Harper James
Chief Legal Officer
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Chief Legal Officer (CLO)
Remote | Executive Leadership Team
The Opportunity
Harper James is on an ambitious growth journey.
We're a modern, technology-enabled law firm transforming how legal services are delivered to businesses. With private equity backing and a clear strategic growth plan, we're now looking for an exceptional Chief Legal Officer to help scale the business, drive operational excellence, and support the next stage of Harper James' growth journey.
This is a unique opportunity to take ownership of the operational performance of a fast-growing legal services business and build a true scalability through AI-enabled delivery.
Working closely with the CEO, CFO, CCO, and CTO, you'll:
- Lead the legal operation
- Drive transformation programmes
- Ensure the business is equipped to support significant growth
If you're excited by scaling businesses, operational transformation, AI adoption, and building a more efficient, resilient, and client-focused organisation, we'd love to hear from you.
About Harper James
Harper James is a national commercial law firm designed for entrepreneurial businesses. We deliver high-quality legal advice through a distributed, technology-enabled model, offering clients flexible access to expert legal support.
Our lawyers work with thousands of UK businesses, from high-growth startups to established companies and investors. As we continue to grow, we're investing heavily in tech, AI, and operational excellence to redefine what a modern law firm can achieve.
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Key Responsibilities
As the CLO, you'll fulfil critical roles:
- Own the firm’s operating model, ensuring efficient and commercial scaling.
- Lead legal operations, driving AI-enabled transformation in legal teams.
- Improve client delivery while building scalable systems, processes, and leadership capability.
Core Duties:
- Lead Group Heads and legal teams to enhance performance, consistency, and accountability.
- Build a scalable operating model covering capacity planning, utilisation, quality, and service delivery.
- Drive AI, automation, and workflow improvements for productivity gains and better client outcomes.
- Strengthen client experience and retention, ensuring elevated service standards.
- Develop leadership capability, succession planning, and knowledge sharing across the legal teams.
- Lead transformation initiatives focused on growth, margin improvement, and operational resilience.
- Maintain strong operational governance, risk management, and regulatory controls as the business scales.
Required Experience & Skills
We’re seeking leaders who’ve successfully scaled professional services—ideally for legal services or complex knowledge-based organisations. Here’s what you’ll likely demonstrate:
- Executive-level operational leadership with a track record of scaling businesses.
- Experience in leading large fee-generating teams through significant change.
- Strong commercial acumen, especially in scalable, profitable, PE-backed growth models.
- Proficiency in improving operations through tech and data, coupled with deep expertise in legal tech, workflow automation, or AI-enabled solutions.
- Exceptional leadership and stakeholder management capabilities.
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Why Join Harper James?
This is your chance to shape the future of one of the UK’s most innovative law firms.
You’ll join a vibrant leadership team with:
- A clear strategy, significant growth opportunities, and a commitment to transform legal services.
- Remote working, ensuring flexibility.
- Competitive executive compensation (including equity).
- A high-impact, influential role shaping the firm at every level.
- The opportunity to drive AI transformation at scale.
- Exposure to private equity-backed growth with a focus on strategic transformation.
- A collaborative and entrepreneurial culture.
- The chance to leave a lasting mark on the business.
Ready to Apply?
If you thrive on building high-performing organisations, delivering transformative change, and supporting bold growth, apply today!
Note: Two key interview questions will be part of the process. Note: No Agencies, please.
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