Legal Counsel (Corporate)

Job Introduction

What is the role?

As Legal Counsel focusing on corporate matters for Selfridges Group, you will provide legal solutions ensuring that key legal issues and responsibilities are addressed and compliance requirements are met. The Group Legal team, which sits as part of the wider Selfridges Legal & Privacy team, work across the group entities providing advice, governance and support to the companies and their shareholders. 

Reporting to the Head of Legal for Selfridges Group, you will bring corporate expertise to projects and everyday corporate matters. You will be impactful, build strong relationships and bring a positive, pragmatic decision-making focus, identifying risk and balancing common sense with a can-do attitude in a fast-paced environment. You will demonstrate careful attention to detail, the ability to plan and prioritise, ensuring key tasks are carried out in a timely manner, bringing clarity and structure to assist others. You will be comfortable in multi-tasking, in questioning and finding solutions, advising and supporting colleagues from across the business.

As Legal Counsel you will:

• Provide legal solutions for Selfridges Group, delivering effective and strategic advice on a broad range of matters from corporate transactions, joint venture agreements, banking and finance agreements, intragroup funding arrangements, and transactions to company law and corporate governance.  This may include, for example, taking a lead role on legal aspects of any corporate organisational structure changes, capitalisations and funding arrangements. 
• Provide sound legal advice to the business, in plain English and without jargon; sometimes working with external advisors. You will be comfortable flexing how you deliver your advice for different stakeholders, as well as adjusting for the risk appetite of the business. 
• Be comfortable to work autonomously, or as part of a team; bringing in more senior colleagues as appropriate and updating senior stakeholders on key points or issues.
• Prepare and assist with legal documents, contracts/deals, commercial matters disputes/litigation, advice and regulatory or compliance matters; draft, review, negotiate and administer contracts; research and analyse the law; advise or provide training or updates; keep good records; support on business projects; analyse and identify legal risks; spot new or changing laws and the implications for Selfridges in the UK and the wider Group.Support the legal team to be a high performing team; supporting colleagues to achieve their goals to drive the business forward.

How you’ll do it…you will be:

• A mid-level lawyer (likely a UK qualified solicitor), with corporate law experience. We would love to hear from candidate with c. 2-5 years’ post-qualification experience  and ideally some experience working in a business (not necessarily as a lawyer).
• Someone with strong academic results and great legal experience, which should be relevant to Selfridges’ business and the broad range of corporate and commercial legal work covered by the Legal team, including shareholder funding, dividends, group entity loan facilities and intercompany loans.
• Comfortable liaising with senior stakeholders, including shareholder representatives, across multiple jurisdictions. 
• Someone who can manage a busy workload and demonstrate their ability to translate complex legal issues into straightforward, pragmatic and user-friendly advice or documents; able to work alone or as part of a team. 
• Experienced in supporting a customer-centric business with a can-do, collaborative approach; working at pace, and adjusting your style to suit your audience.
• Solutions focused and analytical. You are excellent at seeing through a problem and finding a solution, with strong organisational skills and a keen eye for detail. Able to manage deadlines and a complex workload, able to adjust pace or direction.
• A great communicator. With sound interpersonal skills and strong written and verbal  communication, you can influence business stakeholders and develop strong relationships at all levels. 
• Able to consider financial implications, risks, business impacts and working to a budget. 
• Able to produce clear and concise advice or documents, be a good listener, be a collaborative team member and to offer leadership or ideas when required.
• An ambassador for the business, the Legal and Privacy team and their roles.
• Someone with integrity, professionalism and trustworthiness – essential for any lawyer.
• Someone who demonstrates Selfridges Values, a trusted and respected colleague.

This guide represents a summary of the role, however all team members are expected to be flexible in the work they undertake, which may change from time to time, according to the needs of the business. 

Selfridges