The RWS Legal Team is highly collaborative, collegial, and dedicated to providing the business with proactive, pragmatic, and timely legal advice. We are looking for a strong communicator with proven negotiation skills to join the RWS Legal Department as Commercial Counsel. Reporting to the Head of Legal, you will be responsible for drafting, negotiating, and reviewing a broad range of corporate and commercial contracts as well as providing corporate, transactional, and other legal support as needed. As a Commercial Legal Counsel, you will partner and work closely with various employees throughout the organization to lead and support the contracting process within established timelines.
The work is challenging, fast-paced and rewarding, both professionally and personally. This is an exciting and engaging position in a mission-driven organization, offering a flexible, hybrid work arrangement.
About RWS Legal
In joining RWS’s Legal and Professional Advisory team you will play an instrumental part in supporting the world’s leading provider of technology-enabled language, content, and intellectual property services. RWS has growing revenues of over £750m through a combination of value accretive acquisitions and organic growth and a current market capitalization of £1.3bn. The Legal and Professional Advisory team, led by our General Counsel and Company Secretary, Jane Hyde, includes the Legal, Company Secretarial, Data Privacy and ESG functions which provide critical business partnering to our Divisional operations and help drive the Group’s risk management, regulatory, governance and sustainability agendas. You will be part of a diverse and international team working across our global operations which span a footprint of over 100 legal entities in 43 different countries worldwide.
It’s a very exciting time to join RWS for an individual who enjoys driving change and making an impact in a dynamic environment. As part of the overall RWS business strategy we are making a significant investment in upgrading our systems and processes to deliver enhanced reporting and control and strengthening our risk and governance frameworks.
Key Responsibilities
- Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of contracts, including commercial agreements (technology, licensing, services), vendor/partner agreements, data processing agreements, service contracts and corporate agreements worldwide. Emphasis is on providing timely, high-quality analysis and pragmatic solutions and legal advice on all contract negotiations.
- Collaborate with, and provide timely and strategic legal advice to management and business units, including Sales, Operations, Marketing, IT/Procurement, Data Privacy, Security, and supply chain.
- Shepherd deals through the sales cycle and internal approval processes while partnering with the appropriate cross-functional teams.
- Advise on legal risks and implications of business decisions and initiatives.
- Ensure compliance with corporate governance standards and practices. Highlighting and escalating concerns and potential solutions to Head of Legal.
- Develop, implement and monitor policies and procedures and other documentation to minimize risk and enhance ethical business practice. Effectively prioritize and perform other legal duties as assigned.
- Collaborate with external counsel, as required.
Skills & Experience
- Solicitor, Qualified in England & Wales, or other common law jurisdiction.
- Minimum 3 years’ PQE, preferably with experience working in an in-house legal department representing large technology driven organizations.
- Strong contract negotiation and drafting skills, and substantive expertise with key provisions of most contracts, with specific experience in complex IT/software technology agreements in the US, Europe and Asia.
- Qualified candidates must have expertise in many areas of domestic and international business, commercial contracts, intellectual property law, commercial law, GDPR and related privacy laws, and regulatory matters.
- Ability to think strategically, problem solve creatively and quickly, and be a savvy partner to clients (both internal and external) to help them navigate legal risk to achieve business objectives.
- Self-motivated and highly productive with the ability to multi-task.
- Quick learner who can adapt to a fast-paced, high-growth environment and can navigate complex cross-functional situations.
- Works well under pressure in a fast-paced sales environment, with regular prioritization and timely and transparent communication
- Comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy.
- Demonstrated flexibility and eagerness to work on a broad range of legal matters.
- Strong team player with the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams representing a wide range of entities and departments in an international and multi-cultural environment
- Excellent analytical, drafting, interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to maintain a strong presence in client meetings and meetings with opposing counsel and parties, while representing the company’s interests.
- Possesses strong integrity, and the ability to maintain confidences while working with sensitive, confidential information.
- Demonstrated commitment to principles of equity and inclusion.
- Flexible work from home schedule, with a minimum of two days in the office
