificate for England and Wales.
• Minimum of three years of post-qualification experience, with at least two years having been obtained in private practice.
• Extensive experience in drafting and negotiating supplier/services contracts of varying complexities.
• Demonstrable background in advising on technology and digital services subject matters.

Highly desirable

• Some experience in a legal role within a corporate environment outside of private practice.
• You will be comfortable advising and working directly with non-lawyers.
• Experience advising on data protection and intellectual property related issues.

Useful but not mandatory

• A background in a legal role managing projects and transactions using external law firms within a commercial environment.
• Experience in a legal role relating to the organising and staging of major events.
• A flexible approach, willing and able to support on areas beyond core speciality areas, including employment, real estate, and charity law (using external advisors, where appropriate).

Personal attributes and style

• Ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with colleagues and external organisations.
• Consensual and collaborative working style but with the ability to be a strong decision maker and to get things done when required.
• Ability to advise on many different legal matters simultaneously, whilst also managing workload to meet deadlines.
• General business "curiosity".
• Ability to balance a strong attention to detail with the practical demands of a commercial organisation.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
• Excellent negotiation skills with the ability to achieve the best outcomes for the AELTC whilst maintaining commercial relationships.
• Total discretion when handling confidential matters.
• Willingness to work long days and weekends during and ahead of The Championships.
• Willingness to 'roll up the sleeves' and do a lot of basic drafting work.
• Comfortable taking decisions on legal issues.

About us

• The All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships) Limited (AELTC) organises and stages The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships, widely regarded as the world's premier tennis tournament and home to one of the world's most prestigious tennis clubs.
• Our business has grown in recent years and we expect this trend to continue. We have plans to further improve our facilities and invest in our people in future years. Our success is important to us and we are guided by our key values of Heritage, Integrity, Respect and Excellence.
• In view of the AELTC's ever increasing scale, complexity and ambition, since the AELTC's two full-time lawyers joined in 2018 (General Counsel) and 2022 (Senior Legal Counsel), respectively, there continues to be an increasing workload in relation to contracts and compliance matters, as well as a strategic desire to expand the internal legal function.
• This role presents an exciting opportunity for the right candidate in the years ahead as the Club strives to achieve its goals of delivering the world's premier tennis tournament and running the world's most prestigious tennis club.